Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Bantu Holomisa said that he would ask President Cyril Ramaphosa for more funding for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) units on peacekeeping missions.
This comes after two SANDF members were killed and 20 others wounded by M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last month. Three other soldiers were killed in separate attacks this year.
Holomisa told the Sunday Times that he would also ask Ramaphosa to engage with his Southern African Development Community (SADC) counterparts about changing the rules and regulations for peacekeeping missions.
He said that the rules and type of weapons SANDF peacekeepers used were stunting their proactiveness in defending themselves.
The Sunday Times reported that Holomisa, a retired general himself, said that soldiers were armed with limited equipment because they were not fighting a war.
He added that when under attack, the rebels did not distinguish between peacekeepers and allies of the DRC government.
The South African National Defence Union has also called for increased funding for the army, arguing that insufficient funding and lack of support left the soldiers open to attack.
The union said the investment would boost air support capabilities, medical and logistical support, and combat support among others. It said losing troops due to inadequate resources was unacceptable.
-EWN
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