STIEK UIT
OUTSPOKEN Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has trolled the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), calling them “toy soldiers” and wysing them to go and fight in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The government has come under heavy fire after the death of 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops clashes with the M23 rebel group in the central African nation.
The repatriation of their bodies has been delayed, leaving the family members battling to mourn.
Political parties have been calling on the government to withdraw the soldiers deployed in peacekeeping efforts in the DRC to come back to the country.
During a heated debate at the National National Assembly, McKenzie took aim at the EFF’s red berets and their leader Julius Malema.
He said: “Speaker, these ones are talking a lot here. We need soldiers. You call yourself commissar. You call yourself CIC [Commander in Chief, referring to party leader Julius Malema].
“We need you there [DRC].“There are people that we need you to go fight. We are tired here in Parliament of toy soldiers. This is war.
“People are dying. You are calling yourself titans here. Go and fight. I will be one of the first to join the battalion to go and fight.
“Let us go and get our people. And you must follow me.”
Pointing to the EFF members inside the house, he adds: “Let’s go and fight real fights, not these fake names of the army. I salute you. Thank you very much.”
McKenzie also called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to conscript new troops to address the country’s high unemployment rate and train young people as soldiers.
He adds: “Let us use this opportunity and call for conscription, Honorable President, and bring our young people and train them. While we train them, let us go and teach M23 a lesson.
“Let us go and kill those that killed our soldiers.”Meanwhile, speaking on the podium Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga told members of Parliament that the remains of the soldiers would be returned to home soil by Thursday.
Motshekga said seven of the soldiers are from Limpopo, three from the Free State and the rest of the men from the North West, Eastern and Northern Cape.
She stated that all the officers will be laid to rest in full military honour for their sacrifice.