Wednesday, 29 January 2025

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is disturbed by the pathetic attempts of the grand coalition of the ANC, together with their white supremacist DA and Freedom Front Plus partners, to avoid accountability with regards to the tragic deaths of our SANDF soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Today, (29 January 2025), the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans was due to meet at 10:00, in order to assess the situation in the DRC, and to intervene urgently in order to address the plight of our soldiers who are under severe pressure, and are facing terrible constraints with regards to ammunition shortages, and other urgently needed supplies.

Already, 13 of our SANDF soldiers have lost their lives over the past few days, and with the rapidly worsening situation in the Eastern DRC, the very real danger exists that more of our young soldiers can lose their lives. Under these circumstances it was absolutely critical and urgent for the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans to meet in order to carry out it’s oversight duties over the Executive, as part of the Legislative pillar of government. The meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, that was scheduled to take place today, was thus critical.

However, late last night at 22:30 the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, ANC MP Dakota Legoetle, postponed the meeting with no less than a week. Seven long days, while our soldiers are exposed on the killing fields of the Eastern DRC.

This late-night postponement, at the last-minute, followed earlier attempts by Legoetle to cancel the meeting. This he had done because the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms. Angie Motshekga, did not find it ‘convenient’ to account to the Portfolio Committee at this stage about the tragic disaster unfolding in the DRC, and her terrible dereliction of duty, and inability to protect the lives of our soldiers. Under pressure from EFF MP, Carl Niehaus, and other members of the Portfolio Committee, Legoetle eventually gave in, and agreed that the meeting should go ahead, only to change his mind late last night under further pressure from Minister Motshekga, and to postpone the meeting once again.

The EFF is deeply disturbed by this unacceptable turn of events. In the light of the crisis that our SANDF troops in the DRC are faced with, every minute of every day counts in order to save their lives, and to bring them safely back home. To postpone a critical meeting that was meant to deal with these issues, demonstrates a woeful lack of appreciation of how serious the situation is and a complete disregard for the oversight role of Parliament and the will of the electorate and the South African public.

It is even more disturbing to note that the Chairperson of a Portfolio Committee, who is supposed to review and oversee the work of the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, allowed himself to be intimidated and dictated to by the very same Minister, to postpone such a critical meeting. This is an outrage.

It is the intention of the Minister to avoid accountability, and to first create/spin a narrative that will cover up her glaring failures, before appearing before the Portfolio Committee and to account about the true, and extremely, disturbing state of affairs. Therefore, the Minister first wants to frame the narrative in a hastily conferred media conference that she has called for today, before appearing before the Portfolio Committee. She is avoiding to face the real hard and probing questions.

For Mr. Legoetle, to allow this to happen, and to participate in this wanton manipulation, is in total dereliction of his duties. Evidently Legoetle considers his loyalty to Minister Motshekga, as his fellow ANC member, more important than to carry out his duties as a Member of Parliament, and to be true to the Oath of Allegiance that he laid down to first and foremost serve the citizens of South Africa.

Ultimately this desperate postponement of the Portfolio Committee meeting today, is all about escaping accountability by the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans for her incompetence, and total dereliction of duty, that so tragically and directly impacted on the lives of our soldiers on the DRC. Unfortunately, this is always the modus operandi of the ANC. For the ANC elite it is never about caring for the people of our country, but only to selfishly take care of themselves.

The EFF condemns the postponement of the crucial meeting of the Portfolio Committee of Defence and Military Veterans, and calls out the ANC, and specially the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, and the Chair of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, Dakota Legoetle – both senior ANC NEC members – for their callous lack of care for our gravely endangered and suffering soldiers in the DRC.

They stand exposed for the self-serving, and callous, opportunists that they are, and are condemned by the deaths of our soldiers, who unlike them, showed a patriotic commitment and preparedness to make the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

ISSUED BY THE ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS

Leigh-Ann Mathys (National Spokesperson) 082 304 7572

Thato Lebyane (Media Enquiries) 078 304 7572