The minister said prior to deployment, soldiers receive specific training on conduct, misconduct and national representation.
Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, has dismissed allegations of general misconduct in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
While her office acknowledged being aware of an incident that occurred last year, Motshekga refuted claims that such behavior was a norm in the defence force.
“Yes, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans has been briefed by the Chief of the SANDF, and is aware of incidents of ill-discipline and misconduct by some of our soldiers deployed in the Eastern DRC under Monusco.”
However, in response to a parliamentary question from Economic Freedom Fighters MP Carl Niehaus, Motshekga firmly addressed the allegations, stressing that such misconduct should not be generalised to the entire military force.
“The matter of ill-discipline must not be taken as a broad generalisation as if it is the majority of our troops,” she stated. “There is no rampant ill-discipline.”
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This comes after eight soldiers were sent home from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in October 2023 following serious misconduct allegations.
The allegations included sexual abuse, as reported in a United Nations investigation.
The incident prompted a thorough review of troop behavior during international peacekeeping missions.
SANDF disciplinary measures
According to Motshekga’s office, the SANDF has robust mechanisms in place to address such infractions.
Additionally, the minister said disciplinary actions can range from military court prosecutions to dismissal from the Defence Force.
“Disciplinary actions include members being conferred with applicable charge(s) for the offence(s) and prosecuted by a military court constituted by qualified legal practitioners,” she explained.
She added that disciplinary actions could be severe and would involve sentences given out by the military courts which include jail term and up to dismissal from the defence force services.
“For the soldiers on deployment inside or outside the country it includes being withdrawn from the deployment and sent back (repatriated) to home unit.”
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Zero tolerance for sexual misconduct
The minister highlighted the military’s strict stance on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA). She described it as “one of the highest offences” receiving priority attention.
“A number of SANDF soldiers who have committed SEA have been prosecuted and sentenced up to dismissal from the SANDF,” Motshekga noted.
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Prior to deployment, the minister said soldiers received specific training on conduct, misconduct and national representation.
“Our soldiers get particular training on ill-discipline and misconduct, including SEA and the image of the country, when going on deployment.”
SANDF incident details
The UN report alleged that UN Military Police apprehended eight SANDF soldiers in Beni on 1 October 2023 for breaching curfew and engaging in sexual exploitation.
The SANDF then recalled the soldiers to South Africa to provide their account of events.
National investigating officers subsequently conducted a formal investigation in the deployment area.
However, the SANDF maintained that the UN did not follow standard reporting procedures.
It claimed that the SA defence advisor and UN representative did not receive initial notification of the allegations through proper channels.
Earlier this year, the soldiers were cleared of sexual exploitation and abuse allegations, but found guilty of violating base standing orders (BSOs).
A Military Court imposed fines of between R2,000 and R4,000 and confined them to barracks from 90 to 240 days, DefenceWeb reported.
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