The SANDF confirmed the death of Staff Sergeant Johan Andries van Rooyen, 51, at Level 2 Hospital in Pemba, Mozambique.
He was part of operation VIKELA, the South African military operation based in Mozambique to assist the South African Development Community (SADC) Mission in Mozambique SAMIM.
According to a statement issued by the SANDF on Sunday, the soldier reported at Mihluri military base where he presented with a severe headache and chest pains.
Staff Sergeant van Rooyen was from 2 Field Engineer Regiment in Kroonstad. His body will be repatriated back to South Africa, where the SANDF and his family will arrange funeral arrangements.
The SA National Defence Force Media Statement || 09 Jul South African National Defence Force announces the death of one of its soldiers deployed in Mozambique.
— SA National Defence Force (@SANDF_ZA) July 10, 2022
Media Statement by Department of Defence || Defence Headquarters || Media Liaison.#SANDF#DCCMediaLiaison#RIPSASoldier pic.twitter.com/48NEBTba3J
Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Thandi Modise, and her department passed their condolences to the family of Van Rooyen.
Update on mission in Mozambique
Chief of the South African National Defence Force, General Rudzani Maphwanya, in April briefed the media on the status of the country’s deployment in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province.
The Extraordinary Summit of the SADC in Maputo, Mozambique, on June 23, 2021, led the SANDF to launch Operation Vikela.
It forms part of South Africa’s contribution to SADC’s Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM).
The eight SADC troop contributing countries comprising SAMIM are South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia, working in collaboration with the Forças Armadas de Defesa de Moçambique of the host country.
Rwandan troops are also in the area of operation under the invitation of the host country.
IOL