Anguish over return of fallen soldiers in DRC

The families of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers who lost their lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have expressed deep frustration over the lack of formal communication from authorities about the repatriation of their loved ones’ remains.

While the SANDF on Friday confirmed that the process of moving the bodies to a UN logistics base in Entebbe, Uganda, was under way, grieving relatives say they have been left in the dark and forced to rely on media reports for updates.

Pieter Strydom, whose son Pieter Strydom jnr died in the DRC on January 24, said he still did not know when his body would be back in South Africa. “We have been kept updated piecemeal, but essentially we are in the dark,” he said yesterday.

On Friday, the families were informed the bodies would be repatriated via Uganda.

“Yesterday afternoon, the SANDF told us our son’s body had reached Uganda. More than that, we don’t know. We don’t even know if they will be flying from there to Johannesburg, Pretoria or Cape Town. We live in Kimberley and must make travel arrangements, but we are in the dark,” Strydom said.

The SANDF confirmed on Friday that the bodies were being transported by road from Goma in the DRC, through Rwanda, to the UN logistics base in Entebbe. From there they would be flown to South Africa.

But Strydom is frustrated by the SANDF’s communications.

“The SANDF is doing nothing with grace in this situation. Our son paid the highest price for our country that any individual possibly can, but there is no respect for him or us as a family from the army.

“One colonel has been trying to keep us informed, but he is reliant on information from the higher-ups — and that is where all communication is stuck.

“My son wanted to be deployed and do his bit for South Africa. But soon after he was deployed his dream turned into a nightmare.”

For two weeks before their son’s death, his parents followed the downward spiral of his mental health through WhatsApp messages and voice notes.

“A month before his death, my son saw a sergeant hit by a mortar,” his father said. “He could not get that image out of his head. Ironically, almost a month later a mortar hit five South African servicemen, and four of them were killed outright. The only immediate survivor — my son — later died from the wounds he sustained.”

Strydom said conditions in Sake were terrible. “My son said they were left at the mercy of falling bombs. The bunker at the base is too small for everyone and, except for the bunker, they had only badly dug, shallow trenches. After a while they learnt to distinguish between incoming and outgoing mortars. If you heard an incoming mortar, you had to run to the bunker — and if it was already full your only other option was a trench. Can you imagine lying there expecting every incoming mortar round to [hit you]?

Goodness Maluleke, the older sister of soldier Derrick Maluleke, 35, also expressed frustration.

Maluleke — a father to three children aged four, six and 18 months — last sent his family a message just a few days before his death. He joined the SANDF in 2011, his sister said.

“They haven’t told us what is happening. We are frustrated [and] don’t even want to talk about it. We are just waiting for them to come and tell us what is happening.”

The family of fallen soldier Matome Justice Malesa said they had seen news about the repatriation of bodies on television.

Family spokesperson Mpho Monyela, who was Malesa’s cousin, also expressed frustration at the lack of communication from the SANDF.

“We have seen the news on TV, but we can’t [accept] that because for us it’s still a rumour, [and] we are waiting for a formality. We are still waiting to hear from the [South African] National Defence Force about the repatriation of the remains,” he said.

Monyela said documents had been obtained from the people who would go and identify the bodies when they arrived.

Meanwhile, Monageng Moagi, the uncle of Calvin Moagi, 28, who had also heard the repatriation updates on the news, was more understanding of the situation. “We know the process is taking place, but we don’t have the formal details,” he said. Calvin went to the DRC in March last year, and that is when the family last saw him.

Moagi said the funeral arrangements for his nephew would be made in conjunction with the government.

SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said yesterday he had received a report stating that each family had been allocated a chaplain to support the families spiritually.

“Tomorrow (Sunday), they will be visited by the HR persons to start the process of arranging their travel to Pretoria for the ceremony to receive their loved ones.

“This morning, families were also consulted to give permission for the publication of the photos of their loved ones and all agreed.”