Senior East-African government sources have told NSN that several South African soldiers, deployed by the ANC Government into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as part of an ill equipped and ill prepared force, surrendered to M23 rebels this past week. The soldiers are now being held as hostages by M23, according to these sources.

The soldiers are part of a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) deployed to attack the M23 rebels specifically in the east of the DRC. This follows the withdrawal of an East African Regional Security Force that was led by Kenya that avoided a confrontation with M23.

President Ramaphosa undertook to replace the East African Community’s peacekeeping deployment in the eastern DRC with the deployment of 2,900 soldiers from the SANDF.

Although eastern DRC is ravaged by more than 90 different rebel groups, including the extremist Islamic State (ISIS), Ramaphosa tasked the SANDF deployment with a mission to destroy M23, the battle hardened Tutsi insurgent group that has long been a security buffer between Rwanda and the Forces Democratiques du Liberation du Congo (FDLR). The FDLR are the remnants of the genocidal Hutu army that fled into the eastern DRC in 2004 after the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda with some 2 million participants in the brutal genocide of Rwanda’s Tutsis. The FDLR’s mission as stated in its name- the “liberation of Rwanda”- is the overthrow and destruction of the Kagame Government in Kigali that saved Rwanda from the genocide and since have rebuilt a modern country from its ashes.

M23 was formed after the Rwandan genocide as a local defence force in the eastern DRC to protect the Tutsi communities in the DRC and Rwanda against ongoing attacks from the FDLR that has the continued genocide of the Tutsis as its sole political and military objective.

The Chief of the South African National Defence Force, General Rudzani Maphwanya at a media briefing to unpack and further discuss the role of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in Mozambique. Picture: Jacques Naude/African News Agency(ANA).

BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu met with Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF), on Wednesday in Beijing.

Li said the Chinese side is willing to join hands with the South African military in deepening strategic communication, improve the construction of mechanisms, and jointly address common security challenges to advance deeper and more solid exchanges and cooperation between the militaries.

Maphwanya said the SANDF is willing to continue to deepen pragmatic exchanges and cooperation in various fields with the Chinese side, improve the relationship between the militaries, and jointly contribute to building a fairer, safer and better world.

Earlier this month, Li elaborated on China's new security initiative.

The sustained prosperity and stability in the Asia-Pacific region hinges on a sound security and development environment, Li said at the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue.

Who is disrupting peace in the region? What are the root causes of chaos and instability? And what should we stay vigilant and guard against? These questions must be answered in the interests of the security, stability and future of the Asia-Pacific, he said.

The Chinese defense minister put forward a four-point proposal on how to pursue security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific.

First, mutual respect should prevail over bullying and hegemony.

Facts have proven that where there is hegemonism and power politics, there will be instability, chaos and even wars, Li said, adding that "we in China believe that the key for countries to live in harmony is mutual respect and treating each other as equals."

"We are strongly opposed to imposing one's own will on others, placing one's own interests above those of others, and pursuing one's own security at the expense of others," he said, citing that some country has willfully interfered in other countries' internal affairs and meddled in the affairs of other regions, and frequently resorted to unilateral sanctions and coercion with force.

It has incited "color revolutions" and proxy wars in different regions, created chaos and turbulence and just walked away leaving a mess behind, Li said.

"We must never allow such things to happen again in the Asia-Pacific ... China firmly supports ASEAN centrality and its strategic autonomy. We are committed to promoting cooperative, collective and common security in our region on the basis of mutual respect," said the minister.

Second, fairness and justice should transcend the law of the jungle.

All countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community. International affairs should be handled by all countries through consultation rather than be dictated by one or a few countries, Li said.

"China always advocates and stays committed to improving justice and equity in the world, and firmly upholds the UN-centered international system, the international order underpinned by international law and basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter," he added.

China practices multilateralism and pursues win-win cooperation, whereas some country takes a selective approach to rules and international laws, Li noted. "It likes forcing its own rules on others and even attempts to constrain others with a convention itself has not acceded to."

Its so-called "rules-based international order" never clarifies what the rules are and who made these rules. It practices exceptionalism and double standards, and only serves the interests and follows the rules of a small number of countries, the minister said.

"A just and equitable environment for development meets the shared interests of Asia-Pacific countries. Anyone who attempts to fleece the flock or prey on the weak will surely be opposed by countries in the region," he said.

Third, eliminating conflicts and confrontation through mutual trust and consultation.

It is natural for countries to disagree with each other. But there are two approaches to addressing differences, Li said, underlying that one is exacerbating tension and adding fuel to flames while the other is seeking consensus and promoting reconciliation and negotiations.

"China is committed to upholding peace in handling international crises. On issues concerning the Middle East, the Korean Peninsula and Ukraine, China has played a constructive role and made great efforts to cool down the situation and facilitate political reconciliation," the minister noted.

But some country is expanding military bases, reinforcing military presence, intensifying arms race and transferring nuclear weapon technologies to a non-nuclear state, he said.

"All such practices, which it often resorts to, are designed to make enemy, stoke confrontation, fuel the fire and fish in troubled waters," Li said, adding that regional countries have every wisdom and capability to settle their differences and disputes.

"Only enhancing dialogue and communication and promoting solidarity and cooperation will ensure stability in our region," he noted.

Fourth, preventing bloc confrontation with openness and inclusiveness.

The Cold War mentality is now resurging and greatly increasing security risks of bloc confrontation in the Asia-Pacific, Li said, citing that some big power continued to promote its so-called "Indo-Pacific Strategy" at the Shangri-La Dialogue.

China holds that no strategy should be based on ideological ground and aim to build exclusive military alliances against imagined threats, as this could easily lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, he stressed.

"The true design of pushing for NATO-like military alliances in the Asia-Pacific is to hold countries in the region hostage and play up conflict and confrontation. Such attempts will only plunge the region into a whirlpool of division, disputes and conflicts," the Chinese minister said.

History has proven that bloc politics, division and confrontation have never delivered genuine security, and they can only escalate tension and destabilize the region, Li said.

"Today what Asia-Pacific needs are big pies of open and inclusive cooperation, not small cliques that are self-serving and exclusive. We must never forget the catastrophes inflicted by the two world wars and the Cold War. And we must never allow such tragedies to happen again," said the minister.

The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon Schreiber, will this week launch a new service to reduce the turnaround times on Home Affairs services like passports and Smart IDs from over 12 months to just five weeks.

This service, which was already successfully piloted in the United Kingdom, will be launched by the Minister in Australia this week, with more locations to be announced in due course.

The new facilities in Australia will first be launched in Sydney on 16 July 2025 at 10:00 (Australian time) and in Melbourne on 18 July 2025 at 13:00 (Australian time).

The locations of these launches are as follows:

Sydney: Level 6, 88 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW, Australia 2000
Melbourne: Level 5, 332 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Australia 3004
All media are invited to join these events.



For media enquiries, please contact:

Duwayne Esau, Cell number: 077 606 9702

Gauteng MEC for Health Nomantu Nkomo Ralehoko has called on the public to end all forms of inequalities that hinder access to HIV, TB and STI-related treatment, care, and support.

Addressing this year's, World Aids Day MEC Ralehoko commended the role government has played in ensuring that 96% of people living with HIV/Aids know their status and are receiving the necessary support to fight the disease.

"The province has seen a steady increase in the number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) as the number of people dying from AIDS-related illnesses has also declined. Currently, there are 1.81 million people living with HIV.

She further thanked and called on civil society organisations to continue to play their part in ensuring that government achieves the ambitious targets set in the Gauteng Provincial Implementation Plan (PIP) on HIV, TB and STIs (2023-2028).

She said there is also a need for strengthened governance structures, that is, functional AIDS Councils at all levels, provincial, district and local levels.

"We need strong collaboration and partnership between all spheres of government, civil society sectors, and the private sector.

"Strong AIDS Councils lead to strengthened HIV, TB & STI partnership and collaboration efforts for improved service delivery to our communities."

The MEC said the province has seen a decrease in new HIV/Aids infections, but new infections remain high, and the pace of reduction is very slow.

"If we continue at the current pace, we will most likely not meet our National Strategic Plan or Gauteng Provincial Implementation Plan targets."

The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) survey findings show that social and structural drivers such as multiple and concurrent partnerships, low condom usage, high early sexual debut among young people and gender-based violence remain some of our challenges.

Nkomo Ralehoko said government has endorsed the Gauteng Provincial Implementation Plan (PIP) on HIV, TB & STIs (2023-2028), which is a roadmap towards addressing the challenges related to retention to care for HIV and TB clients as well as social and structural drivers identified in the HSRC survey 2022.

She further urged the public to continue to forge strong partnerships for improved access to HIV, TB & STI services, especially among the key and priority population within our Townships, Informal Settlements and Hostels (TISH) areas.

"Let us continue to pull out all the stops in our determination to strive for a HIV free generation. Working together as partners, we can do more to translate this dream into reality."