Floyd Shivambu Blames Cyril Ramaphosa for SANDF Deaths, Says Jacob Zuma Would Have Prevented Tragedy

• Floyd Shivambu blamed President Cyril Ramaphosa for the deaths of 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers
• Shivambu added that the last time the country had a commander-in-chief was when Jacob Zuma was in charge
• The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party's Secretary-General claimed that the soldiers would not have died under Zuma's watch

WESTERN CAPE – Floyd Shivambu has fired a cheap shot at President Cyril Ramaphosa, blaming him for the deaths of 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers.

The soldiers were killed by M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) while on peacekeeping missions in the area. Ramaphosa has come under criticism by some for the soldiers’ deployment in the area, with Rwanda openly claiming that the South African troops are only in the DRC because of the president’s mining interests.

Shivambu says Zuma was a better commander-in-chief

Speaking on the sidelines of Jacob Zuma’s appearance in the Pietermaritzburg High Court, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party Secretary-General claimed that the soldiers died because of poor leadership.

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“South Africa does not have a leader. We are undermined by villages and very small countries. That is why we lost soldiers in the eastern DRC because we do not have leadership. We do not have a commander-in-chief of the armed forces in South Africa,” Shivambu said.

He added that the last time the country had a commander-in-chief was when Zuma was in charge, adding that the soldiers would have died if Zuma was president.

“The government sent soldiers so that they get killed by small criminals. Such was not going to happen under Zuma because he was respected on the continent. President Zuma is still firm and sharp for what he stands for,” Shivambu added.

Ramaphosa heckled during State of the Nation Address

Shivambu is not the only one who has criticised Ramaphosa over the DRC saga. Many have questioned whether the president does indeed have mineral interests abroad, which would explain why troops were stationed there.

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Presidency denies SANDF is in DRC to protect Cyril Ramaphosa's mineral interests

Ramaphosa was also heckled during his State of the Nation Address when he mentioned that soldiers were there in defence of the Congolese people.

What you need to know about SANDF in the DRC

The SANDF denied that its troops surrendered after a video of them waving the white flag went viral

The SANDF released the names of the 14 soldiers who died after the conflict with M23 rebels

The SANDU claims that SANDF forces are under-resourced and this led to increased difficulties in the DRC

The SANDF has confirmed that the bodies of the soldiers would be repatriated on 5 February

Zille and Malema agree that soldiers should be recalled

Briefly News previously reported that Helen Zille and Julius Malema agreed that SANDF forces should be recalled.

Malema accused Defence Minister Angie Motshekga of improperly responding to the DRC crisis.

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Bodies of slain 14 SANDF members to be repatriated, South Africans heartbroken

He added that the army needed to return home on X, which Zille then shared, saying she agreed.

Source: Briefly News