The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is preparing to send reinforcements to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following a surge in violence that has left nine South African soldiers dead and several injured.
Military sources have confirmed that an infantry battalion and a paratroop quick response force are being mobilised to bolster the SANDF's presence in the region.
The deployment comes as tensions in the DRC continue to escalate, with the M23 rebel group, backed by Rwanda, making significant gains in recent weeks.
The rebels have seized key towns and cities, including Rubaya, a major cotton hub, and are now closing in on the provincial capital, Goma.
The SANDF has been part of the United Nations' Force Intervention Brigade in the DRC since 2013, and has been working alongside the DRC's military to quell the M23 rebellion.
However, the recent surge in violence has raised concerns about the SANDF's combat readiness and logistical capabilities.
Military analysts have highlighted the shortage of ammunition, air support, and functional armoured vehicles of the SANDF as major concerns.
"We are fighting a 21st-century war with 20th-century tools," one source said.
Another source said the department had no choice but to send in more soldiers to either help with the conflict or help them withdraw.
"At this point we are in a situation where decisions have to be made. The instruction has come from the top that we get more troops to the DRC to bolster those that are already there.
"It's just not clear yet whether they will be going there to stay or help those that are ready there to get out. That is the decision of the minister and the president," the source said.
SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said the department would not be commenting on whether it was boosting its capacity in the DRC.
Meanwhile, calls have been mounting for the SANDF members deployed in the central African nation to be withdrawn amid the rising number of casualties.
The SA National Defence Union said a negotiation with rebels in the DRC for a safe exit for members of the SANDF might be the only option for SA.
Advocate Pikkie Greeff said while his union does not interfere with operational matters, there are limited options on the table if the SANDF is to be pulled out of the troubled, mineral rich nation.
“We cannot make decisions or make demands over operational issues. The defence force, the command structure and the commander-in-chief (President Cyril Ramaphosa) must make those decisions.
“Obviously, there is logic that people would call for the soldiers to return home, to get them out of harm’s way and danger, but one must also bear in mind the practical realities,”Greef stated.
On Monday, during his visit to Lufhereng Primary School in Soweto, EFF leader Julius Malema said South African soldiers in the DRC are ill-equipped and lack capacity.
Reacting to the deaths of the nine soldiers, he said M23 rebels are not revolutionary but seek to loot minerals. He urged the government to equip troops or bring them back.
''If you had shot nine American soldiers...they would have flattened you the following day...The imperialist forces of the elite benefit from the instability of DRC and the continent of Africa. If there was any country that was messed up, right from the beginning that was the DRC. They have been destabilising that country for many years because they want those minerals. They even created illegal landing strips,” he said.
South Africa has demanded decisive UN action on the DRC conflict which has displaced 400, 000 civilians.
South Africa’s permanent representative to the United Nations, ambassador Mathu Joyini said there has to be a decisive way to deal with the matter.
“This council must send a clear message that peacekeepers’ lives matter. We must value and safeguard the contribution of those entrusted to carry out the mandates adopted in this chamber,” she said.
Defence minister Angie Motshekga was not available for comment.
However IOL previosly reported that she was back in the country, after her trip to the DRC last week, where she visited members of the SANDF deployed there.
Motshekga is yet to provide a report to president Cyril Ramaphosa on the incident.