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South African military: 2 soldiers killed, 3 wounded on Congo mission

South African military: 2 soldiers killed, 3 wounded on Congo mission

SOUTH Africa's military said that two of its soldiers were killed and three wounded by a mortar bomb in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as President Cyril Ramaphosa struck back against opposition claims that they were ill-equipped. South Africa said earlier this week that it would send 2,900 troops as part of its contribution to a force deployed by southern African regional bloc SADC to help Congo fight rebel groups in its restive eastern region. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said in a statement posted on X that a mortar bomb landed inside one of the South African contingent's military…
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South Africa to lead new military force in the DRC: an expert on what it’s up against

South Africa to lead new military force in the DRC: an expert on what it’s up against

THE United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Monusco, is ending after 20 years. It will be replaced by troops from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), led by the South African military. Thomas Mandrup, an expert in African security governance and South African military and foreign policy, recently wrote a paper on the subject. We asked him about the new mission and what awaits it. THOMAS MANDRUP, Associate Professor, Security Institute for Governance and Leadership In Africa (SIGLA), Stellenbosch University What prompted the deployment? The security situation in the eastern DRC has deteriorated in recent…
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South African president deploys army to tackle illegal mining

South African president deploys army to tackle illegal mining

SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the deployment of 3,300 army personnel to help combat illegal mining activities, Ramaphosa's office said in a statement. The deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), which is expected to cost about 492 million rand ($26 million), is aimed at maintaining law and order under "Operation Prosper", Vincent Magwenya, Ramaphosa's spokesperson, said in the statement. The SANDF was previously deployed in 2019 to the Western Cape province to fight gang violence under the same operation. "Members of the SANDF will, in cooperation with the South African Police Service, conduct an intensified…
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South Africa recalls U.N. peacekeepers accused of sexual misconduct in Congo

South Africa recalls U.N. peacekeepers accused of sexual misconduct in Congo

THE South African National Defence Force has recalled eight U.N. peacekeepers deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo following allegations of sexual misconduct against them, it said on Sunday. The soldiers were part of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in eastern Congo, known as MONUSCO, and sources first told Reuters about the alleged abuses last week. In a statement released on Sunday, the SANDF said it was "unfortunate" that South Africa first learned about the allegations in the media, and that proper reporting procedures were not followed. "Due to the serious nature of the allegations, the SANDF took a decision to recall the…
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S.Africa’s army chief visits Moscow for bilateral talks

S.Africa’s army chief visits Moscow for bilateral talks

THE South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said that its army chief, Lawrence Mbatha, was in Moscow for a bilateral meeting, where he will visit Russian military academies and hold talks with officials. "It must be noted that South Africa has military-to-military bilateral relations with various countries in the continent and beyond," the SANDF said in a statement, adding that the meeting in Russia was planned well in advance. Earlier on Monday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country's non-aligned position did not favour Russia over other states and reiterated its call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict…
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SA wants probe into disturbing Moz video

SA wants probe into disturbing Moz video

SOUTH Africa wants an investigation into a "disturbing" video allegedly showing one of its soldiers present while bodies were being burned on a pile of rubble in Mozambique, President Cyril Ramaphosa's spokesman said. South African soldiers are part of a Southern African regional force helping Mozambique fight an Islamic State-linked insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives since 2017. The video went viral on social media this week, prompting a statement from the South African National Defence Force that the incident was believed to have happened in November 2022 and anyone found guilty of the acts seen in the clip…
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The storm is over, but the battle remains – Ramaphosa

The storm is over, but the battle remains – Ramaphosa

AFTER  a week from hell, President Cyril Ramaphosa has sought to instil confidence among South Africans that calm has been restored to most of the affected areas, but warned that the storm is not over yet. While Ramaphosa has outlined measures to contain the violence and the looting, he has made it abundantly clear that this was the biggest test to SA’s democracy and that the biggest challenge remains to arrest the ring leaders of the insurrection which paralysed parts of the country and inflicted damage running into billions. Alongside the big clean-up operation and the campaign by the police…
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‘We defeated an attempt to weaken, topple the state’

‘We defeated an attempt to weaken, topple the state’

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER FLANKED by the chiefs of the military and police, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa presented a show of strength, power, and carried messages designed to restore the confidence of the nation in the government. The democratic state, he asserted in a special address to the nation, was tested by the unprecedented violence and looting, was found wanting but was able to regroup quickly, stabilize the country and restore peace and stability. The battle had been won but the war against the constitutional state was still on, he warned. Hours before the address, General Rudzani Maphanywa, Chief of…
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S.A looting dies down as more troops expected

S.A looting dies down as more troops expected

A week of violence, arson and looting that has engulfed South Africa slowly began to ebb on Thursday as several districts rocked by the mayhem were quiet ahead of an expected surge in soldiers on the streets. Pockets of looting contiued in the eastern port city of Durban. A Reuters reporter saw crowds in Durban's Mobeni neighbourhood rollling away trolleys loaded with maize meal and other looted staples. Some loaded pick-up trucks - one such truck had to be abandoned as it had run out of fuel. Petrol stations have shut across the city because of the unrest. Taxi drivers…
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Wife of South African army general arrested for R100-million fraud

Wife of South African army general arrested for R100-million fraud

AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER THE crackdown by the South African law enforcement against fraud and corruption has continued, with the wife of an army general the latest to be arrested. Nombasa Ntsondwa-Ndhlovu was arrested and has appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court where she was charged for providing false information and documents to win a R100-million tender from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) transport equipment to Sudan. Ntsonda-Ndhlovu, whose husband, Noel Ndhlovu, is a general in the SANDF, was granted bail of R80 000 and her case was postponed to December 9. As part of her bail…
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