SA withdraws troops from CAR

"Because there is no constitutional government in CAR at the moment, our troops are coming home," Nkoana-Mashabane told a media briefing in Pretoria.

South Africa's decision comes after the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) meeting, held in Chad on Wednesday, where leaders looked at the situation in CAR, which saw the ousting of President François Bozizé.

The meeting, according to Nkoana-Mashabane, agreed not to recognise rebel chief Michel Djotodia as president. Instead, leaders want that country to designate an "electoral college or committee", comprising representatives from all sectors of CAR society, to be constituted to head the transitional period in CAR, which will have executive powers for not more than 18 months.

The committee, Nkoana-Mashabane said, would help CAR to prepare for elections and restore normalcy.

A team of foreign ministers, together with African Union representatives, have already descended on CAR to convey the regional meeting resolutions to the rebel government.

The South African government has been in the spotlight over the presence of its troops in CAR, where 13 of its soldiers were killed and 27 left injured during a gun battle with rebels in Bangui.

The death of the soldiers raised concerns from opposition parties about the legitimacy of the deployment.

Nkoana-Mashabane explained on Thursday that the South African National Defence Force members have been deployed in CAR since 2007, following a memorandum of understanding between the two countries, which resulted in their contingent being based in CAR for training and capacity building purposes.

The minister said if South Africa persisted with its military deployment in terms of the MoU, it would signal a tacit recognition of the Seleka rebel coalition as a legitimate authority in the CAR.

"The decision by the AU, ECCAS and South Africa not to recognise the self-proclaimed government in the CAR will go a long way in strengthening the authority of the AU, its statutes and policies which are adopted collectively," said the minister.

She said their position made it clear that "there could be no recognition given to any government that comes to power through unconstitutional means, especially through a violent military coup".

On SA's future role in CAR, Nkoana-Mashabane said South Africa would remain available for any mission that either the AU or the region legitimately felt SA should undertake.

The minister would not be drawn into responding to "rumours and allegations" in the media of SA's business interests in CAR.

With regards to reports that there were more SA soldiers who died in CAR, the minister said they could investigate the matter and assured that if that was the case, government would inform South Africans.