BUDGET: Finance minister slashes DRC mission budget, but hikes withdrawal costs to R3-billion [SOUND]

# The minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana has reduced the budget for the South African National Defence Force’s peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the funds for safely withdrawing troops have increased to three-billion-rand. In his budget speech, Godongwana said this shift reflects the planned phased withdrawal from the DRC, focusing more on covering the costs of bringing soldiers and equipment home securely: