Presidency disturbed by newspaper 'selective' reporting

(Image: GCIS)

This after the Mail and Guardian said in its report on Tuesday that the President's speech was "thin on condolences but heavily laced with accusation and warning".

"The Mail and Guardian deliberately does not cover the tribute to the soldiers at all in its report in order to justify this comment in its article.

"The fact is that the President paid tribute to the soldiers and then stated government's position on the deployment. The media has a responsibility to report on what he said, even if they disapprove of it, so that the public can be able to make their own judgement," the Presidency said.

In his speech, Zuma had said: "We have gathered here to pay tribute to our young servicemen, who were part of the South African National Defence Force contingent who lost their lives in combat last week.

"The attack on our base in the outskirts of the capital of the Central African Republic, Bangui, saw the loss of 13 young and brave men and resulted in the injury of 27."

The ceremony to receive their mortal remains was held last Thursday at the Waterkloof Air Force Base, whilst the injured servicemen are being cared for at 1 Military Hospital.

A salute to the dead

"We salute them and honour them for the supreme sacrifice they have paid for the achievement of peace in Africa. They fought side by side as true soldiers, fighting off large group of rebels who had attacked the South African military base," Zuma said.

The President said although it may seem as if they were outnumbered, the soldiers were able to hold their own in a battle that lasted over nine hours.

"As South Africans, we should be truly proud of these soldiers. There are those who merely talk about South Africa and our wonderful freedom, rights and privileges and the need for peace and progress in the African continent...

"The tears of grief from the families are both inevitable and deserved, because of the calibre of men we have lost. To the families, your pain is shared by thousands of South Africans in many corners of the country and the continent.

"When future generations ask what kind of men and women these were, who gave so much of their lives to the service of the people of South Africa and the continent, we will be able to boldly say how special they were, to put their own lives at risk for such a noble mission of building peace in the continent.

"This is a period of mourning, a period in which we must pay our respects and honour these selfless compatriots who remained true to the oath of office that they took when they joined the SANDF..." Zuma said at the memorial.

The Presidency said while warning against the sharing of military strategies in public, which is standard in any country, the President nevertheless still outlined the reasons for the deployment of the troops in CAR and that the way forward would be determined by the outcome of the Summit of the Economic Community of Central African States and also by the African Union.