Deputy President Paul Mashatile has reiterated that the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) decision to withdraw the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC) should not be interpreted as a sign of defeat or abandonment of peace efforts.
“However, it should be seen as a confidence-building measure to ensure peace and stability in the eastern DRC,” the Deputy President told the Members of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in Parliament, Cape Town on Thursday.
Two weeks ago, SADC announced its decision to withdraw the SAMIDRC force from eastern DRC, opting for a phased withdrawal.
Reports indicate that leaders from the 16-nation SADC have lost at least a dozen soldiers in the eastern DRC since January of this year.
Locally, 14 members of the South African Defence Force (SANDF) lost their lives, and several others sustained injuries as fighting in the Goma region intensified between 23 and 27 January.
These soldiers were part of the SAMIDRC, which aims to help restore peace, security, and stability in Africa’s second-largest country.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile told Members of the NCOP that South Africa remains committed and supportive to ongoing peacekeeping efforts on the continent in line with the country’s foreign policy vision of a “prosperous and peaceful continent”.
“South Africa’s contribution to peace and support operations should not be measured in isolation. As the country participates through missions, mandated and authorised by multilateral institutions such as United Nations and SADC,” he explained.
However, he acknowledged that the recent death of 14 “brave” SANDF soldiers in the DRC is a clear indication of these challenges.
Deputy President Mashatile sent his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased SANDF soldiers and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
The second commander-in-chief stated that South Africa welcomes the appointment of former President Kgalema Motlanthe, who will join a panel of former presidents tasked with mediating peace in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
This decision to include Motlanthe was made during a virtual joint summit of the SADC and the EAC on Monday.
“We welcome the recent progress and commitments made by EAC-SADC, and we also welcome the government of DRC and Rwanda’s commitment to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
“The President and I will also continue interventions in South Sudan, to try and avert the return to full-scale war and holding of peaceful elections.”
The questions presented before him covered issues related to government’s plans to deliver quality water services to communities across all provinces and the progress achieved in facilitating the settlement of outstanding land claims.
Water
On ensuring quality and reliable water delivery to communities, he stated that water is a fundamental human right as specified in Chapter 2 of the country’s Constitution.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has established a Water Task Team, which I am chairing, working with Ministers and Water Authorities to provide clean water and sanitation services to all communities.
“In executing its task, the Water Task Team has been conducting outreach programmes, inspections, and oversight visits to assess challenges in communities affected by water supply challenges.”
Land claims
He also addressed the issue of land claims, stating that the government’s commitment to finalising outstanding land claims remains a key priority.
“Over successive years, we have made good progress regarding the settlement of land claims and returning the land to those who were previously dispossessed. However, much more still needs to be done.”
To expedite land access and reform, he announced that the government is focused on concluding restitution cases.
This includes prioritising old-order claims, which will lead to the transfer of secure and legally registered tenure to claimants along with settlement packages.
Meanwhile, he said R11.6 billion will be allocated over the medium term to settle about 844 land restitution claims, with R3 billion earmarked to allocate 138 000 hectares of land. – SAnews.gov.za
