Pretoria - The family of SANDF member Sergeant Vusimuzi Mabena, who died in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), said their only wish was for his children to receive the education he was working hard to give them.
His uncle, Prince Sipho Mabena, was speaking at the Swartkop Air Force Base yesterday during a memorial service for the 37-year-old.
Mabena was killed by a sniper, who fired a round that also hit and injured pilot-in-command Major Omolemo Matlapeng. Following the shooting on February 5, Captain Matthew Allen was left to fly their Oryx to safety.
The uncle said his nephew was still very young when he was killed. His death had hurt the family immensely, more in particular his three young children, he said. Although they knew he was a soldier, news of his death was something they weren’t expecting.
The pain the family felt knew no description, he said, because they lost a young man who still had so much to offer the world, the SANDF and his young children.
He said this was a man who loved his children so much that he would carry a child on his back, something typically done by mothers.
“Vusimusi was so young. We were still expecting and expecting a lot from him. We would like to say we are hurt. The Lord is there and the Lord knows it all. We will place our belief on him.
“We do not have a lot to say, but we appreciate the way you (the South African Air Force) treated him. We could see that through him. We could see that where we sent our child was a place that took good care of our child.
“Please assist us to ensure that his children receive a good education. Ensure that they are well educated.
“That would make us very happy as a family. We do not really have a lot to ask for. We appreciate the support you have shown us to this day, and until we take him to his final resting place,” said his uncle.
His friend, identified only as Sergeant Maselo, said he was heart-broken and struggling to come to terms with what had happened.
He said it “felt like what was happening was a movie”. He learnt many things from Mabena, including the significance of getting married, building a family and raising children well.
Mabena’s remains were repatriated back to the country on Sunday, arriving at the air force base, in what was a painful sight for members of the public, as they watched visuals of a man who left his home on his feet and returned home to his family in a coffin.
The 15 squadron he was part of was in a helicopter to Goma when it was hit by a single sniper’s bullet over Kiwanja, some 70km north-east of Goma in the North Kivu province.
The eastern DRC city is home to a SANDF composite helicopter unit operating Oryx medium transport and Rooivalk combat support helicopters, in addition to a SA Military Health Service detachment.
It’s not yet clear who fired the bullet that hit the helicopter, but it is suspected that M23 rebels were responsible as the incident occurred over an area controlled by them.
Pretoria News