DR Congo: The South Africa Defense Force about as useless as FARDC

All Africa reports 

South Africa: SANDF's Shocking Conduct in the DRC

      The defence department is investigating 93 cases of misconduct against SANDF members serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, confirmed, in a reply to a parliamentary question, that there have been 93 cases of misconduct brought against members of the South African National Defence Force (SAFND) serving as part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

That sounds high until one looks at the number of troops deployed.

" According to reports, South Africa has deployed over 1,200 defence force members with MONUSCO in the DRC."

It is actually a bit worse than high it is a national disgrace. The South Africa Defense Force has failed the South Africa badly. It  has failed the UN and more importantly it has failed the people of the DR Congo. 

The SANDF is supposed to be a "disciplined military force". However, there have been 93 cases of misconduct brought against members of the SANDF serving in the DRC. Of the 93 cases, most shockingly, at least 23 involve rape, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and assault of women. These include, for example:

- Alleged sexual molestation;

- Rape and murder of a Burundian girl;

- Sexual abuse and exploitation; and

- Sexual abuse and misconduct.

It is completely unacceptable for the members of the SANDF, who are supposed to be a disciplined military force, to begin to mirror the behaviour of the national defence force and rebel groups, in the DRC.

There is unfortunately a lot of truth in that observation.

The parliamentary question specifically probed whether the United Nations (UN) had been informed about the outcome of each investigation conducted by the SANDF. However, this part of the question was not replied to by the Minister and suggests the SANDF may not have fully cooperated with the UN in investigating some cases of misconduct in the DRC.

I will, therefore, be asking further parliamentary questions concerning the cooperation of the UN and the SANDF investigating the outstanding cases of misconduct in the DRC.

Keep digging. This is also a possible contributing factor in not giving the leadership of MONUSCO to South Africa.

David Maynier, Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

Democratic Alliance