SANDF soldier Matome Justice Malesa. Picture: Supplied
The family of SANDF soldier Matome Justice Malesa says he decided at the last minute to accept deployment to the Democratic Republic of the Congo early last year.
They had been eagerly awaiting his return to celebrate his birthday next month but now they are in mourning.
Malesa was among the 13 soldiers killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the past week.
“We hoped that next month, on February 25, we would celebrate his birthday with him, as we did not celebrate Christmas and New Year's Eve with him,” said family spokesperson Mpho Monyela.
He added that it was to be a poignant celebration as Malesa was set to be home permanently after serving two decades in the SANDF.
Malesa, a devoted father of three, was among the SANDF soldiers killed in a two-day clash with the M23 rebel group near the city of Goma last week.
Originally from Mashishimale village in Phalaborwa, in Limpopo Malesa had served in the SANDF since 2005 and had been deployed to the DRC in support of peacekeeping efforts.
He also served in Rwanda, Mozambique and other countries.
Monyela explained that Malesa had been hesitant to join peacekeeping operations in the DRC, as he applied for the deployment just two weeks before the deadline.
“He was not intending to go there,” Monyela said, his voice filled with sadness.
“But, he agreed at the last minute.”
He added that in 2023, Malesa, who had also worked at the Durban base, told the family that he was tired of being away so often, complaining about long hours of travel and missing his family.
“Even though he loved the job, he was always on the move, not getting enough time to spend with his wife and three children,” Monyela said.
“He told us that this would be the last deployment,” Monyela recalled. “He was looking forward to retiring and giving the young generation of soldiers a chance.”
The last time the family saw Malesa was last year on January 20, when he left for his second deployment in the DRC.
He would communicate with them through phone calls and video calls.
“He told us that the situation was getting worse in the DRC and that the M23 rebels were more dangerous than they thought,” Monyela said.
He said Malesa last spoke to them last Thursday when he told them that the situation was escalating.
On Saturday, his wife and children received the news of his death.
“When they saw the soldiers, his wife began to cry. She knew (that he died),” Monyela said.
Malesa’s children - two girls, aged 14 and 8 and a boy aged 3, are struggling to come to terms with their father’s death.
“This has been the most difficult thing for them to deal with. They can’t even go to school. They can’t focus,” Monyela said.
He said the SANDF visited the family on Monday to explain to them that repatriation of Malesa’s body would take time due to road closures in the DRC.
Monyela called on Defence Minister Angie Motshekga to fast-track the process of repatriating the body to allow the family to begin mourning properly.