The South African Minister of Defence and senior generals have faced harsh criticism for their response to the crisis involving the country’s soldiers being held hostage by M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

A prominent African defence analyst has highlighted the military leadership’s failure to recognise the urgency of the crisis, noting that they were playing golf while the plight of soldiers held by M23 rebels in Goma remained unresolved.

In an interview with National Security News, John Stupart of the African Defence Review said the defence minister and military chiefs, who appeared before a parliamentary committee, seemed unaware of how damaging their actions have been for the military. He urged South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to “clean house.”

South African soldiers participating in a peacekeeping mission in the DRC are effectively prisoners of war, confined to their bases in Goma and Saké by M23 rebels. Fourteen soldiers have died in recent clashes, with an undetermined number wounded. One soldier reportedly died due to a lack of access to medical care.

It was revealed today that a deal has been negotiated for the release of the deceased soldiers and that their bodies have been transported to Entebbe, a city in central Uganda, from where they will be repatriated to South Africa. The deal is reported to have been brokered by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Summit in Tanzania on DRC crisis

A summit involving the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is being held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to address the conflict in eastern DRC. Presidents Ramaphosa and Paul Kagame, who have recently been involved in a war of words, will attend. Both leaders have blamed each other for the failure of talks to resolve the crisis.

DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, along with Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, are also expected to participate.

Mr Guterres described the conflict as pivotal, warning that it risks engulfing the entire region, and urged all parties to collaborate for peace. The summit takes place against the backdrop of M23 rebels seizing another mining town in South Kivu, violating their self-declared ceasefire.

What Ramaphosa should do next

Beyond seeking a peaceful resolution to the Goma crisis and firing top military leaders, Stupart recommends that South Africa undertake a comprehensive Defence Review.

He states that there needs to be “a wholesale rethink of what the military is there for and what the government is prepared to fund,” emphasising the need for urgency.

The South African government has faced criticism for compromising the lives of soldiers due to funding cuts to the defence budget.

Members of Parliament called this week for a properly equipped and resourced SANDF. The crisis in the eastern parts of the DRC has raised questions about how prepared South African soldiers are for conflict, especially in operations more than 2,400 km away.

South Africa’s global positioning re-evaluated

Stupart warns that there is a risk South Africa might align its defence policies more with BRICS countries such as Russia and China. He stated, “I think that’s very much on the horizon now in terms of South Africa contemplating what our national security is going to look like. Is it going to remain with the West, or are we going to move East? There are big consequences to both, but I know which one I would prefer.”

Stupart also expressed hope that this weekend’s negotiations in Dar-es-Salaam would at least lead to the reopening of Goma Airport, allowing for the evacuation of South African troops.