The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are challenging the official narrative of South Africa's military deployment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), alleging it is not a peacekeeping mission but a war to protect mineral resources.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have raised serious questions about the true nature of the South African military deployment in the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ), alleging it is not a peacekeeping mission but a full-scale war waged to protect mineral-rich territories. The party's concerns stem from the deaths of 14 South African soldiers last month, sparking intense scrutiny and debate in Parliament.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) representative, Nicholas Gotsell, criticized the government for failing to adequately investigate the deployment in 2023 when President Cyril Ramaphosa first informed them. However, South African National Defence Force (SANDF) chief Rudzani Maphwanya has repeatedly emphasized that the mission is part of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) peacekeeping effort, involving troops from Tanzania and Malawi. He stated that South Africa's foreign policy prioritizes a peaceful and secure continent, making conflict resolution a cornerstone.Despite these reassurances, the EFF's Carl Niehaus vehemently refuted the peacekeeping claim, asserting that the mission is inherently offensive and that the South African army is ill-equipped for such a conflict. He accused the government of sending soldiers to their deaths to secure mineral wealth controlled by President Ramaphosa, his family, and associates. The EFF's Nazier Paulsen echoed this sentiment, demanding full transparency from the military and urging them to acknowledge that they are engaged in a war in the DRC, not a peacekeeping operation. The Defence Minister is expected to address these claims and provide further clarification on the mission's objectives and the circumstances surrounding the soldiers' deaths
SOUTH AFRICA DRC ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS MILITARY DEPLOYMENT PEACEKEEPING WAR MINERAL WEALTH POLITICS
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