Their remains were handed over to their loved ones while their praises were sung in a memorial service on Thursday night.
JOHANNESBURG - The South African peacekeepers who died in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo two weeks ago have been hailed as heroes as the country mourns their loss.
The death toll of SANDF soldiers caught in the crossfire in battles between the DRC armed forces and M23 rebels rose to 14 two weeks ago when their base in Goma came under fire. The families of the fallen soldiers were joined by President Cyril Ramaphosa, Defence Minister Angie Motshekga and SANDF top brass in a celebration of their lives at the Swartkop Air Force Base in Tshwane on Thursday.They died in a foreign land and it took their remains about a week to arrive back in South Africa after the repatriation process was stalled by security risks and rising tensions in the DRC and its neighbouring states.
These are the families of the 14 South African soldiers killed in the DRC last month during conflict between DRC armed forces and the M23 rebels. They are at the Swartkop AirForce base in Centurion for the handover ceremony and memorial service."You are home now. You have come to your resting place. We are here to receive you with open arms and lay you to rest."
The 14 soldiers, who will be remembered for putting on a brave fight, are expected to be buried in full military honours.
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