SANDF officially releases names of soldiers who died in DRC

JOHANNESBURG - The Department of Defence has extended its condolences to the families of the 14  South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members who died in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Initially, 13 soldiers lost their lives in battle - while the latest member succumbed to injury in hospital.

The SANDF has officially released the names of its members who died last week - in the Eastern DRC city of Goma - after M23 rebels attacked them.

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Some of these soldiers were part of the SANDF contingent deployed in December 2023 - as part of the 16-member regional bloc SADC mission on peacekeeping efforts in the region.

It's understood that the M23 forces had launched a full-scale attack on the troops to take over Goma, but the SANDF members halted their advancement.

"The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms Angie Motshekga, the Deputy Ministers of Defence and Military Veterans, Maj Gen (ret) Bantu Holomisa and Mr Richard Hlophe, together with the Acting Secretary for Defence, Dr Thobekile Gamede and the Chief of the South African National Defence Force, General Rudzani Maphwanya send their heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and the entire defence family," said the SANDF's spokesperson - Siphiwe Dlamini.