The remains of 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers who died in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have finally returned home and will be handed over to their families during a memorial service on Thursday evening.
The SANDF announced that the ceremony, originally scheduled for Thursday morning, has been moved to the evening due to unavoidable parliamentary commitments related to ongoing debate in Cape Town on the State of the Nation Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa last week .
The soldiers were killed between January 23 and 27 during intense fighting between the Congolese armed forces and the M23 rebel group in the Goma region.
The troops were part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a regional effort to restore peace and stability in the conflict-ridden country.
Families of the fallen soldiers have faced multiple delays in receiving their loved ones, including medical processing in Uganda.
Their long-awaited return marks a sombre moment for the country, with the official memorial service set to take place at Air Force Base Swartkop in Johannesburg.
JN/APA