They were killed in a fierce fight between the M23 rebels and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) army last month. Meanwhile the army Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya says a lack of proper training is not the cause of the deaths of the soldiers.

He has attributed their deaths to indirect fire. Maphwanya was part of Defence Minister Angie Motshekga's delegation that briefed Parliament's Portfolio Committee on the situation in eastern DRC, "There had been exchange of fire between DRC and Rwanda.

That exchange of fire was said to have been initiated by the forces that had been in the base that is at Goma airport, the Armed Forces of the DRC elements.

These are not the elements that were deployed outside the base, they were just in base but they had never utilised that.

And when they utilised that multiple rocket launcher towards Rwanda, Rwanda responded. Later on after a few minutes is then that the Minister had reported that we then realised that this is just in the senior fire between the two."

Meanwhile Economic Freedom Fighters Member of Parliament Carl Niehaus lashed out at the Minister and the SANDF Generals calling for them all to resign immediately, ”No I am just pointing to the minister.

Okay? Let me puts my hand down. When are minister to make it easy. When are you minister and when are you the chief of the SA defence force going to resigning.

You should resign today. When are the rest of generals who playing golf at copoli when our soldiers were dying, When are they going to resign?”

--ChannelAfrica--