Death of SA army major in DRC pushes toll to eight

The death toll among SA National Defence Force (SANDF) troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to climb, with an army major becoming the latest casualty.

Maj JC “Tolla” Pieterse, 46, was killed when a hand grenade exploded outside his tent near Beni on Monday, making him the eighth SA soldier to be killed in the DRC since February.

Pieterse was deployed as part of the Monusco UN peacekeeping force in the DRC. He acted as the company commander of 14 SA Infantry Battalion from Mthatha at the time of his death. 

It is understood the group of soldiers were conducting patrols as part of the stabilisation efforts in the volatile east of the country. The incident happened when they were back in their camp. 

The pin of the hand grenade found on the scene indicated it was from an SA grenade.

In the past month the defence force has lost three experienced officers in the DRC after two captains from the tactical intelligence unit were killed when a mortar fired by the M23 rebels landed inside the SA camp at Sake. 

In February Capt Simon Mkhulu Bobe and L-Cpl Irven Thabang Semono were killed when a mortar hit the Sake base. Sgt Mbulelo David Ngubane died in May during a battle with M23. Capt Lucky Maringa and Capt Rebaone Kgopane died two weeks ago when a mortar hit the Sake base. Another unnamed SA soldier died earlier after health issues.

Beni is about 380km north of Sake and is not close to the war front where M23’s forces are concentrated. 

SA now contributes soldiers to Monusco, the UN force intervention brigade and the Sadc regional force (Samidrc) at Sake and Goma. 

Infiltrating again

Pieterse’s death comes while a fragile two-week humanitarian truce has been brokered by Angola in the fighting between the M23 rebels, the DRC army, and Samidrc forces. During the truce humanitarian aid will be delivered to the displaced communities in eastern DRC. 

Monusco is slowly withdrawing from the DRC and has already completed this process from South Kivu. During a UN Security Council briefing on the situation on Monday observers noted their concern that the Congolese army and Samidrc will be unable to prevent rebel groups such as M23 and the Isis-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) from infiltrating the country all over again. The ADF is particularly active in the Beni region where Pieterse died. 

During Monday’s UN briefing US ambassador Stephanie Sullivan said in her representation the ADF killed more civilians in June than in any previous month. 

Rwanda has more than 4,000 troops in DRC and they have committed attacks that killed civilians and soldiers alike, she said. 

Business Day sources in the DRC have noted for some time that it was clear M23 has many Rwanda Defence Force soldiers posing as rebels. They also have well-trained snipers and specialists picking out their targets among the South Africans.

When the mortar landed in the Sake camp two weeks ago it hit the tactical intelligence unit’s quarters. The M23 snipers have also fired at other SA specialist forces. 

Illegal mining

Pieterse’s death comes as the defence force is still reeling on home soil after the death of four of its soldiers at Orkney in the North West who were on duty as part of Operation Vala Umgodi dealing with illegal mining activities.

The soldiers were deployed on a 24-hour shift at Shaft 3, a dormant mining shaft near the disused Harry Oppenheimer stadium that has been a hotspot for illegal mining, the defence force said. 

The deceased soldiers were found inside a container structure, which was used as a guard house for those on 24-hour duty on the morning of July 6, when the next shift arrived. 

Preliminary findings in a police inquest indicate the soldiers possibly died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a fire inside the container in freezing night-time temperatures.