By Munacho Gwamanda–The Zimbabwean government is reported to have provided a military aircraft that flew wounded South African soldiers home from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Tuesday, amid growing concerns over the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)’s logistical and operational challenges.
SANDF has confirmed the soldiers’ return, stating they required urgent medical treatment following their injuries in the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC.
The troops were part of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) deployment sent in 2023 to assist Kinshasa in combating armed groups destabilizing the mineral-rich region.
South Africa’s Deputy Defence Minister Bantu Holomisa neither confirmed nor denied receiving assistance from Zimbabwe.
“I do not want to comment on logistical issues regarding how our soldiers got here, but it wouldn’t be amiss. The soldiers are on a SADC peacekeeping mission, and any member state can intervene in any way,” he told Newzroom Afrika.
Zimbabwe’s Defence Minister Opah Muchinguri could not be reached for comment.
Zimbabwe is the current chair of SADC.
The return of injured troops comes amid mounting criticism from South African opposition parties, who argue that SANDF is under-equipped and ill-prepared for its mission in the DRC.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Democratic Alliance (DA) have both questioned the government’s decision to deploy troops without adequate resources, including proper air support and medical evacuation plans.
The DA has accused the government of sending “poorly equipped soldiers into a warzone,” while the EFF claims that SANDF lacks modern equipment and logistical capacity to sustain its role in the mission.
Last month, 14 SANDF soldiers were killed in an attack by M23 rebels, who Rwanda reportedly backs, while several others sustained serious injuries.
SANDF has stated that “the group of critically injured soldiers who needed urgent medical attention have been successfully repatriated.“
However, the military did not disclose the exact number of personnel who had returned but noted that additional wounded soldiers are expected to arrive home “during the course of the week.”
SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini told AFP that a complete tally of the injured will be released once all evacuations are completed.
The situation in eastern DRC has worsened in recent months, with Kinshasa accusing Rwanda of supporting M23 rebels, a charge Kigali denies.
The SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), which includes South African forces, has been deployed alongside Congolese troops in an effort to restore stability.