Defence and military veterans minister Angie Motshekga has joined more than 20 international leaders to attend Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on Friday, to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.
The event includes a parade by thousands of troops and military weapons in Red Square.
SA’s presence at the event could raise questions about the country’s declared non-alignment and neutrality over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its close relations with Russia.
The minister’s travel to Russia meant she could not attend a meeting of parliament’s joint standing committee on defence. The meeting is being briefed by SA National Defence Force (SANDF) officials about SA’s participation in the Sadc military intervention in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the withdrawal of troops from the region.
Motshekga sent deputy minister Bantu Holomisa to attend the meeting.
DA MP Nicholas Gotsell said it was “deeply disappointing” that Motshekga chose to attend a military parade in Russia instead of appearing before parliament to account for the SANDF’s withdrawal from DRC.
“This meeting was scheduled weeks ago and her absence sends the wrong message to the families of the soldiers who lost their lives. Accountability to parliament should never come second to foreign pageantry.”
Committee chair Malusi Gigaba cautioned it could be that diplomatic relations were also involved in Motshekga’s visit to Russia. “We don’t know why the president deployed her to Russia. I would also be concerned if it was just to attend a celebration.
“We are not privy to the full details of the minister’s mission,” Gigaba said, adding that Ramaphosa had recently hosted Ukraine prime minister Volodymyr Zelensky for talks, which were cut short by Zelensky’s hurried return to Ukraine following Russia’s heavy bombing of Kyiv.
Gotsell was looking forward to challenging the SANDF’s claims the DRC mission was a success as he believed it failed to halt the advance of M23 rebels, with key towns falling into rebel hands even as SA troops were deployed.
“The mission ended in a disorganised withdrawal, with troops reportedly seeking refuge at UN bases and being escorted out of DRC by Rwandan forces. If that is their definition of success then the bar is not very high,” he said in a statement.
“The death of 14 SA soldiers and a further 174 injured in battle — brave men and women sent into an unstable conflict zone without air support, adequate equipment or a coherent operational mandate — is not a success story. It is a national tragedy. Their blood is on minister Motshekga’s hands. The minister continues to spin political fairy tales instead of reckoning with the facts.”
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