No more troops for CAR: Motlanthe

SOUTH Africa will not be sending troops back to the Central African Republic (CAR), despite the pleas of regional leaders.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe gave this assurance yesterday in response to questions in the National Assembly.

“With a clear conscience, I deny that the government is planning to send troops to the CAR,” he replied to a question from DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko.

International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane had said leaders at a summit of the Economic Community of Central African States last week “begged” President Jacob Zuma to send troops back to the CAR to help stabilise it.

Motlanthe said yesterday South Africa’s position on the CAR was “consistent” with that of the AU, which insisted on the creation of a transitional council to prepare a constitution to be put to a referendum, before elections would be held. It had 18 months to do this and its members would not be allowed to stand in the elections.

He said the CAR had “no experience of a government being changed through democratic elections”.

Since 1960, one leader after another had been toppled by coups.

Foundation

“So, the UN, the AU are tired of coups in this country (the CAR), and are pleading and calling upon everybody to support processes that can stabilise that country and lay a foundation for democracy.”

Motlanthe denied Zuma had failed to inform Parliament properly about the deployment of additional troops in January.

DA defence spokesman David Maynier said Parliament had initially been told the troops were to be used for training, but Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula had later said they had been deployed as a protection force.

He asked Motlanthe if he agreed that Zuma had not provided appropriate detail.

Motlanthe said there was a set procedure for how troops could be deployed beyond the country’s borders, which Zuma had followed.