THE United Nations (UN) had brought 93 cases against South African soldiers serving in the peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said on Wednesday. The charges ranged from murder to drunkenness, but most were related to sexual misconduct. Many others had to do with the use of prostitutes and stealing from them.
But in many of the cases no evidence was brought forward to support the allegations. The alleged incidents occurred between 2003 and 2011.
One soldier was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Ms Mapisa-Nqakula, replying to a parliamentary question by Democratic Alliance defence spokesman David Maynier, said "the UN reports alleged criminal and/or disciplinary offences". The UN military policy and its Office for Internal Oversight Services investigated the cases.
The UN mission in Sudan, Unamid, had not brought forward any criminal or disciplinary cases against South African soldiers, Ms Mapisa-Nqakula said.
In a separate statement, the Department of Defence said "there are 93 cases involving SANDF (South African National Defence Force) members serving under the Monusco (UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo)".
"The report, listing each of the 93 cases, also details the nature of the alleged offence, the outcome of an investigation, the sanction meted out by the military justice system and the status of the member of the SANDF against whom charges of infraction have been brought.
"To date, those whose cases have been finalised and a conviction secured in incidences of sexual misconduct, all four have been dismissed from the SANDF."
The statement said conduct unbecoming was dealt with strictly according to the law and stressed that there was no room for criminality in the SANDF.
Mr Maynier expressed shock at the minister’s reply.
"Of the 93 cases, most shockingly, at least 23 involve rape, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and assault of women. These include … alleged sexual molestation, rape and murder of a Burundian girl, sexual abuse and exploitation, and misconduct.
"It is completely unacceptable for the members of the SANDF, who are supposed to be a disciplined military force, to begin to mirror the behaviour of the national defence force and rebel groups, in the DRC," Mr Maynier said.
BDLIVE.CO.ZA
