The South African National Defence Union claimed that soldiers deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo are under-resourced, and citizens aren't that surprised.
The SA National Defence Union stated that while troops are well-trained, they don't have the right resources for missions. Images: Frennie Shivambu/ Nigel JaredThe soldiers were killed during two days of clashes with M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by Friday, 24 January 2025. Rebels were attempting to gain control of Goma, the capital city of eastern DRC.
South Africans were not surprised by the union’s claims, with many venting about the state of the defence force.“This is not our war. They should be at home defending the border. We can't be sending South African men and women to die for a dictatorship in Congo. It’s totally ridiculous.”20 others were also injured during that attack, as a mortar hit the SANDF base on 25 June 2025.Byron Pillay is a Current Affairs Editor at Briefly News.
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