Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in Mozambique for another three months.
This comes after SADC leaders agreed at a recent meeting to keep the soldiers on the ground in Cabo Delgado to fight the insurgents.
The volatile province in northern Mozambique has seen an increase in attacks from insurgents.
In the last attack that left many people dead, it prompted SADC leaders to take action.
They decided to send soldiers to stop the attacks and fight the insurgents.
In a letter to Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and National Council of Provinces chairperson Amos Masondo, Ramaphosa said he will extend the mission of the South African soldiers until January.
This will cost almost R1 billion.
“This serves to inform the National Assembly that I have extended the employment of 1 495 SANDF personnel for service in fulfilment of an international obligation of the Republic of South Africa towards SADC, in order to support the Republic of Mozambique to combat the acts of terrorism and violent extremists that affected the area of Cabo Delgado province,” Ramaphosa said.
“The extension of the employment of members of the SANDF is authorised in accordance with the provisions of section 201(2)(c) of the Constitution of the Republic of SA, 1996. The extension of the employment will be for the period 15 October 2021 to 15 January 2022. The expenditure expected to be incurred for the extension amounts to R984 366 057,” he said.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
Political Bureau