# The United Nations awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal to the late South African National Defence Force member, major Tolla Pieterse. SANDF deputy Chief Joint Operations, Major General René Mercuur, says Pieterse was fatally wounded in July 2024 when a hand grenade exploded close to his sleeping quarters in the Beni base in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He says the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is a posthumous award presented by the UN to the families of military, police, or civilian personnel who have lost their lives while serving in its peacekeeping operations.