Two defence analysts, who painted a grim picture of the South African military deployments to the DRC and Mozambique, believe casualties are inevitable - and that, given the state of the SA military, these operations are irresponsible, writes Muhammad Hussain.
The deployment of 2 900 SA National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is sure to have more casualties for a myriad of reasons, but primarily because it is under-equipped, numerically weak and lacks air support.
Last week came the news that Captain Simon Mkhulu Bobe and Lance Corporal Irven Thabang Semono had been killed in the DRC after a mortar attack by rebels. It highlighted that the three-country SADC force of 5 000, led by South Africa, would not be able to achieve its aim, which is to bring stability to the war-torn nation.