The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has convened a Board of Inquiry with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) to investigate an incident which led to the deaths of two defence force members.

‘The incident occurred when one of them [SANDF member] shot and killed the other with their service weapon before turning the weapon on themselves with fatal consequences,’ said the SANDF of Thursday’s incident.

In a statement on Friday the defence force said it has convened a Board of Inquiry to work with the MONUSCO command to investigate the incident and the circumstances that led to it.

Meanwhile, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise has expressed her shock at the incident that involved the two officials deployed to the central African country.

The remains of the officials will be repatriated to South Africa in due course and all families have been informed of the unfortunate incident.

Minister Modise, the Deputy Minister
Thabang Makwetla, the acting Secretary for Defence, Dr Thobekile Gamede and the Chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya have expressed their condolences to the families of the deceased.

Last month, the SANDF repatriated and officially handed over the mortal remains of Captain Simon Mkhulu Bobe and Lance Corporal Irven Thabang Semono to their families.

Bobe and Semono were killed and three of their colleagues injured in the DRC after a mortar bomb landed inside one of the South African contingency military bases.

The soldiers were part of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) deployed to support and assist government of the second-largest country in Africa to restore peace, security and stability.

Source: South African Government News Agency