However, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) denied these claims on Tuesday, stating that its soldiers had not surrendered to the rebels. Wrote Malema:

The truth is undeniable, the SA army has surrendered, and M23 is disarming them. Today’s portfolio committee meeting has been postponed simply because the Minister of Defence chose not to appear.

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We cannot stand by and be complicit in this situation; we must take a stand and demand the immediate withdrawal of our soldiers from the DRC.

It is imperative that we increase the military budget, and all military equipment tenders must be halted without delay.

Denel must be empowered with the mandate to produce military equipment, and our soldiers must undergo re-training before considering redeployment. We will not accept anything less.

Denel SOC Ltd is a South African state-owned aerospace and military technology conglomerate that designs, integrates, and supports a wide range of products, including artillery, munitions, missiles, aerostructures, aircraft maintenance, unmanned aerial vehicle systems, and optical payloads.

Meanwhile, some South African security experts and retired military generals have warned that a withdrawal from the DRC would weaken South Africa’s position and portray it as vulnerable.

These experts argue that South African troops should not retreat in the face of a rebel group backed by a small country like Rwanda.

They pointed out that South Africa is a major power, not only in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region but across the entire African continent.