EFF statement on serious allegations of sexual offences committed by deployed SANDF troops in UN peace keeping mission

24 November 2024

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is deeply offended, and utterly dismayed, by the findings of the shocking report by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight on sexual offences committed by military and peace keeping missions. This UN Report revealed that soldiers from the South African National Defence Forces (SANDF) soldiers are the worst offenders. The Report focused on offences in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Sudan, South Sudan, Liberia and Haiti. South Africa has more than 2000 troops stationed in the DRC, Sudan and South Sudan.

These shocking findings puts South Africa at the top of the list of offending nations, with nine official allegations, and many more very serious unofficial allegations, despite not even being the biggest contributor of troops to these UN missions. The findings of the UN Report also most disconcertingly indicate that some of the serious allegations involve sexual offences committed against minors.

Up to now the Ministry of Defence has totally failed to condemn the grossly unacceptable behaviour of South African troops, nor has the Ministry given any indication about whether any troops had (or will) face disciplinary action, and military trials. This situation creates the terrible impression that the Department of Defence shockingly tums a blind eye to these offences, and even condones them!

It must be noted that in terms of agreements with the UN, allegations should be investigated by the army of the soldier involved in the alleged misconduct. This places the ball squarely in the court of the South African Department of Defence.

The EFF is on record to have called for strong, and decisive action, to be taken against any SANDF troops that are guilty of misconduct during their international deployments.

We have called for such troops, and their commanding officers, to be recalled immediately to South Africa and for thorough investigations that leave no stone unturne to be instituted against all responsible. If found guilty they must be dealt with harshly, and without any mercy.

It is a terrible blight on the name of our country, that South African troops are known, and publicly shamed, as the worst sexual offenders among the troops of those nations deployed in UN peace keeping missions. However, the EFF is furthermore on record to have expressed concerns, for a considerable period of time now, that there is a very serious problem with ill-discipline and misconduct by SANDF troops that are deployed in the DRC, and other UN peace keeping missions.

We have urgently pleaded for immediate corrective, and disciplinary, action to be taken by the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, and the senior command of the SANDF. Our sincere and urgent pleas have fallen on death ears, and Minister Angie Motshekga, and the whole leadership of the SANDF , from the Chief of the South African Defence Force, General Rudzani Mphwanya, must all be held responsible for the terrible infamy that has now befallen our nation. There must be consequence management, and their terrible dereliction of duty must have extremely serious consequences for their continuing tenure in the high positions of responsibility that they hold.

The EFF repeats our serious - well founded - reservations about South Africa's continuing deployment of poorly trained and inadequately equipped troops specifically in the DRC, but also in the other UN peace keeping missions. We have consistently warned that our SANDF troops are not sufficiently equipped to be able to carry out these missions successfully.

The huge, often un-budgeted, costs associated with these deployments divert critically needed funds from a severely under-budgeted SANDF, that is already in the throes of collapsing. South Africa has nothing to gain from these deployments, but much to lose, and therefore our SANDF troops must be recalled.

As far as the serious allegations of sexual misconduct contained in the UN Report are concerned, the EFF demands that both the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence must urgently summon the Minister of Defence, Ms. Angie Motshekga, and the Chief of the South African Defence Force, General Rudzani Mphwanya, to appear before these Committees, and to account for their shocking dereliction of duty. They must report in detail about the steps that they will now undertake to address the extremely serious allegations contained in the said UN Report about the sexual misconduct of our deployed SANDF troops.

Issued by Leigh-Ann Mathys, National Spokesperson, EFF, 25 November 2024