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Seemingly unperturbed SANDF soldier watches as bodies are thrown into a fire

11 January 2023 6:57 AM
Tags:
SANDF
Mozambique
John Maytham
viral video
ray white
Helmoed Heitman

Video shared on social media shows soldiers' bodies thrown into a fire in Mozambique, while SANDF soldier watches impassively.

John Maytham interviews Guy Martin, Author at Defence Web.

Additionally, 702's Ray White interviewed Helmoed Heitman, Independent Defence & National Security Analyst.

A deeply disturbing video has been making its rounds on social media, showing bodies been thrown into a fire on a pile of rubbish, in Mozambique, while a South African soldier stands and watches.

While the member of the South African Defence Force (SANDF) isn't actively participating in the tossing of the bodies, as a bystander, he is still complicit, says Martin.

Heitman highlights the missing information that the public has purely based on that video – we don't show what happened before and after the video and the events that led up to disposable of the bodies.

Members of the SANDF's Light Modern Brigade. Picture: @SANDF_ZA/Twitter
Members of the SANDF's Light Modern Brigade. Picture: @SANDF_ZA/Twitter

RELATED: 'SANDF losing battle against insurgents in Mozambique' - military journalist

Guy Martin weighs in on what can be seen in the video and the implications:

  • The atrocity took place in Mozambique
  • The viral video shows the casually brutal disposal of insurgent bodies – this conclusion is based on the camouflage fatigue that the body on top of the pile of rubbish is wearing
  • The above-mentioned point ties in with the argument that this happened after an attack at the insurgent base at the end of November 2022
  • Martin is 100% sure that the soldier filming the barbaric event is a SANDF soldier – the uniform of the soldier matches that of the South African camouflage fatigue, there is a South African flag on his shoulder, as well as the presence of South African weapons
  • The identities and stations of the soldiers physically disposing the bodies are yet to be confirmed
  • The South African soldier is "blasé" about the manner in which the bodies have been disposed
  • This goes against the South African laws of armed conflict – remains and gravesites are meant to be respected, maintained and marked. Disposing in this manner could result in war crimes
  • The public needs clarification as to what happened in Mozambique in that video – who were the bodies being burnt, why were they being burnt, who is responsible and did the South African soldier take part?

While he's [SANDF soldier] not taking part in the burning of the bodies...he is complicit in the bodies being burnt.

Guy Martin, Author at Defence Web

South African soldiers...they need to do better.

Guy Martin, Author at Defence Web

If they were my soldiers, I'd be stepping on them hard; this is not how you do it, this is not how you behave.

Helmoed Heitman, Independent Defence & National Security Analyst

Scroll up to listen to the full interview.




11 January 2023 6:57 AM
Tags:
SANDF
Mozambique
John Maytham
viral video
ray white
Helmoed Heitman

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