In a sombre gesture, President Cyril Ramaphosa has directed that the South African national flag be flown at half-mast for seven days to honour the South African Defence Force members who lost their lives in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The President, in a statement on X, says the directive, which starts Friday, February 7, 2025, is issued as the country mourns the “tragic and devastating loss of 14 South African soldiers who were part of a mission to bring peace to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.”

“President @CyrilRamaphosa has directed that the National Flag be flown at half-mast at all flag stations around the country for a period of seven days from today, Friday 7 February 2025," a statement from the presidency on X read on Friday.

President Cyril Ramaphosa also paid tribute to the soldiers while delivering the first State of the Nation Address under the Government of National Unity in Pretoria on Thursday evening in Cape Town.

The address took place before a joint sitting of the two houses of Parliament with the theme “A nation that works for all.”

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