10 February 2025

The African National Congress Parliamentary Caucus has called on members of the National Assembly to observe the utmost decorum during the upcoming debate on matters relating to the deployment of the SANDF in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The ANC will be participating in the Democratic Alliance-sponsored debate on Monday, 10 February 2025.

The ANC dips its revolutionary banner in honour of the fourteen gallant SANDF soldiers, who alongside troops from other African countries paid the highest price in the protracted conflict in the eastern DRC two weeks ago. The ANC continues to call for the speedy repatriation of the remains of our fallen soldiers.

The ANC joins the country in observing the period of national mourning for our fallen troops. As such, the debate should guided by empathy for the grieving families, and not political point-scoring.

The ANC Caucus firmly supports the peacekeeping role of the SANDF in the easternDRC as part of both the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC). Our country’s foreign policy outlook is underpinned by the injunction of the Freedom Charter; “There shall be peace and friendship.

South Africa shall be a fully independent state which respects the rights and sovereignty of all nations; South Africa shall strive to maintain world peace and the settlement of all international disputes by negotiation – not war.

Democratic South Africa owes its liberation from apartheid to the solidarity of the peoples of Africa. The frontline states in particular made great sacrifices and paid a heavy price for their solidarity with the liberation movement. As such we regard it as our duty to support our compatriots across the continent.

The ANC furthermore is steadfast in asserting that peace on the African continent is a necessary precondition for economic growth and sustainable development. This is in line with the aspirations of the AU’s Agenda 2063.

The ANC Caucus endorses the outcomes of the recent joint summit of the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC), particularly the call for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities. It is paramount that a political resolution to the conflict is urgently secured, and that negotiations in this regard involve both state and non-state actors involved.

The ANC Caucus welcomes the assurances from the Department of Defence and Military Veterans that the welfare of our soldiers remains paramount in the ongoing mission in the eastern DRC.

Issued by the Office of the Chief Whip, Cde Mdumiseni Ntuli

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