JOHANNESBURG - A small group of critically wounded South African soldiers have arrived home from the DRC.
An air ambulance carrying those who require urgent and high-level medical attention landed at Air Force Base Waterkloof in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
They're part of 130 SANDF members successfully repatriated from the DRC on Monday.
The troops arriving this morning are at a field hospital at the military base.
They will be transferred to 1 Military Hospital later on Tuesday.
eNCA has learned a large part of 1 Military Hospital has been prepared to house the majority of the 130 patients.
An SANDF statement says the rest of the soldiers are expected to arrive home sometime this week.
They were injured in a battle in Sake with M23 rebels who were advancing on Goma.
That battle saw the defence force losing 14 soldiers.
The SA National Defence Force Media Statement || Tuesday, 25 February 2025 || Repatriation of injured SANDF members from Goma in the Eastern DRC.
Media Statement by Department of Defence || Head of Communication.#SANDF#DRC pic.twitter.com/vio5MWQwQh— SA National Defence Force 🇿🇦 (@SANDF_ZA) February 25, 2025