Two more members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), who were deployed as part of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), have been reported dead.
On February 29, one of the members is said to have used their service weapon to shoot and kill the other one before turning the weapon on themselves, resulting in the deaths. Last month, in a mortar strike, three members sustained injuries there while two other members lost their lives.
According to the SANDF, a Board of Inquiry has been dispatched to collaborate with the MONUSCO command in examining the incident and its occurrence. The force further stated that, the members’ families have been notified, and the remains will eventually be sent to South Africa.
Thandi Modise, the minister of defence and military veterans, expressed disbelief over the tragedy and has sympathised with the affected families. The two SANDF troops who were killed in the DRC when a shell fell inside the base are being commemorated by mourners who have gathered at Kimberley City Hall. Captain Simon Mkhulu Bobe was one of the unfortunate soldiers.
The 35-year-old captain passed away as part of 1 South African Infantry Battalion. Lance Corporal Thabang Semono, his colleague, will be laid to rest in Gauteng’s Thaba Tshwane Cemetery.
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