South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa and his defence minister last week snubbed Congolese Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Defence Jean Pierre Bemba.
Bemba spent three days in South Africa trying to meet President Ramaphosa or his Defence Minister but it was all in vain.
Bemba, a former rebel leader, returned to Congo from the unproductive trip to South Africa without delivering his message.
Bemba’s trip to South Africa was aimed at engaging the Ramaphosa government over the involvement of SADC in helping end the war in east Congo in the wake of the Kinshasa government to end the East African Community peacekeeping mission.
Unfortunately for Bemba, the South African leadership, which is said to be uncomfortable with Tshisekedi’s leadership after he turned on Joseph Kabila, was not available either physically or by phone.
This means the involvement of SADC in the east war where rebela continue to be a menance remains a pipe dream.
