A widow who spoke to OFM News in Bloemfontein said they are yet to be paid compensation following the death of her husband, who died in a battle with the insurgents. She said her husband was on leave when he was summoned for deployment.

Thirteen South African soldiers died in a nine-hour battle in the capital city of Bangui. The 2013 reports suggest that South Africa had about 200 troops stationed in the city to block Seleka rebels from seizing power.

The widow says they were told by a high-ranking official in a telephone conversation that they will never be paid this compensation because the government had given them jobs in different government departments.

She says the money was delayed by a letter identified as a mission letter or letter of mission which the SANDF officials denied its existence.

Even after means were made to retrieve the letter which was meant to unlock the payments, the SANDF still failed to pay the families.

This week the SANDF had the families of the deceased in Bloemfontein where it commemorated the lives of the deceased soldiers.

The SANDF on Monday commemorated the United Nations International Peacekeepers Day at the DOD Mobilisation Centre at De Brug, Bloemfontein.

The United Nations theme for 2023: “Peace Begins with Me” seeks to demonstrate the powerful impact of UN peacekeeping and its partners on the lives of millions of people caught up in catastrophic conflicts.

The significance of the commemoration was to honour and pay tribute to the SANDF members who died while serving under the United Nations Peacekeepers' mission flag. The event included a wreath laying by the leadership of the SANDF and the families of the members who lost their lives.

The woman said after this event not even one official bothered to address any developments but instead, the officials were sent to fetch those who were residents outside Bloemfontein.

When OFM News got to this well-known hotel in Bloemfontein the families were already being taken into SANDF Ivecos and Qauntam taxis to be ferried to their different destinations on the rainy Tuesday 30 May 2023.

The woman who spoke to OFM News, based on anonymity, detailed how for years they have been trying to convince the SANDF and the government to travel to Bangui and perform a spiritual cleansing at the site where the loved ones died.

She said this has never happened and they have been left with many unanswered questions. The SANDF released the names of the soldiers who died in 2013.

The former Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, chief of the South African National Defence Force, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, released the names of the fallen heroes.

They are: Corporal Mokgadi Darius Seakamela, Corporal Ntebaleng Andrew Mogorosi, Lance Corporal Daniel Sello Molara, Lance Corporal Lukas Mohapi Tsheke, Rifleman Lesego Maxwell Hertzog, Rifleman Zamani Jim Mxhosana, Rifleman Xolani Dlamini, Rifleman Vusumzi Joseph Ngaleka, Rifleman Karabo Edwin Matsheka, Rifleman Khomotso Paul Msenga, Rifleman Maleisane Samuel Thulo, Rifleman Motsamai William Bojane, Rifleman Thabiso Anthon Phirimana

Then president Jacob Zuma confirmed that 13 SANDF members died during clashes with Seleka rebels over that weekend.

"It is a sad moment for our country. We are truly proud of our soldiers – about 200 of our men fought a force of more than 1 000 bandits for nine hours," Zuma said at the time. 27 soldiers were injured.

The soldiers who died were from the 1 Parachute Battalion unit in Bloemfontein.

The SANDF is yet to comment on OFM News' inquiry sent via its communication office directives.

OFM News