Pretoria News

Remains of soldier killed in DRC home

RAPULA MOATSHE rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za

THE circumstances surrounding the untimely death of South African soldier Corporal Simanga Authur Khuselo, who was shot dead on June 3 in the DRC, were still unknown.

Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said a board of inquiry would investigate the circumstances surrounding the death with a view to getting more details about what happened on the day the 34-year-old Khuselo was killed in an operation in Kilia, in eastern DRC.

She was speaking on Tuesday during a military ceremony at Air Force Base Waterkloof, where Khuselo’s remains were handed over to his family.

Mapisa-Nqakula said: “What we know is that this soldier is among those who were deployed as part of the Force Intervention Brigade.

“Force Intervention Brigade consists of three countries: South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi. In the course of the deployment, there was something which happened and that is why it is called friendly fire,” she said.

The department, she said, was also waiting to receive information from Munosco, a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“So we must first receive a report from Monusco, but our own people will, too, be moving on to the DRC. We will have our own inquiry so that we get details about what may have happened on that day.”

Mapisa-Nqakula said usually the reports of the board of inquiry were meant to assist the department to manage its own internal control and systems.

She was not in a position to divulge the exact time frame of the investigation. However, she said the process shouldn’t take a long time to be concluded.

The sombre occasion was attended by the deceased’s wife California, who broke down when a group of soldiers carried the coffin into the hearse that transported it to Phomolong Zastron in Free State province, where he will be laid to rest on Saturday.

Mapisa-Nqakula, who was accompanied by her deputy Thabang Makwetla, extended her heartfelt condolences to the family and pleaded with the media to give them a space to grieve.

“For now, we also want to appeal to all of you to give the family space to grieve, and any inquiry should be directed at the Department of Defence. Obviously, we are sad and it is a painful moment.”

She said every time soldiers were deployed, there was always hope that they should come back alive.

“But of course, in a war situation such as where they are deployed, we also expect that the worst can happen. We don’t want to lose a single soldier. It is not our wish, but when it does happen we then say a soldier died with his boots on and may his soul rest in peace,” Mapisa-Nqakula said.

Khuselo joined the SANDF on January 11, 2010, and did his basic military training at 1 Tactical Intelligence Regiment in Potchefstroom.

He served under the SA Army Intelligence Formation units after successfully completing basic military training.

On July 1, 2016, he was promoted to the rank of lance corporal, whereafter he was again promoted to the rank of corporal on January 1, 2019.

He completed all his SA Army intelligence courses, including those of initial military instructor, parachute static line selection, basic static line, air assault, combat life support and special force basic ambulance assistant.

METRO

en-za

2021-06-17T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-17T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://pretorianews.pressreader.com/article/281608128386422

African News Agency