M A R C H 2 0 0 3 l S A S O L D I E R - dod.mil.zadod.mil.za/sasoldier/2003/March2003.pdf · M A R...

M A R C H 2 0 0 3 l S A S O L D I E R

1

SA SOLDIERSA SOLDIERThe official monthly magazine of the SA Department of Defence

Letters:Feedback from our readers

An alliance for peacein Burundi

Soldiers supporta nation in distress

Faces full of hope

Save liveson our roads

Reflect on the horrors of war

The biggest medal parade of Reserve Force members

34

6

10

11

14

46

17 Receiving their wings

Unique learningand training culture

International Dayof Disabled Persons

Training body and mind

Pipe Major competed intriathlon abroad

Vote for a winner

Competition:Phone and win

Exploit foreignlearning opportunities

ReliableInvisible partner

Music and electricity brought rain

Medical dedicationrewarded

Empowering women empowers the nation

The significance of honours

A century ofperseverance

23

STREET ADDRESSDefence HeadquartersErasmusrandPRETORIA

POSTAL ADDRESSSA SOLDIERPrivate Bag X158PRETORIA, 0001

TELEPHONETel: (012)355-6341 Fax: (012)355-6399email: [email protected]: www.mil.za/magazines/sasoldier

EDITORIAL STAFF

Acting Editor: Ms Nelda Pienaar

Photo Editor: F Sgt Tania Kettles

Editorial Staff: Maj Fundile SiyongwanaMs Nomonde Vuthela Sgt David NomtshongwanaPO Dennis Ndaba

CONTRIBUTIONS: Although all possible care is takenwith articles, the editorial staff cannot take any responsibility forlost articles and photographs.

Reproduction & Printing:Government Printing Works149 Bosman Street, PretoriaTel: (012) 334-4500

Text Editor: Ms Karen Muller

Translation Consultant: Ms Euphraat Hopane

Photo Processing:5 ASU Photo Section

Distribution: Mr Jim Tshabalala Tel: (012) 355-6341

Layout & Design: Mr W. van der Westhuizen

42

13 40

S A S O L D I E R l M A R C H 2 0 0 3

2

15

EDITORIAL BOARDBrig Gen W.W.M. Zweni(Chairperson)Mr B. MtimkuluCapt (SAN) S. van RooyenCol P.B. Phiri Lt Col R. S. Ramasodi

Lt Col M. KgweteLt Col D. KhumaloLt Col A. Makhari Ms N. Pienaar Maj T.W. CheelaMaj P. Lengoasa

Ms J. RenderMr W. van der WesthuizenMr A. DzivhaniF Sgt T. KettlesPO D. Ndaba (Secretary)

19

25

28

26

3116

32

43

38

SA SOLDIER is published monthly - 12 issues per year. The views and opinionsexpressed by the authors of articles are those of the authors and do not necessarilyrepresent those of the Department of Defence (DOD). Acceptance and publicationof advertorial and advertising matter in SA SOLDIER does not constitute DODendorsement or warranty in respect of goods or services therein described. TheDOD does not assume any liability in respect of any claims made in advertisements.COPYRIGHT: No article or picture in this magazine may be reproduced withoutthe written consent of the Editor.

For the latest news on defence matters in South Africa, visit our website at: www.mil.za/magazines/sasoldier

FRONT COVER: SANDF celebrates International Day of DisabledPersons. Read more on page 38. (Design: Visual Communication)

3


23

Special Forces of the Algerian Popular National Army in training at Biskra. 1717

message


4

From the Editor's desk

Van die redakteur se lessenaar

here is so much to be proud of about SouthAfrica at the moment. In 2002 we hosted theWorld Summit on Sustainable Developmentand the African Union, also not forgetting that aSouth African, Mark Shuttleworth, went intospace.

One cannot be proud of South Africa and atthe same time not being proud of the SANDF. TheSANDF is so much a part of our country's progress andstability. The SANDF played a huge role in the successof hosting the World Summit on SustainableDevelopment and the African Union. The SANDF hasthe privilege of being the guardian angel of SouthAfrica.

This year South Africa, together with Mozambiqueand Ethiopia, will contribute to a peace-keeping contin-gent that is designed to take the Burundi peace processto a much higher level, revealed the Minister of Defence,Mr Mosiuoa Lekota, at a joint press conference with hisMozambican counterpart, Lt Gen Tobias Dai.

"We see this mission as vital in creating the condi-tions necessary for our region and continent," under-lined Minister Lekota. "It is part of a global effort toensure peace," said Lt Gen Dai. Read more about thison page 10.

When you read this, we will have hosted the 2003Cricket World Cup. We are also proud of Bafana Bafanafor their outstanding performance in the FIFA SoccerWorld Cup last year. The SANDF celebrated theInternational Day of Disabled Persons on 3 December2002. Fun Olympics formed part of the activities of theday, which included wheelchair races for people withdisabilities and the DOD top structure, field events,quad games, basketball, chess, pool, ballroom dancingand other recreational activities. As the name said -Fun Olympics - it was nothing less than heaps of fun!Read all about it on pages 38 and 39.

We also focus on the significance of honours. Everymodern country in the world - with the possible soleexception of Switzerland - has honours for wearing onappropriate ceremonial and state occasions. (For moredetails read pages 28, 29 and 30.)

Read the article on teaching music to foreigners onpage 22, as well as the inspiring article on music andelectricity that brought rain on page 23 - Showers ofblessings!

SA SOLDIER greetings!

Nelda PienaarActing Editor

Taar is tans soveel in Suid-Afrika om op trots tewees. Gedurende 2002 was ons die gasheerlandvir die Wêreldberaad oor VolhoubareOntwikkeling en die Afrika Unie; ons moet ook nievergeet dat Mark Shuttleworth, 'n Suid-Afrikaner,'n ruimtevaart onderneem het nie.

'n Mens kan nie op Suid-Afrika trots weessonder om ook tegelykertyd op die SANW trots te wees nie.Die SANW vorm so 'n groot deel van ons land se vooruitgangen stabiliteit. Die SANW het 'n groot bydrae gelewer totSuid-Afrika se sukses as gasheerland vir die Wêreldberaadoor Volhoubare Ontwikkeling, asook die Afrika Unie. DieSANW het die voorreg om die beskermengel van Suid-Afrikate wees.

Die Minister van Verdediging, minister Mosiuoa Lekota,het tydens 'n gesamentlike perskonferensie met syMosambiekse eweknie, lt genl Tobias Dai, bekend gemaak datSuid-Afrika, tesame met Mosambiek en Ethiopië, vanjaar salbydra tot 'n kontingent wat ontwerp is om die Burundi-vredesproses na 'n veel hoër vlak te neem.

"Ons beskou hierdie missie van die allergrootste belangten einde die nodige toestande in ons streek en kontinent teskep," het minister Lekota beklemtoon. "Dit vorm deel van 'nglobale poging om vrede te verseker," het lt genl Dai gesê.Lees meer hieroor op bladsy 10.

Teen die tyd wat u hierdie redakteursbrief lees, sal Suid-Afrika reeds die Wêreldbeker-kriekettoernooi aangebied het.Ons is ook trots op Bafana-bafana vir hul uitstekendevertoning verlede jaar tydens die FIFA Wêreldbeker-sokker-toernooi. SANW het op 3 Desember 2002 die InternasionaleDag vir Gestremde Persone gevier. 'n Pret-olimpiade, watrolstoelresies tussen gestremde persone en die DVD-topstruk-tuur, velditems, spele vir kwadruplieë, basketbal, skaak,biljart, baldanse en ander ontspanningsaktiwiteite ingesluithet, het deel van die dag se aktiwiteite uitgemaak. Soos dienaam "Pret-olimpiade" impliseer, was die dag met hopepret gevul. Lees meer daaroor op bladsy 38 en 39.

Ons fokus ook op die betekenis van eerbewyse. Elkemoderne land in die wêreld, met Switserland as die enigstemoontlike uitsondering, beskik oor eerbewyse wat op gepasteseremoniële en staatsgeleenthede gedra word. (Verderebesonderhede hieroor verskyn op bladsy 28, 29 en 30.)

Lees die artikel oor "musiekonderrig aan buitelanders" opbladsy 22, asook die inspirerende artikel op bladsy 22 oormusiek en elektrisiteit wat reën gebring het - strome vanseën!

SA SOLDIER-groete!

Nelda PienaarWaarnemende redakteur

D


6

Winning letterfeedback

Epilogue or new beginningI appreciate the opportunity to address a subject that is as South African ascultural diversity and reconciliation - AIDS. We as South Africans are inmany ways bound by AIDS owing to the widespread nature of the disease.Should we fear the future or embrace the opportunity to stand together as anation against an enemy that knows no boundaries to culture or race?

The only tactic that would ensure total victory over this adversary isinstilling in our youth a set of moral values. Contrary to today's norm ofhaving as much sex as you like, just as long as it is safe, we should go backto religion and underlying cultural principles. This kept our ancestors safefrom this disease - love truly, not randomly. I would like to submit a poemthat I worked on, but never completed until now. This is dedicated to ouryouth in keeping the legacy of all that is South African alive (literally):

A little boy's prayer Dear Jesus, my name is Kagiso and my dog's name is Peggy,I can only speak softly, so please try to listen closely.I am reading my picture Bible book and have to ask You, because only You know how painful it was dying lonely on a wooden cross.

Why did You give Your life to save so many bad girls and boys?Why not punish them by taking away their dolls and toys?Mommy said You sacrificed Your own life out of love,So we all can one day go to Your home above.

May I bring Peggy, I promise she'll be good.I'll even bring along some of her favourite food.Do You have phones in heaven, Jesus, for me to callMy friends on earth so they don't worry at all?

Please tell Mommy, she's already with You,That I'll bring her red roses from my garden that I grew.She always made me laugh and told me to enjoy life every dayAnd not to be sad when one day she had to go away.

I know You are very busy in heaven every day,But You must please make time for us to play.I hope You and Mommy will be waiting for me at Heaven's Gates,When I can no longer live on earth in this center……for little children with AIDS? AMEN - Capt Josephus Kriek, Air Defence Artillery Formation.

Condemn threats"I pledge to serve and defend my country and itspeople in accordance with the Constitution and thelaw and with honour, dignity, courage andintegrity."

It seems that these words are only utteredby soldiers during parades, but are nevertaken to heart. The reason for this letter is toshow my total disagreement with a letter thatwas published in the October 2002 SASOLDIER, namely "Deployment outside thecountry" by "Worried members from 7 SAIBn". The "Worried members from 7 SAI Bn"were discussing the irregularities regardingthe appointment of certain positions withinthe Battalion for their deployment to Burundi,coupled to the "G1K1-status" of such mem-bers. I can share the members' concern. Theletter then states that "if this problem cannotbe solved by the Infantry Formation, this issuewill be published in the media. Later the bar-rel will solve the problem."

This is what I condemn. The drafter of thisletter is not worthy to wear a uniform becauseof these threats, and is without honour, digni-ty, courage and integrity. If the SANDF allowsindividuals to threaten us by publishing sto-ries in the media or threatening to shoot mem-bers to resolve problems, than we have sunktoo far to stay afloat.

As a member who did my bit in Burundi, Icannot stand by while our SANDF is threat-ened with violence. If we cannot solve ourown problems in our own country withoutviolence, then who are we to work under thebanner of peacekeepers in Burundi.

As a proud member and citizen of SouthAfrica, I again urge members to look for solu-tions the correct way and not try to "bully" ourway forward with threats and demands - Capt R. Vermeulen, Adjutant 6 SAI Bn,Grahamstown.

Gratitude and pleaWith great respect, I would like tothank our Officer Commanding and thepeople at the Army HRS, especiallyWarrant Officer Khan, for making itpossible for us to acquire a duty vehi-cle. We were offered a SAMAG 70which runs from the ArmyGymnasium, Heidelberg, to Group 18in Doornkop. The vehicle has become very preciousto us. In fact it has become a part of us.To demonstrate our love for it we call itby different names; some call it Pajero,

others call it Rolls Royce and I call itTroop Carrier.

Much as we love our Pajero, it canbecome a serious hazard. During win-ter it is so cold in the back of the truckthat a lot of members fall sick.

Uncomfortable as it is, we travellong distances and some of us arestarting to complain of backaches.Women soldiers have extra com-plaints. Rainy seasons are anotherstory altogether.

We kindly appeal to anybody orany unit within the SANDF to come

to our rescue. Many units are demo-bilising, and therefore we believe thatthere might be a bus in good condi-tion that can be donated to us by anyunit that doesn't need it. We are inneed of a 40-50 seater - WO2 E.B.Nkomo, Heidelberg.

* Members who can assist our soldiers inneed can contact WO2 Nkomo at tel no:(016) 340 2205 or cell no: 083 495 8275,or RSM D. Prins at tel no: (016) 340 2273, or Mrs A. Marais at tel no: (016) 340 2201 - Ed.


7R200-00 prize for the best letterSA SOLDIER welcomes letters to the Editor. Short letters are more likely to bepublished, and all letters may be edited for reasons of style, accuracy or spacelimitations. Letters should preferably be typewritten and double-spaced. All let-ters must include the writer's full name, address and home telephone number.The volume of letters we receive makes individual acknowledgement impossible.Please send your letters to: The Editor, SA SOLDIER Letters, Private Bag X158,Pretoria, 0001. Letters may also be faxed to (012) 355-6399 or sent via email [email protected]. We would like to hear your comments or ideas, particularlyabout matters affecting members of the Department of Defence. Regrettably,anonymous letters cannot be answered officially or published - Editor.

Please allow me to give my two cents' worth in reply to Col H.Schobesberger's letter, "Whose military tradition is it anyway?" -published in SA SOLDIER, November 2002.

In my opinion, tradition is the lifeblood of any militaryorganisation! Why do Army NCOs still wear chevrons whenthey could have been recently changed to something else?Why do the Navy's Admirals wear swords in their rankinsignia that point backwards?

Why do some Army Corps wear their lanyards on oneshoulder while the rest wear it on the other shoulder?

Why do South African military insignia have to follow spe-cific heraldic principles and be approved by the State Herald?The answer lies in tradition. To quote Funk and Wagnall'sStandard Dictionary, tradition is the "knowledge, doctrines,customs and practices transmitted from generation to genera-tion". The same source indicates that tradition is "a custom solong continued that it has almost the force of law".

Col Schobesberger asks why a black Reserve Force soldiershould accept the traditions of the Buffalo Volunteer Rifles. Myanswer is: why not? Any soldier who accepts a unit's traditionswill be accepted into that group and teamwork is whatenhances the capabilities of a military organisation. Is theArmy not a "pride of lions" working together as a team?

Tradition exists even in the Regular Force units. Armouredunit personnel traditionally wear black berets, and have doneso since the first greasy and oily tanks rolled across the battle-field. Paratroopers are intensely proud of their maroon berets

Whose tradition is it anyway?that have their origins in the berets of the British "RedBerets".

I challenge Col Schobesberger to openly suggest thatparatroopers give up their distinctive headgear on thegrounds that it is an antiquated white tradition. Even tra-ditions that emanate from colonial armies still remain inmodern African states.

The November 2002 issue of SA SOLDIER has a pho-tograph of Botswana soldiers clearly showing a WO1wearing his rank only on one side; a Lance Corporalwearing a beret hackle; and a military policeman wearingthe traditional red headdress and brassard of the MPs. Ifthese traditional items of dress were so bad surelyBotswana would have unceremoniously dumped themwhen they gained their independence in 1966.

My impression of the Colonel's letter, and taking intoconsideration his references to "integrated forces", is thatit is solely aimed at the traditions of the "racist" and "eli-tist" Statutory Forces.

Might I remind the Colonel that the Constitution onlyallows one military force in this country and that is theSANDF. If the Non-statutory Forces had their own cus-toms and practices, now is the time for their integratedformer members to make them known so that they maytake their place alongside the proud traditions of the for-mer Statutory Forces - WO1 S.D. Olley, Thaba Tshwane.

With all due respect to you, Colonel, I think your suggestionsare absurd.

Your suggestion to start all traditions afresh is ludicrous.You cannot forget your past. A regiment cannot grow andprosper without tradition. What would the Transvaal Scottishbe without the Scottish traditions and influence - the HighveldHighlanders? Somehow the name just does not appeal to thesenses.

You asked why a black soldier should accept the traditionsof a regiment of old?

Firstly, all military service is voluntary. The volunteer must

All traditions should be honoured, just as we honourall soldiers who have fallen, irrespective of whatever sidethey fought on. After many years of turmoil in our landwe have finally achieved what many thought would beimpossible, unity and peace among former enemies. Thispeace is directly threatened though, if inflammatory andirresponsible ideas such as those Col Schobesberger pro-mulgates are enforced.

Let us take what traditions came with us, amalgamatethem and live up to our national motto, "Unity inDiversity" - S Sgt F.S. Seymour, Ladysmith.

Whose tradition is it anyway?

adapt to the military and not viceversa.

Secondly, traditions born out ofcampaigning and conflict cannot beforgotten, as they influence the natureof the regiment. Units should not beafraid to accept and embrace tradi-tions coming in from other sources orfrom people of different backgrounds.These "outsider" traditions should becarefully studied and acceptanceshould be based on military consider-ations only.

Debate


8

Whose tradition is it anyway?The answer to the Colonel's question is quite simple. It is the heritageof every member who has chosen to serve his or her country in mili-tary uniform. Regardless of the origins of any individual or unit, theyare now part of the SANDF as of 27 April 1994.

I see it as our individual duty to take whatever makes us effectiveand efficient members from this collective inheritance and to nurture itfor the future. If there are particular traditions that do not appeal to usas individuals, then let us leave them for those who value them. If par-ticular traditions mean something to the members of a unit, then thosetraditions will survive. If, however, they are, or become meaningless,then they will die out within a generation. I have been fortunate toattend a number of functions where some of the regiments referred toin the Colonel's letter have been involved and the members presentrepresented a cross-section of the population of South Africa. Themost recent of these occasions was the Mayor of Johannesburg'sRemembrance Day Parade on 10 November 2002, where once again afully representative parade consisting predominantly of members fromReserve Force units, wearing the traditional dress of those regiments,marched, exhibiting every sign of pride in their units and the SANDF.

If the traditions of these regiments are offensive or alien to them,then why are recruits joining these regiments and participating in eventhe most esoteric regimental traditions with every sign of sincerity andenjoyment? If the history of the Buffalo Volunteer Rifles is grosslyoffensive to a person of Xhosa extraction, then why did Col GugileNkwinti accept the position as Honorary Colonel of that Regiment? Ifa soldier or officer currently serving in the SSB is not to be proud ofthe heritage of the Regiment and the Armour Corps because it pre-dates 1994, then from where must they derive their personal pride anddiscipline?

I would argue that we have so little heritage in our SANDF that towilly-nilly remove aspects of it merely on the basis that some or eventhe majority of units predate 1994 would unnecessarily erode morale.If cases exist where particular battle honours or regimental anniver-saries are demonstrably eroding esprit de corps or otherwise negative-ly impacting on the operational effectiveness of units, then certainlysuch cases must be dealt with with all haste, but also with the neces-sary insight and sensitivity. Let us not deal with these potentially sen-sitive issues on a knee-jerk basis and without full and proper staffwork. It is the responsibility of those appointed as staff officers toenable our Generals to make fully informed decisions on these matterson the basis of facts and not emotions. To attempt to handle this issuein any other way is to risk destroying traditions unnecessarily and lay-ing the SANDF open to potential embarrassment. It is something ofgreat concern to me, in my capacity as SO1 Heraldry, that no unitsappear to have been made responsible for perpetuating the traditionsof some of the forces that were combined to form the SANDF. Theend result of this oversight is that this part of our heritage will becomesomething that exists only in museums and in books, and we, and theSANDF, will be the poorer for it.

During a discussion I had on military heraldry and traditions withthe State Herald of the Russian Federation, he mentioned that they areattempting to find a mechanism to revive and perpetuate the specifichistories and traditions of Tsarist Regiments (abolished 1917) in unitsof the current Russian Armed Forces in order to promote esprit decorps. He considered us lucky to have a depth of military heritage thathas proved resilient enough to survive several constitutional changes.It is therefore important that we do not permit any of the traditionsthat could potentially enrich the SANDF and promote esprit de corps tobe lost through unthinking neglect - Lt Col Eddie Watson, Pretoria.

Whose tradition is it anyway?I write this letter as response to the letter publishedin the SA SOLDIER of November 2002 by Col H.Schobesberger "Whose Military tradition is it any-way?". I find your opinions on the traditions ofunits and, especially, Conventional Reserve Forceunits, disturbing. I trust that you yourself are notpart of such a unit, as to understand the traditionsyou have to be part of such a unit and experience itin entirety. Traditions are not about race, religion orpolitics. It is about understanding and strengtheningthe bond between current serving soldiers and thosethat have served in the past. It is about understand-ing what was done, what is being done and whatwill be done. That very same tradition that you aretrying to lock away is exactly what is keeping a lotof Reserve Force units alive; these traditions arekeeping valuable members in the system.

I am Afrikaans speaking and serve in a unit thatwas formed in the British Army to fight the Boers. Ibear no grudges, for those days are long past. Thisunit's traditions were kept alive throughout thepurge of things British during the early sixties in theDefence Force. No amount of "Veldkornetting" or"Kommandanting" could kill these traditions, andsurely a "toast to the horses", for example, can beaccepted by all, for everybody accepts and under-stands that these are the traditions that are keptalive. It is for each member to decide whether he orshe accepts a unit; the member is not forced to stay.Honouring and remembering all of the men andwomen who have fallen for whomever and what-ever under the banner or colours of a unit is themost noble and respectful thing to do, for in themoment of passing, race and politics were probablyfar from mind. These are the types of traditions hon-oured, not race or politics based traditions.

Do not try to kill regiments and units by tryingto enforce or air your rather uninformed opinion.These units are greater than you, Colonel, or anymere individual trying to incite disrespect of tradi-tions and further race-based decisions in an organi-sation which should respect the rank and uniformand not the colour of the individual wearing it. Iimplore you, Colonel, do not interfere with unitsthat carry the souls of men and women who sacri-ficed their lives for whatever cause, just for the sakeof your own righteousness.

I trust, Colonel, that you marched through theranks from Private in 1994, to Colonel now in 2003,otherwise how could your rank or any otherachievement pre-1994 be respected by the "majority"of the current Defence Force? Remember: "The menfall out, but the regiment marches on".

"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, forhe who today sheds his blood with me, shall be mybrother" - no mention of race. Let us keep it thatway! - Verlyn Troskie, Heidelberg.

Debate


9

DebateAt its most recent meeting in December 2002, the AdvisoryCommittee of the South African National Museum ofMilitary History Chairperson, Lt Gen Andrew Masondo,requested me to write to you to express our disquiet at theunfortunate and divisive and sad letter from Col H.Schobesberger ("Whose tradition is it anyway?" published inSA SOLDIER, November 2002).

The Advisory Committee represents wide constituenciesof historians, veterans' organisations and serving membersof the forces and many others with an interest in preservingmilitary heritage. It is the view of the National Museum'sAdvisory Committee that the opinions on military culturalheritage expressed by Col Schobesberger are culturally, edu-cationally and militarily wrong and quite misconceived.

The Colonel's opinions reveal a surprising lack of per-spective on the wide sweep of military history and heritage.They are not grounded on any consideration of the meaningof military heritage and, indeed, they are based on a verynarrow and superficial interpretation of the entire scope ofmilitary heritage in any country.

The SANDF is characterised by a consolidation of thecultures of seven different forces. It is also characterised bya high degree of political friction. But none of this is new tothe South African military scene. It was to be found in theUnion Defence Force established from among the wide rangeof South African and British soldiers who came together inone force.

They did so despite the bitter war that destroyed thelives of 40 000 South Africans, black and white, between1899 and 1902. Friction was intense again when the twoWorld Wars broke out in 1914 and in 1939, and from 1948when the National Party government took over and the thenMinister of Defence, F.C. Erasmus, attempted to force a nar-row interpretation of military heritage on the Defence Force.

In the past the Defence Force overcame friction.Although it retained a culture that was foreign to manymembers, a One Force Concept survived to give the particu-lar identity that has survived politicians and politics.

Military heritage grows from the past, bad or good. New

traditions of the new armed forces are added to strengthenit. As Erasmus found, it cannot be invented or forced. Stilltoday, several regiments remain in the new Defence Forcethat had fought for imperialist Britain. They have battle hon-ours on their colours that include battles against the forces ofthe Boer republics. Yet many Afrikaners served in those"English" regiments in the following decades and acceptedthe battle honours and helped earn new ones, especially inthe two World Wars.

Other countries have done the same. On independencein 1947, India's army retained identities expressed in regi-mental colours on which there are still battle honours wonwhen the regiments were "British". It has taken fifty yearsfor the German Federal Republic to live down the ghastlyheritage of 1933 to 1945, but eventually today, in Dresden,they have a museum that commemorates the heritage of all -not excluding that of the forces of East Germany.

Were we to adopt Col Schobesberger's views, should weignore the 250 black soldiers who lie in the cemetery atArques la Bataille, or the hundreds who drowned in theSS "MENDI", the gallantry of Corporals Lukas Majozi andJob Masego and other World War heroes - or even of themen who fell at Rorke's Drift and Isandhlwana - because itall happened before 1994?

Military history makes it clear that without the black sol-dier, South Africa's contribution to the World Wars wouldhave failed. That this is fortunately not the official attitude isapparent from the inclusion by the Minister and Parliamentof the subject of military heritage in the new Defence Act -without any restrictions. Yes, black soldiers were frequentlytreated with shocking disregard for their humanity in thepast, but does that make the history that they helped buildany the less? Is it to disappear as though nothing wasachieved through their contributions?

The soldiers in our Defence Force have been down thisroad before, especially under the National Party Minister,F.C. Erasmus. Do we really want to repeat the process ofdividing soldiers politically? Does the Colonel not recognisethe One Force Concept? - Prof D.F.S. Fourie, Pretoria.

Whose tradition is it anyway?

Against abuseI fully support the campaign against women and childabuse. We as a nation must take this campaign serious-ly because people we care about are abused daily. Butthere are also men who are abused. This letter is dedi-cated to them as well, since they also have humanrights that must be protected. Our sisters and brothersare suffering at the hands of cruel, heartless and abu-sive girlfriends and boyfriends. The nation must blowthe whistle on any form of abuse, whether the victimsare children, women, men or the elderly.

The justice department must impose stricter orharsher sentences on such offenders. Abusers shouldbe sent where they belong - behind bars. The sooner weexpose those rotten potatoes in our society, the better.Let us support the campaign against abuse and volun-teer as witnesses when evidence is sought at the courts,to ensure that justice is done - Lt S. Matli, Tempe.

Not black, not whiteI write this letter in response to a letter published in the SASOLDIER of November 2002.

To Mr Eric Baloyi ("Representivity and equal opportunity inthe SANDF as part of transformation"), who states blatantly thatwhite people are not historically peacemakers, I ask the follow-ing: Are black people historically peacemakers? After taking intoconsideration all of the faction fighting that took place in SouthAfrica, do you honestly think that white people are getting richout of this?

Secondly, it is not only white people who cannot tolerateblacks. There's a good majority of black people who cannottolerate whites. "Those" whites were and are there because theyare knowledgeable in their respective fields, not to get rich.Remember that if South Africans are labelled as arrogant, thatincludes you! Stop discerning between white and black. If theindividual wears a South African uniform, he or she is a "SouthAfrican soldier"! - Verlyn Troskie, Heidelberg.

events

By Nomonde VuthelaPhoto: Sgt David Nomtshongwana

outh Africa, togetherwith Mozambique andEthiopia, will contribu-te to a peace-keepingcontingent that isdesigned to take theBurundi peace processto a much higher level,revealed the Ministerof Defence, MrMosiuoa Lekota, at a

joint press conference with hisMozambican counterpart,Lt Gen Tobias Dai.

The press conference, held on 21January 2003 at the DefenceHeadquarters in Pretoria, marks thefirst of many such consultations tofollow between the three govern-ments. Minister Lekota noted that,despite Ethiopia's absence at themedia address owing to issues of dis-tance, the talks have, however, begunon a high note.

According to Minister Lekota,there was a further signatory to theceasefire between the transitional gov-ernment and the armed groups ofBurundi and, as a consequence of thatdevelopment, South Africa, Ethiopiaand Mozambique have been asked to

S


10

Photo: Courtesy 9 SAI Bn

rig Gen Roy Andersen,Director ReserveForces SA Army, visit-ed the South AfricanProtection SupportDetachment (SAPSD)in Bujumbura,Burundi, over the peri-od 3 to 5 January 2003.

"I was impressedwith the professional-

ism of the South African forces. Theyare a credit to South Africa and theSANDF. Their morale is high and thereis a "can do" attitude.

"The successful integration of theraces, genders and the various Servicesand Divisions of the SANDF is mostpleasing.

"I was particularly impressed by the

An alliance for peace in Burundi.

co-ordinate a single effort to examinewhat contributions can be made.

In the Minister's own words, "Toinitiate a process by which ourrespective Defence Forces can beginto consult and determine the contri-butions our Defence Forces couldmake."

Mr Lekota went on to say: "Weare very keen to fulfill the commit-ment of our two countries to con-tribute to this important mission,which has been progressing veryslowly.

"There is a lot of work that needsto be done yet; we need, for instance,to consult with Ethiopia, and wewould need to visit Bujambura toconsult with the Minister of Defence,"continued Mr Lekota, who in addi-tion mentioned the importance of tak-ing into account consultations withForeign Affairs and the UnitedNations on the actual funding of thisnew mission.

"We see this mission as vital increating the conditions necessary forour region and continent," underlinedMinister Lekota. In the spirit ofbringing peace through a missionthat is specific to Burundi, both SouthAfrica and Mozambique havedeclared to do their very best in orderto ensure the success of the peace-

keeping mission. As the Mozambiquerepresentative, Lt Gen Dai, put it, "Itis part of a global effort to ensurepeace."

On 3 February 2003 a second pressconference was held at the DefenceHeadquarters in Pretoria. This timethe Ethiopian Minister of Defence, MrAbadulla Gameda, was also present,which was a breakthrough in as far asthe deployment of the three AfricanNation's peace efforts to Burundi.

Minister Lekota noted that SouthAfrica, Mozambique and Ethiopiawould be able to carry out themission successfully.

Fltr: The Ethiopian Minister of Defence, Mr Abadulla Gameda, the Minister ofDefence, Mr Mosiuoa Lekota, and his Mozambican counterpart, Lt GenTobias Dai. Standing: Mr Sam Mkhwanazi, Spokesperson of Minister Lekota.

Part-time making a

B

By Brig Gen W.W.M. Zweni, DirectorCorporate Communication Photos: Sgt David Nomtshongwana

he correctness of the deci-sion by the South Africangovernment to deploySANDF soldiers in Burundiand the DemocraticRepublic of Congo (DRC)on delicate peace supportmissions has been provenby the resounding successesso far gained in efforts tobring about peace in the

Great Lakes.This was said by one speaker after

another during a recent goodwill visit tothe Great Lakes at the end of last year by

T


11

volunteers difference

Brig Gen Roy Andersen and Lt Col BayandaMkula, Officer Commanding 9 SAI Bn, atBujumbura Palace Base.

Soldiers support a nationin distress

Mrs Sall Jacobs, wife of the Warrant Officer of the SANDF, WO1 J.J.Jacobs, handing out Christmas parcels to the deployed memberscourtesy of SAFI and Rentmeester.

Thriller in theGreat Lakes.

Continued on page 12

fact that the vision and the culture set by theCommander, Col Sipho Msi, have permeatedthroughout the force. Their mission is wellunderstood by all ranks," said Brig GenAndersen.

Brig Gen Andersen continued: "Although todate there has been limited deployment ofReserve Force members, they are already fulfill-ing key roles.

"The flight crew who flew us to Bujumburawere largely Reserve Force and we were met atthe airport by Col Petrus Hills, a Reserve Forcemember of the SAAF. SA Army Reserve Forcemembers, Maj Hendrik Nepgin (46 SA BrigadeHQ), WO2 Gerhardus Lourens (46 SA BrigadeHQ), and Sgt Craig O'Farrel (TransvaalScottish), two of whom are on the second termof duty, fill key posts in the logistics area.

"WO1 Johann du Preez, a member of theTerritorial Reserve, is RSM of Vaal Commando.

"I was delighted to see the One Force policybeing so successfully implemented."

senior SANDF officersaccompanied by a repre-sentative from thePresidency, a group ofwell-known musicentertainers and mem-bers of the media, whoincluded an SABC/TVcrew, City Press, Beeld,as well as DefenceTelevision and SASOLDIER.

The goodwill visit,led on behalf of theChief of the SANDF bythe Chief of DefenceIntelligence, Lt GenMojo Motau, culminatedin the chievement ofwhat was unthinkablebefore the SA deploy-ment: the successfulstaging in centralBujumbura of a musicalshow dubbed "Thrillerin the Great Lakes", ashow that featured RayPhiri and part of hisrenouned Stimela outfit,as well as a Burundi


12

band and an SANDF musical group.Lt Gen Motau told the deployed

soldiers that 2002 had marked yetanother year of South Africa's humblebut consistent and deliberate effortstowards peace and stability on theAfrican content.

"This peace drive was notinspired by an abundance ofresources and capabilities for whichwe found no use. Neither was itinspired by the pursuit of any selfishgains or parochial interests," said LtGen Motau just before the handing

Continued from page 11

Ray Phiri of Stimela, members of the Army Band and a Burundian localband performing during the festival.

Members of the SA Protection Support Detachment contingent dancing thenight away.

country in the discharge of its inter-national obligations.

"Through your effort, and indeedthat of those who came before you,we too can proudly stand in front ofthe community of nations to becounted among those nations thatsingle-handedly committed their bestsons and daughters to support anation in distress."

Speaking at the same occasion,the Chaplain General, Maj Gen (Rev)F.F.S. Gqiba, said it was not by acci-dent that the visiting SANDF teamhad brought along a huge mediacontingent.

This was planned to ensure that"a true picture is painted". He urgedmembers of the media to feel free notonly to talk to any of the deployedsoldiers, but also to write objectivelyabout what they had seen with theirown eyes.

Having described the attributes ofa good commander and a good sol-dier, Maj Gen Gqiba said: "As profes-sional soldiers, we consider it as ourduty to be part of this process of try-ing to heal the scars and wounds thatexist on our continent. We should,therefore, remain strong, steadfastand never ever lose focus." Alsoaddressing the deployed soldiers, theDirector General of the PresidentialTask Team, Mr Welile Nhlapo, con-veyed President Thabo Mbeki's greet-ings to the soldiers, whom he saidwere making South Africa proud tobe a good example in the internation-al arena in the course of pursuingpeace in this volatile part of thecontinent (the Great Lakes region).

The Officer Commanding RSAContingent Command in the UNpeace mission (MONUC), Col AshtonSibango, said his command structurewas ready to receive the SANDF bat-talion group expected to be deployedin the DRC for UN peacesupportoperations that include disarmament,demobilisation, repatriation, resettle-ment and re-integration (commonlyknown in MONUC circles as"DDRRR").

This deployment will constitutethe single largest deployment of sol-diers by any country involved in theDRC peace mission.

over of Christmas parcels to thedeployed soldiers.

South Africa's peace initiativeswere inspired by an African spiritthat yearned to see the African conti-nent achieving peace, stability andprosperity. Addressing himselfdirectly to the deployed soldiers, LtGen Motau said: "You, and indeedthose who came (to the Great Lakes)before you, continue to do us proudthrough your sterling efforts. And,in the process, you are undoubtedlybusy writing a proud history for our


13

By PO Dennis NdabaPhotos: Cpl Elias Mahuma

s part of the "SixteenDays of Activism: NoViolence againstWomen and Children",senior DOD personnelvisited Soweto on 5December 2002 tointeract with the publicand show support forthe campaign.

The group consist-ed of female senior officers and civil-ians of the SANDF and members ofthe Gender Forum. The continuousfight against violence and abuseagainst women and children necessi-tates continuing promoting andenhancing the positive image of theSANDF within the community toincrease its visibility.

The first stop of the visit was the

Women show theirhumanity Faces full

of hope.want to show our solidar-ity so that initiatives likethis reach greaterheights," said Maj GenSedibe.

The next stop was theHector PietersonMemorial and Museumsituated in KhumaloStreet, which was erectedin 1990 to honour theyouth who gave theirlives in the struggle forfreedom and democracy.Hector Pieterson, age 13,was one of the first stu-dents to be killed duringthe 1976 Student Uprisingin Soweto. The last stopof the visit was WandiesPlace in Dube, where thegroup was treated to asumptuous lunch ofAfrican delicacies.

Lt Cdr Julia Kamberipa from Directorate Defence Corporate Communication talkingto one of the children at Takalani Home.

Tsholofelo van Rooyen, Chairperson of TakalaniHome, and Mr Jerry Mahopo, DeputyChairperson of Takalani Home, receive promo-tional items from Maj Gen Jackie Sedibe.

Takalani Home for the MentallyHandicapped in Diepkloof Zone6, which is a non-profit and non-governmental organisationcatering for 360 people. At thecentre Ms Thandi Modise,Chairperson of the PortfolioCommittee on Defence, joinedthe group. After a brief tourthrough the Takalani Home, MsModise said visits like this offeran opportunity to observe andshow our humanity to thosewho are less fortunate. "I amoverwhelmed by so much love,care, beautiful smiles and facesfull of hope," said Ms Modise.

Chief Director EqualOpportunities (EOCD), Maj GenJackie Sedibe, said the visit willchange perceptions and showthat the SANDF is accessible toall. "As part and parcel of thecommunity, we are committedto projects of this nature and we

A

clippings


14

For some time now, there have beeninvestigations regarding the effectivetransformation of the SA NavyDockyard (East Yard) in Simon'sTown, in line with the Ministry ofDefence directives in this regard.After much deliberation it was decid-ed that, taking the Dockyard's uniqueenvironment into consideration, itwould be in the best interests of boththe SA Navy and the Dockyard itself,that it should become a separate enti-ty under Armscor as a public-publicenterprise. As a result Armscor hasbeen tasked to lead the transforma-

The Thaba Tshwane and the Waterkloof Military Police Offices participatedjointly for the first time with the Gauteng Traffic Department, ensuring that allroad users "Drive for Life" and "Don't Drive Others to Death". This initiativecame after the Traffic Department requested assistance from Military Policeconcerning military vehicles.

According to Maj Deon van Rooyen, Acting Area Provos Marshall, this wasan opportunity for our members to reduce the unauthorised use of militaryvehicles. This drive started on 2 December 2002 and will continue until 31March 2003. The MEC for Public Transport, Roads and Works, Mr KhabisiMosunkutu, launched the seven traffic control centres and the IncidentManagement Programme for Gauteng on 10 December 2002 at the BuccleuchInterchange at the N1/N3 split.

This Control Centre received the Outstanding Satellite Office for November2002 and has ten Military Police members working there. Mr Mosunkutu salut-ed all uniform staff that participated in OPERATION BLUE LIGHT over thefull period of Arrive Alive Phase 7 and said this proved that Gauteng performsits traffic law enforcement duty to the benefit of all road users in the province.(Article by PO Dennis Ndaba, Photo: F Sgt Tania Kettles)

Safeguardingour coastlineRural safety, in co-operation with theSAPS, is one of the primary objectives ofthe Reserve Force. Overberg Commandois one of the units responsible for,among other things, safeguarding thecoastline. Their area of responsibilityincludes more than 1 600 farms and hasa coastline of more than 300 kms. Giventhe vastness of the coastline, abalonepoaching is a big problem and seems tobe a spinner for the gangs that are oper-ating illegally in the area.

Overberg Commando was involvedin Operation NEPTUNE, which was ini-tiated to fight abalone poaching in co-operation with the SAPS. The successesthey have achieved are outstanding. Theplanning was done on a daily basis inconjunction with crime intelligence fromthe SAPS over the period 6 to 28November 2002. Over that period morethan ten vehicles and a boat belonging tothe poachers were confiscated andabalone estimated to be worth more thanR5 million was seized. Altogethertwenty people were arrested for illegalpoaching.

The Officer Commanding OverbergCommando, Lt Col M.J. Delport, show-ered praises on his soldiers and hebelieves that this is just the beginning ofbigger things to come. "A long journeybegins with the first step," Lt Col Delportsaid. (Article by Cpl L.W.Z. Ntola,Communication NCO Group 2 HQ)

SA Navy Dockyard transformationtion process through a phasedapproach in co-operation with the SANavy and the Defence Secretariat.

The first phase comprises a "snap-shot" study, known as a DueDiligence Study, and this will focuson the present state of the Dockyard.It is essentially an Audit of Businesscovering sixteen aspects such as pro-cesses, systems, policies and businesssystems. This will carry on untilMarch 2003. A professional firm ofmanagement consultants, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, has also beenappointed to assist with this study.

Both Armscor and the SA Navyare confident that the completion ofthis study will result in a betterunderstanding of the Dockyard andits operations, thus contributing to thesuccessful transformation of theDockyard in order to enable it tocarry out its function even more effi-ciently in future.

Anyone wishing to know moreabout this process may contact MrRichard Hutton at tel no: (021) 7873715 or Mr John Sutherland at tel no:(021) 787 3280. (Article: CourtesySA Navy Info Bulletin 14/02)

Save lives on our roads

Mygirl Nkuna, Gauteng Provincial Inspector, and Sgt Leon le Rouxinspects a military vehicle during OPERATION BLUE LIGHT at theBuccleuch Interchange at the N1/N3 split.


15

Article and photo courtesy Col R.M. Blake, Military AttachéPeople's Republic of China

n 11 November2002 sounds from amusical instrumentnot usually associ-ated with Chinadrifted into a coldwinter breeze at theSouth AfricanEmbassy in Beijing.Cpl LiamO'Flaherty, Pipe

Major of the South African MilitaryHealth Services Pipes and Drums,was playing the Piper's Lament on thebagpipes.

Ambassadors, Charge d'Affaires,ministers, embassy officials, defenceattachés and spouses representing 34countries gathered at the SouthAfrican Embassy for RemembranceDay, which is commemorated eachyear at an embassy in Beijing.

This year the occasion was hostedby HE Themba M.N. Kubheka,

Reflect on the horrors of war Peace is

invaluable.noted that Remembrance Day is not a"celebration of war", and said theoccasion rather allowed us to "reflecton the horrors of war and its tragicconsequences". He referred to the twoWorld Wars and the creation ofApartheid, which not only saw thedeaths of countless civilians, but alsohad a "deep physical and psychologi-cal impact". In the recent past geno-cide in Yugoslavia, Rwanda andBurundi, as well as the events ofSeptember 11, Bali and Moscow, allremind us that, "Today is…a day tocontemplate, to focus on and imaginehow wonderful and invaluablepeace…would be!"

However, Ambassador Kubhekareminded the audience that "human-kind is not at peace with itself", andthat the terrible lessons of the pasthad not been heeded. He called onthose present to take cognisance ofour failings and suggested we shouldrecommit ourselves to tolerance,respect for the dignity of others andthe right of all to live in a peacefulworld.

He emphasised the need to respectthe United Nations, which was creat-ed in the aftermath of war for the pro-motion of peace, and said that,although not perfect, it is "all wehave".

In conclusion AmbassadorKubheka said that when the com-memoration was over "…we shouldleave with one purpose: peace andreconciliation and respect for allhumankind in culture, religion, racial,ethnic and linguistic diversity".

After the Ambassador's speech thepoem "In Flanders Fields" was read.The Piper's Lament, "The Flowers ofthe Fields", played by Cpl O'Flaherty,and two minutes of silence in memoryof fallen soldiers and civilian casual-ties took place before the laying ofwreaths by the diplomatic communitycommenced.

As host Ambassador Kubheka laidthe first wreath for the Republic ofSouth Africa, followed by the Dean of

Fltr: Mrs L.D. Kubheka, Ambassador T.M.N. Kubheka and Cpl L.M. O'Flaherty.

Ambassador Extraordinaryand Plenipotentiary of theRepublic of South Africa tothe People's Republic ofChina for the first timesince formal diplomaticties were established in1998. Owing to the unique-ness of the occasion theSurgeon General of theSAMHS agreed to allowCpl O'Flaherty to partici-pate in the official ceremo-ny.

After welcoming all tothe occasion, the Master ofCeremonies, Mr PatrickManana, invitedAmbassador Kubheka tothe podium.

In his speechAmbassador Kubheka

the Beijing Military AttachéCorps, Brig J. Gordon Kerr,and the countries repre-sented at the occasion.

A special word ofthanks is directed to SouthAfrican Airways who werethe main sponsors andmade the attendance of CplO'Flaherty possible, whileDenel (Kentron) generous-ly agreed to provide finan-cial assistance towards theprinting costs of the pro-gramme and invitations.

Even in a country as farafield as the People'sRepublic of China, Remem-brance Day has special sig-nificance and it was a priv-ilege to hold it at the SouthAfrican Embassy in 2002.

O


16

Compiled by Maj Merle Meyer,Communication Officer InfantryFormation

chanskop Regiment, recentlyrenamed the TshwaneRegiment, made history on 3December 2002 by presentingthe biggest medal parade ofReserve Force members sincethe establishment of theInfantry Formation. This

parade took place at the SA ArmyCollege, which proved to be an appro-priate venue for such a historical event.Over 200 Reserve Force membersattended the parade and over 100medals were presented. Several mem-bers of the surrounding commandounits also received good service medals,including a Southern Cross Medal pre-sented to the Officer Commanding ofthe Bronkhorstspruit Commando,Lt Col F.P.J. Steenkamp.

The name "Tshwane Regiment" wasrecently approved to be in line with thearea where the Regiment is situated.This Regiment was originally estab-lished as the Yskor Pretoria Commandoin 1969 and over the years several com-mando units and regiments, such asHillcrest, Munitoria, Regiment Pretoriusand 2 Regiment Noord-Transvaal wereamalgamated with Regiment Schanskop.

Over the years the members of the

Article and photos by Col H. Schobesberger, SSO ArmyCorporate Communication

ngoing visits bysenior key person-nel of the DOD tothe military offoreign countriesare part of ourmilitary strategy.This includesmembers of theSANDF attendingcourses in foreign

countries and vice versa.The military strategy provides

for the promotion of regional andinternational security through mili-tary co-operation in support of for-eign policy. Visits are one of themeans within the military strategicobjective of promoting security.The DOD is now more involved inthe development of military strate-gic partnerships. This correspondswith the guidelines laid down bythe Minister of Defence, namelythat there is a corresponding needfor foreign visits and to exploitforeign learning opportunities.

The work of the soldier and thediplomat must be integrated in ameaningful way. Towards the endof 2002 the Chief of the SA Army,Lt Gen Gilbert Ramano, visited thearmies of France, Sweden, Algeriaand Cuba.

In addition to the objective setby the military strategy, Lt GenRamano and his team also com-pared the standards of our trans-formed SA Army with internationalstandards.

The nature and character ofthese armies were as diverse astheir histories. The emphasis of thevisit was on all aspects of forcepreparation and the way thesearmies handled transformation.

These are some of the observa-tions made by the visiting group:

AlgeriaThe history of the Popular

National Army (PNA) of Algeriagoes back to the AlgerianRevolution, which took placebetween 1954 and 1962 and was an

OThe biggest medal parade

Regiment have been deployed outsidethe country. They have also beendeployed as far away as the Soutpans-berg Military Area, and during numer-ous elections the members againensured that such elections could takeplace peacefully.

Maj Gen Derrick Mgwebi, theGeneral Officer Commanding of theInfantry Formation, was the main func-tionary at the event and he emphasisedthe important role of the Reserve Forceand said that more money will becomeavailable in the future for training anddeployment. He also said how proud hewas of the Regiment for presenting suchan excellent parade, and this was con-firmed by several of the senior militaryand civilian guests who attended theparade. The members of the Regimentcompleted this historical event bysinging the unit marching song as theymarched off. The words of this songwere written by Rfn Vincent Motadi:

"We are the members of the Tshwane Regiment Under command of Col Roos.We are soldiers of South Africa.We are the pride of Africa."Tshwane Regiment you make us proud.Our officers we love you all.We are members of Tshwane RegimentUnder command of Col Roos."

Members of Tshwane Regiment march while singing the unit marching song.

S

17


Exploit foreign learningopportunities Comparing

standards.

conducted in most of the PNA training institutions.

Another observation was the introduction of computer-assisted training in thesame institutions. Computer-baseddriving and gunner simulations intheir School of Armour confirm thisnew approach. The most impressivepart of the visit was the practicaldemonstrations by special force sol-diers at their training centre. Thisincluded martial arts, SWAT tacticsand combat shooting. These demon-strations were not only impressive,but showed the high standard oftraining in the Algerian Army.

A well-turned out guard of hon-our in each of the Headquarters andunits was an indication of the impor-tance allocated to formal regimentalduties by the Algerian Army.

CubaThe history of the Cuban

Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) isclosely connected with the history ofSouthern Africa. The epic Battle forCuito Cuanavale, where Cuban forcesfought in Support of Angolan FAPLA

forces against units of the SADF andUnita changed the political landscapeof Southern Africa.

Negotiations which followed theAngolan campaign led to the inde-pendence of Namibia and contributedto the creation of a democratic SouthAfrica. Cuban officers and soldierswho have served in Angola are veryproud of their internationalist contri-bution to freedom and democracy inthe subcontinent. Thousands of thempaid the ultimate price. Sometimesone wonders if the youth of our coun-try are still aware of and recognise thesacrifices of Cuban soldiers inSouthern Africa. Lt Gen Ramano andhis team visited the Ministry of theRevolutionary Armed Forces (MinFar), the 1st Armour TrainingDivision, the Western ArmyHeadquarters, the underground com-plex of Tunnel 4, the GuiraAgriculture Division HQ and theMilitary Industry Unit Research and

anti-colonial struggle against theFrench. Their proud history is notonly displayed in the national ArmyMuseum, but in each of the regimen-tal museums one will find in all unitsor training institutions. One of thephotos displayed in the nationalArmy museum shows our formerPresident, Nelson Mandela, receivingmilitary training together with free-dom fighters of the NationalLiberation Front in Algeria during theearly sixties.

The importance of Algeria liestherein that their President, AbdelazizBouteflika, is also one of the architectsof Nepad. The Algiers - Pretoria Axis,as the Commander of the Algerianland forces spelled it out, is an impor-tant link in the implementation of theAfrican Union and Nepad.

The visits by Lt Gen Ramano andhis team included the MilitaryAcademy, the School of Armour andthe Special Forces Training Centre.

The acceptance of English as aninternational language in a countrywhere French is the second officiallanguage can be seen in the comput-er-based English language training

Cuban soldiers in training at a Tank Division.

(Continued on page 18)

Lt Gen Gilbert Ramano talks with soldiers of theSwedish Army undergoing urban training. TheChief of the Swedish Army, Maj Gen Sandqvist,is looking on.


18

conflicts, characterised by numerousimplications for civilians and the mili-tary, as well as terrorism or guerillawarfare operations. The ninety regi-ments are the fundamental army basiccells: all are operationally deployableand designed for operational trainingand engagement.

Lt Gen Ramano and his team hadthe opportunity to visit the ArmyCommand for Doctrine and HigherEducation (CDES), the Command forBasic and Advanced MilitaryEducation (Cofat) and the Land ForceCommand (CFAT). A lot of emphasisis put on academic training within themilitary education system. Fifty per-cent of officers are drawn from theNCO Corps. These are NCOs whohave achieved a certain educationalstandard, who perform their dutiesexceptionally well and are within acertain age group.

The Reserve Force is structuredinto organic reserve force companiesor squadrons, which form part of theexisting ninety regular force regi-ments (one company or squadron perregiment). Individual reserve forcemembers augment the regular forcemembers in individual posts through-out the Army.

Uniformed soldiers can be seenpatrolling national key points or areas(eg airports, stations and governmentbuildings) together with paramilitarypolice and the gendarmes. The aim isto prevent terrorism and to reassurecitizens in their daily life.

SwedenThe Swedish Army is a mirror of a

mature and democratic society whichhas not known war for the last 200years. After the collapse of the SovietUnion, Sweden's military non-align-ment, aimed at the country's ability toremain neutral in the event of war inSweden's vicinity, was retained.Sweden is now redefining its view onsecurity. It seeks co-operation withall international and European securi-ty organisations and regional co-operation with neighbouring states.

The Army consists of 225 000members, which includes 80 000home guards. Its strength is downfrom a mobilisation strength of800 000 during the Cold War. There

is a selective national service system.Training concentrates on the core

functions of the soldiers and regimen-tal training, eg, drill plays only aminor role. Self-discipline and self-empowerment are the basis. Basicwar-fighting skills dominate training.There are no sergeant majors in theSwedish Army and junior soldiers aregiven more responsibilities than in theSA Army.

Lt Gen Ramano and his team visit-ed the National Defence College, thelife guards regiment (infantry), theWAXHOLM amphibious regiment(marines), the Swedish Armed ForcesInternational Centre (PSO), theupland regiment (EW, signals) andthe army command (similar to ourArmy Office). The SwedishInternational Centre, which has beenin existence for thirty years, everyyear trains about 2 500 officers fromforty different countries. It is devel-oping a multinational and multifunc-tional computer-assisted trainingenvironment for peace-support opera-tions. Most Swedish soldiers speakEnglish, and Nato procedures regard-ing command and control have beenadapted. International activities areone of the main tasks of the Swedisharmed forces.

The National Defence Collegecombines academic and military stud-ies within one system. The SwedishArmy is very proud of its history. Ithas to be mentioned that their Armymuseum does not display the heroesof past wars, but the horror of war.

The Swedish Army is differentfrom most other armies, but so is theirwhole society.

ConclusionThe visits always included discus-

sions and talks between Lt GenRamano and his counterparts in thevarious countries. Courtesy visits toour South African embassies, wherebriefings by the diplomatic staff weregiven, were a useful addition to thevisiting programme.

One of the conclusions which canbe drawn after visiting such diversearmies is that each country will haveits own tailor-made approach, butthat there are also many commonissues which we can all share.

(Continued from page 17)Development Centre.

The collapse of the Soviet Unioncreated immense problems for Cubaand its armed forces. Improvisationand self-reliance enabled the Cubansto overcome the so-called "SpecialPeriod". Cubans are strong patriotsand are proud of the achievements ofthe Cuban revolution.

Monuments and museums dis-play the deeds of Cuban revolution-aries of the past centuries. Jose Marti,Antonio Maceo and the world-famous Che Guevara are some ofthem. The regular armed forces arebacked up by a strong territorial mili-tia which acts as the eyes and ears ofthe security apparatus of the country.

Their military academy also pro-vides education in academic subjectsand is strong in the evaluation andstudy of military history.

Military equipment is mainly offormer Eastern Bloc Origin. TheCubans are putting a lot of effort intothe upgrading and maintenance ofthis equipment, based on the specificchallenges the Cuban forces are fac-ing. The world around Cuba mayhave changed, but not the revolution-ary spirit of the Cuban people.

FranceThe French Army underwent a

transformation process during thelast six years, which included:

� Change from a conscript to anall-volunteer professionalarmy.

� Adaption to the new geopoliti-cal sociological and financialenvironment to become amodern Army, able to face anysituation.

� Becoming an Army of employ-ment and action permanentlyengaged in several theatresoutside the national territory.

� Being self-sufficient inarmament.

The French Army consists of137 000 regular soldiers backed up by30 000 Reserve Force members and30 000 civilians - 85 000 soldiers canbe deployed at any time. The Armyhas two major types of commitment:either symmetrical conflicts betweenconventional armies, or asymmetrical

insight

19


By Lt Col A.F. Kriel, Acting SSO Codification andCataloguing, Chief Logistics (Joint Support Division) Photo: Sgt David Nomtshongwana

n 18 January 1945,after World War II,the United States ofAmerica focused onthe problem of codi-fication of items ofsupply. PresidentRoosevelt requestedthe development ofan efficient itemidentification sys-

tem which would avoid duplicationowing to different names, differentmanufacturers or different references.Any item of supply had to be identi-fied in a universal way by means ofcoding.

Some years later, all the signatorycountries of the North Atlantic TreatyOrganisation adopted the Americansystem and called it the "NATOCodification System". The National

Codification is the keyto modern logistics

Reliable invisible partner.

O Codification System (NCS) in SouthAfrica came into being on 8 May 1962by virtue of the mandate, approvedby the Minister and Secretary ofDefence, to implement the NCS inaccordance with the North AtlanticTreaty Organisation (NATO) policyand procedures.

Fltr: Col W. Moeller (Representative of Germany), R Adm (Ret) B.W. Visser (former Chief Logistics), Brig Gen Z.J. vander Merwe (Director Systems Support), and Lt Col A.F. Kriel (Acting SSO Codification and Cataloguing) during detailcodification discussions on 25 September 2002.

� One item = One Stock Number� Producing country = Codifying country


insight

20

The roleThe RSA National Codification

Bureau, situated at Chief Logistics, isthe single authority for the formula-tion and monitoring of codification inthe DOD. Many countries across theworld have a National CodificationBureau which is the single authorityfor codification and which acts as themanager of the NCS. Currently sever-al Government departments in SouthAfrica and countries across the worldare also utilising the NCS.

Internationally a NationalCodification Bureau (NCB) has beencreated within the military environ-ment, which is entrusted with the fol-lowing functions:

� To formulate and implementcodification policies to providea uniform system of item iden-tification and nomenclature todescribe, classify and numbereach item-of-supply in userinventories so that a givenitem is controlled by a singleNational Stock Number (NSN).

� To improve the operationalreadiness of the DOD by pre-scribing methods of item iden-tification, increasing NCS pro-cessing efficiency and provid-ing adequate and timely codifi-cation data to maintainoptimum logistic support.

� To provide a means of moni-toring the item range on codifi-cation data so users can oper-ate their materiel managementsystems with the minimumnumber of items essential tosupport logistic operations.

� To assemble and maintain acentral codification database/file, integrated to includeitem identifications (character-istics/references) and selectedtechnical and matériel manage-ment data for each item of sup-ply incorporated in userinventories.

� To promote optimum inter-change of codification dataamong all users and with for-eign countries when requested.

� To assist in assuring the high-est practical level of systemcompatibility, interface andintegration.

NATO sponsorshipWhile visiting Europe in

September 2001, R Adm B.W. Visser(Ret), now former Chief Logistics, andLt Col A.F. Kriel finalised six years ofnegotiation.

They obtained a NATO sponsor-ship agreement for the RSA NCB,from where NATO stock numbers,codification data and codification toolscan be obtained under the approvedsponsorship agreement from theNATO Maintenance and SupplyAgency (NAMSA) or other countriesutilising the NCS discipline accordingto Allied Codification Publication(ACod-P1).

Visit to the RSADuring September 2002 Col

Wilfried Moeller, the Director of theGerman NCB, visited the RSA NCBfrom where certain detail codificationagreements between the RSA andGermany were discussed. Col Moellerstated that the standard of the RSANCB and the different Services codifi-cation departments are of a highstandard, specifically the NCS.

Advantages of the NCSAll items of supply within the

DOD are National Stock Number(NSN) driven and are created, updat-ed or registered against an assignedNATO Stock Number via codificationon the NCS. The NCS is the corner-stone of the logistics systems and mustdistribute Total Item Record (TIR)data to all DOD logistic systems, insupport of the DOD objectives. NATOCodification is awakening in more andmore countries, owing to the benefits,such as joint operations, resultingfrom the use of a common logistic lan-guage.

The NCS provides users with auniform and common system for iden-tifying, classifying and assigning aNATO Stock Number to material. TheNCS is a widespread supply language

that facilitates interoperability, curbsduplication, permits interchange abil-ity, maximises logistics support, andallows substantial financial savings tobe realised. The NCS is an "invisiblepartner" in the day-to-day business oflogistics, and has been also adoptedby 27 non-NATO nations under aspecific programme that allowsexchange of Codification data byapplying NCS disciplines.

Codification is founded on thephilosophy of the "Item of Supply"(IOS) concept. This portrays anobject, or group of objects, which hasbeen defined in detail to meet a spe-cific requirement. An IOS can consistof one or many "Items of Production",ie a product of a specific manufactur-er, having equivalent "fundamentalcharacteristics".

The advantages of the NATOCodification System are numerousand can be viewed in the followingmajor areas:

Operational advantages� Significant contribution to

equipment standardisation,the promotion of item inter-operability and reduction inthe cost of ownership.

� Visibility of informationregarding military items ofsupply, thereby increasing theeffectiveness of rationalisationof inventory management andimproving distribution to sup-port operational needs.

� Accurate item data that allowsusers to find items and equip-ment and reduce replenish-ment lead times.

� The use of state-of-the-artcomputer technologyimproves the recording, pro-cessing and dissemination ofvital item data managementinformation through easilyaccessible databases.

� Single Supply Language thatis understood by users andsimplifies technical dialogue.

� A tool to ensure that configu-ration management data iscurrent.




21

Economic advantages� A National database allows

acquisition project managersand system designers to screenitems which are already codi-fied and part of the inventory,instead of designing or pro-ducing a new part. This capa-bility has a dramatic impact onpreventing new items frombeing unnecessarily intro-duced into the inventory. Iteliminates experimentationand reduces the cost of gather-ing unnecessary item data.

� The coupling of multiple man-ufacturers and suppliers to asingle NATO Stock Numberallows procurement agenciesto -❍ avoid unnecessary procure-

ment where other users

Test Flight and Development Centre (TFDC) Test Pilot, Lt Col George Muller, achieved another major personal mile-stone when he flew his 1 000th hour in the Astra trainer aircraft. Lt Col Muller began his flying career in the SA AirForce in 1974 and flew helicopters, as well as fixed-wing aircraft. He did the Test Pilot course in 1989. Lt Col Muller,who now has nearly 7 000 flying hours in the SAAF, has also achieved the 1 000 hour milestone on the Impala andPuma. Fltr: The acting OC of TFDC, Lt Col "Chippy" Cross, was on hand to congratulate Lt Col Muller when he landedfrom his flight on 12 December 2002, and the occasion was celebrated with a glass of champagne. (Compiled by Lt Paul Arendse, TVOS)

hold surplus items;❍ exploit the potential of

multiple supply sources,putting an end to monopo-listic suppliers;

❍ reduces the number ofitems performing a likefunction which has a spin-off in reducing the invento-ry items carried with theadditional cost savingsregarding administrationand storage space; and

❍ reduces or cancels dupli-cate inventory items, whichhas a similar benefit.

What are the challenges?The first challenge is to retain and

develop a sufficient professionallyqualified management group ofpersonnel to sustain the DOD

Pilot of the centuries

codification capability, because veryfew members understand the uniqueenvironment of codification.

Training of all DOD members onall levels regarding the identificationof the correct items to enhance logis-tics and data integrity must takeplace.

Data cleanup exercises within thedifferent services must be pursued inclose co-operation with commodityand weapon system managers.

A culture must be adopted by allDOD members that codification isnot only the allocation of numbers,but that it plays a leading role in thesustainability of data integrity insupport of modern logistics. Anylogistics system is as good as the datawithin the system. However, viacodification, it is the key to modernlogistics.

By Capt Mava Gaga,Communication Officer GSB Youngsfield

fter the instruction from theSenior Director of Music forthe SA Army, Lt Col R.Buczynski, to schedule amusic course for foreign stu-dents by the SA Army BandCape Town, the Director ofMusic SA Army Band, Capt

C.D. Nicholls, accepted the challengeand organised the course. The SAArmy Band Music Course (Botswa-na/Namibia) was held in Cape Townfrom 5 April to 25 October 2002.

Seventeen Botswana DefenceForce and four Namibian DefenceForce Military musicians attended thecourse at the SA Army Band, CapeTown. Various band members taughtthe students musical skills, such asbasic instrument care, posture, breath-ing theory of music and practicalmusicianship. This was performedover and above their normal tasking,and time was created to fit the lessonsinto the Band's hectic schedule.

Prof Sean Kierman of theUniversity of Cape Town gave thestudents two Master Classes. The firstclass focused on correct breathingmethods and breath control. After the


22

ATeaching music to foreigners

lecture, all the wind instrumentalistswere presented with a "Wind Song"breathing apparatus to practise forimproved breathing sustainability andgreater lung capacity. The second lec-ture concentrated on embouchure andtone production. This included all thefacial muscles that are employed toproduce sound through the instru-ment. Players from the Cape TownSymphony Orchestra presentedlessons to students who play instru-ments not found in the SA Army Bandstructure. All the students performeda UNISA Practical Music examination.

All the students were expected toaudition for a functional grading atthe end of their six-month course,equivalent to what all SANDF bands-men/women are required to takeprior to employment in one of theSANDF bands. All four Namibianstudents attended a similar course in2001, and were gladly welcomed backto attain a higher functional grading.

The Cheryl George School ofMusic was responsible for the theorylessons. Afterwards all the studentssat a UNISA Music theory examina-tion. During their stay the studentshad the opportunity to attend variousactivities, which included a violin con-certo at the Cape Town City Hall, aGala Concert with the SA Army Band

Students and instructors - Back row, fltr: Pte T. Motube, Sgt G.R. Lester, L Cpl L. Mathora, Pte M. Kabelo, Pte J.S.Markus, Cpl B. Reid, L Cpl I.B. Bonang, Pte M. Mgweba, Cpl D.M. Mosimanegape, Cpl B. Miles, Pte J. Mmusi, S SgtS.L. Taylor, Pte K. Matlho, Sgt D.T. Stevens, Pte P. Hamunyela, S Sgt H.F. Steenkamp, L Cpl Kgaswanyane, Pte T.Sharp and Sgt D.H. Carelse. Middle, fltr: S Sgt A.I. Pearce, Pte C. Shambwe, Sgt N. Peteren, Sgt J.Q. Mcloën, Cpl V.Michels, S Sgt J.S. Titus, L Cpl K. Kgaswane, Sgt C.P. Filander, L Cpl Nthasi, Cpl C. Buchner, L Cpl P.T. Mosweu, SgtN.T. Titus, Pte M. Matako, Sgt M.J. Netshifhefhe, L Cpl M. Otlogetswe, Cpl J. Benjamin, S Sgt M.J. Foster, Sgt G.A.Naik, Sgt N. Peters, Pte B.S. Iitembu and Cpl C.C. Klink. Front, fltr: Pte M.C. Fryer, WO2 H.J.G. Simpson, WO2 A.S.van Schalkwyk, WO2 G.J.A. Foster, WO1 N.A. Rhode, Capt C.D. Nicholls, 1st Lt M. Chandler, WO1 P. Jacobs,WO2 M.B.G. Swartz, WO2 C.H. Williams and WO2 C.H. van Rensburg.

Cape Town and a host of operaticsoloists, such as Aviva Pelham andthe "South African Three Tenors", aperformance of the opera "The Barberof Seville", a full-day jazz workshopwith internationally renowned jazzpercussionist, Ephraim Toro, variousparades and memorial services, aswell as other performances of the SAArmy Band Cape Town.

The Consul General of Botswanainvited students from Botswana tocelebrate their National Day at hisresidence in Constantia. They all hada wonderful time and were glad tomeet other Botswana nationals asthey were all feeling rather homesick.

It wasn't all work and no play,however, the students were treated toa team-building exercise atOuderkraal on the Atlantic seaboardand a trip to Stanford in the SouthernCape for a riverboat braai, as well as atrip to the Cape Town Waterfront.

In his farewell speech to the stu-dents, the Officer CommandingGSB Youngsfield, Col E. Muller, com-mended the members for the highmoral and disciplinary standard theydemonstrated throughout the courseand told them to pass the unit'sgreetings to their respective com-manding officers. The OfficerCommanding also promised toupgrade the facilities so as to makethe Unit a better place, if not the best,for future students to reside in.


23

By Lt Col R.A. Buczynski, SO1 Music Services

n the morning of 4 Dec-ember 2002, the NationalCeremonial Guard Band,under the direction ofBand Master WO1 AlanWright, set out to theDinaletsana Primary

School. The band travelled to RooivalVillage near Jericho, which is approx-imately 88 kilometers west ofPretoria, where they performed forthe pupils aged between six andthirteen.

On their arrival it began to rain,but a tent was promptly erected toprevent any further disruptions. Awarm welcome by the Principal, MrsN.M. Phokontsi, made up for theweather, while the medley of songsperformed by local school choirs soonerased any depression caused by therain.

Adult members of the communitywho were in attendance were in goodspirits as they were also celebrating

Music and electricity brought rain

Brothers Rob and Craig Brown enjoy an eveningfunction at the BVR Regimental Drill Hall inSeptember 2002. WO2 Rob Brown is a servingSergeant Major in the old traditional regiment"First City", while his brother Craig is a servingSergeant Major in "The Buffalo Volunteer Rifles",which is one year "younger" than "First City".The brothers grew up in army camps and drillhalls as their parents both served in the DefenceForce. Their father was the late S Sgt Bill Brownand their mother is Mrs Joan Brown (betterknown as Mrs "B"). Note the unique regimental"mess dress" worn by members of these oldregiments.

By L Cpl A.T.H. Holtzhauzen, Corporate Communication Clerk Klerksdorp Commando

lerksdorp Commando is one of twelve commandos undercommand of Group 30. The Officer Commanding ofKlerksdorp Commando, Lt Col F.J. Holtzhauzen, and hispersonnel always strive to deliver sterling service to thevarious communities in their region. Communicationoperations form an integral part of the command struc-ture, and they not only promote Klerksdorp Commando,

but also the SANDF. Klerksdorp Commando excelled at the gala function of Group 30

last year. They received various awards in the following categories:Intelligence and Corporate Communication (first place for the

forth consecutive year), Training (first place for the third consecu-tive year), Military Security (first place in 2002 and second place in2001), Operations and Personnel (first place in 2002), OccupationalSafety and Health (first place in 2002), Operational Evaluation (sec-ond place in 2002), Logistics (second place in 2002), Signal (secondplace in 2002), Transport (third place in 2002), Best Unit (first placein 2002 and 2000 and second place in 2001) and Best OfficerCommanding (first place in 2002 and 2000).

Growing from strengthto strength

the installation of electricity in the village andprimary school. The National Ceremonial

Guard Band helped celebra-tions along by performing mil-itary band items and a fewChristmas carols.

The intermittent rain didnothing to dampen the spiritsof the participants or youngaudience, who respondedwith unbounded joy to themusic.

But the best was yet tocome, as a "hands on" work-shop followed the concert,giving the learners from localschools an opportunity to han-dle the musical instruments totheir hearts' content.

Outreach concerts in ruralareas are an important activityof the military band.

This is especially evidentwhen striving to win thehearts and minds of ourfuture generations, as well asgiving our precious childrenan educational insight into themilitary music culture of theSA Army.

Brothers-in-arms

A young learner trying out the French horn.Guidance is given by Cpl D. Mabalane.

O

K

clippings


24

Let their glory shineBy Maj Merle Meyer, Communication Officer SA Army Infantry FormationPhoto: Sgt David Nomtshongwana

n a sunny, clear Sunday morning on26 January 2003, all Infanteers gathered tohonour their fallen heroes at a memorial ser-vice conducted by Chaplain C.B. Bosiki, whois the Infantry Association Chaplain. Thisevent took place at the monument at FortKlapperkop, Pretoria, which was built in

honour of all fallen soldiers. Members of the SA Army, military veterans' organi-

sations, families and friends of the fallen Infanteers laidseveral wreaths.

Brig Gen P.H. Vosloo, the Chief of Staff of theInfantry Formation, addressed the guests and broughthonour to all the fallen Infanteers by quoting the thirdverse from the "Ode to the fallen" by Lawrence Binyon:

"They went with songs to the battle, they were young.Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.They were staunch to the end against odd uncounted.They fell with their faces to the foe.They shall grow not old. As we that are left to grow old."Brig Gen Vosloo emphasised that the Infantry does

not make a distinction of which former force any mem-ber belonged to, but that all Infanteers will be remem-bered. He said: "Infanteers are always the first ones intobattle and, because they are the foot soldiers, they are themost vulnerable. Infanteers came under fire in Burundi,

O

he late Lt Col Dalisu Zungu (23 July 1963 - 4 January 2003), alsoknown to many members in the SANDF as Padré Zungu, was laid torest on 11 January 2003. Lt Col Zungu hailed from Mpumalanga(Hammersdale) and matriculated at Ekusa High School. He taught atPhezulu High and Wozamoya High School. He trained as a ministerat St Beds (Umtata) and served in the following churches:Chesterville, Sobantu, Madadeni, Hammarsdale and St Faiths

Cathedral.Lt Col Zungu not only read for his Honours and Masters Degree at the

University of Natal, but also enjoyed a career as an educator at the Universityof Natal and Durban-Westville, respectively, and later in Ulundi. ThereafterLt Col Zungu served in the SANDF as a Chaplain (with 4 SAI Bn and ChaplainGeneral) and later as a Military University Educator at SANDF COLET.Lt Col Zungu will be missed and remembered as a man of deep faith who wasvery analytical, a debater, communicator and an extrovert with a profoundinterest in people.

It is our honour to pay tribute to Lt Col Zungu, the person who in the veryshort time that he was in the SANDF and in particular SANDF COLET,touched many of our lives in a very special way.

Lala ngoxolo Mfo ka - Manzinii.Siyohlala siku khumbula. (Rest in peace, Son of Manzinii. We will always remember you.) (Article by Maj F. Jacobs, SANDF COLET)

but their good training ensured thatthey were not seriously injured."

During last year the Infanteers werethe ones who supported the SAPS withthe internal stability situation, patrolledour borders, provided protection at theWorld Summit on SustainableDevelopment and the launch of theAfrican Union. Our Infanteers ensuredpeace, stability and security in our ownbeautiful country.

It is important for us to rememberour fallen heroes, but more importantwe must live for the future and remem-ber "Gladium Practamus", meaning asInfanteers we wield the sword. The49th anniversary of the Infantry wasalso celebrated at this event. Next yearthe Infantry plan several events tocelebrate the 50th anniversary.

When we think of the fallenInfanteers, we remember that they haveensured that our country is a free anddemocratic country. Let their gloryshine upon our tears!

Wreaths were laid at the monument at Fort Klapperkopthat was built in honour of all fallen soldiers. Maj Gen M.Paul Ramahlo laid a wreath.

TRest in peace

events


25

Article and photo by Maj K. Stander, SO2 CorporateCommunication, SAMHS

uring August 2002,SA Special ForcesBrigade and the SAPolice Service (SAPS)held a joint trainingexercise at theVerdracht trainingterrain of the SAPS.During this exercisemembers of the SASpecial Forces

Brigade assisted in fighting a run-away bush fire in the area.

The bush fire was fanned by awhirlwind and erupted into an infer-no several meters high. Some SpecialForces members were trapped andothers managed to escape. Two sol-diers died on the scene and four moremen died later of their injuries in

Medical dedicationrewarded

1 Military Hospital. The IntensiveCare Unit, High Care Unit andTrauma Unit of 1 Military Hospital,as well as members of the SAMHSTraining Formation's Nursing Collegedid their utmost to treat the injured.

The loss of Maj G.S. Zulu, WO2E.V. Vavarirai, Sgt N. Makumbane,Sgt B.A. Nkwanyana, Cpl B.Mathebula and Cpl M.N. Mavango ofSA Special Forces Brigade is greatlyfelt and these soldiers and theirfamilies will be remembered.

On 12 December 2002 Brig GenL. Rudman, the General OfficerCommanding SA Special ForcesBrigade, and a Special Forces contin-gent of nine members paid a specialvisit to 1 Military Hospital, wheremembers were rewarded andthanked for their dedication andwarm-heartedness. 1 MilitaryHospital received a Certificate ofCommendation.

The following members personal-ly received a Certificate ofCommendation and a pin or pendantfrom SA Special Forces Brigade: BrigGen A.P. Sedibe (General OfficerCommanding 1 Military Hospital),Col T. Reynolds (in his absence), Col(Dr) H. du Plessis, Maj R. vanSchalkwyk, Captains A. Jones, E.Stoltz, S. Tshivas, G. Chauke, F.Milisi, Y. Tucker, C. Yako, S. Shakuand C. Mhlongo, Lieutenants V. Kola,M. September, R. Eksteen, N.Pretorius, F. Ngobeni, D. de Waal, S.Snyman and P. Setheni, StaffSergeants Q. van Wyk, I. Vilankuluand W. Radebe, Sergeants L.Pretorius, A. Bonden, P. Phenya andR. King, Sisters N. Gcanga, J.Msimango, S. van der Westhuizenand P. Ngobeni and Enrolled NursesM. Masemola and Mrs C. vanRensburg.

Brig Gen Rudman expressed hisdeepest appreciation for the workthat is being done by the IntensiveCare Unit and High Care Unit andsaid that the SA Special ForcesBrigade value and appreciate thededication and professionalism of themembers of 1 Military Hospital. Hementioned that SA Special ForcesBrigade is a close-knit family and thatthey are sometimes put into interest-ing and dangerous situations, thoughnever intending to end up at1 Military Hospital. The professionalapproach of 1 Military Hospital tohandling cases of trauma is a veryreassuring factor in the minds of allSpecial Forces members involved intraining and operations.

Brig Gen Rudman and Brig GenSedibe agreed that the close relation-ship which has been formed betweenSA Special Forces Brigade and1 Military Hospital is built onprofessionalism and dedication.Brig Gen L. Rudman (left) handing over a certificate to Brig Gen A.P. Sedibe.

DFight fire.

insight

26


Empoweringwomen

empowers the nation.

By Brig Gen N. Motumi, Director Social WorkPhotos: Courtesy Milmed

he Director Social Work(DSW) regards the pro-motion of sociallyhealthy military familiesas one of its strategicobjectives. To achievethis goal, endeavourshave been directedtowards the establish-ment of empowermentprogrammes for sol-

diers' wives so that they can be self-sufficient and self-reliant.

The reason is that they need tofind their niche in their communities,because the military as an institutiondemands that they get on with theirlives even when their spouses or part-ners are not at home owing to deploy-ments or military developmentcourses.

In pursuance of this objective, theDSW has mobilised and engaged var-ious stakeholders. The followingorganisations heeded the DSW's callfor resource allocation and support:

� Foreign Military Attaché'sWives Association - Membersof this organisation showedinterest in the mobilisation anddevelopment of the wives oflower ranking officers anddecided to contribute goodquality second-hand clothes tothe DSW together with a sumof R1 500,00. DSW gave theseto the Molopo Women'sOrganisation based at 10 SAIBn. The clothes donated bythis association were sold in ajumble sale and the moneygained is now used to providecatering services to 10 SAI Bnon the 15th of every month,with the permission of the

Happy families makehappy soldiers

Officer Commanding. TheR1 500,00 was used to coverthe costs of training thewomen in beadwork. Byacquiring specific skills theyare able to establish smallenterprises which link up withthe initiatives pursued by theDepartment of Trade andIndustry.

� Pitseng Catering Services -When discussions were heldwith the Pitseng Management,this organisation proposed thattheir commitment and supportbe put on paper. Both the DSWand Pitseng signed a memo-randum of understanding tothe effect that this organisationwill contribute thirty percent

of the profit made in tenderswhich they have secured fromthe DOD towards the women'sempowerment programmesorganised by this Directorate.Thus far, Pitseng has donateda TV, video, table with chairsfor thirty children, ferns,books, mattresses and recre-ational facilities to the MolopoCrèche. Pitseng also provided

T

Children playing at the Tswelepele Crèche while Maj Dalene Thiele, a socialworker from Group 20 (foreground), and Lt Col André Pretorius (SO1 SocialWork at AMHU North West), look on.

27


training for twenty soldiers’wives at 21 SAI Bn. On com-pletion everyone received cer-tificates from the HospitalityAcademy. Five women weresubsequently employed byPitseng.

� Hoxies Foods - This organisa-tion has also come on board asfrom 1 October 2002. Monthlythey deliver fruit juice, cereals,milk, burgers, fish fingers, but-ter and jam to the same crèche.This support from HoxiesFoods has made it possible forthe Crèche not to increase themonthly fee of R100 per child,despite the high costs of food.The two pre-school teachers'salaries and the water andelectricity is paid from theCrèche fees. Through thisprocess, the culture of payingfor services is promoted.

� SAMHS HQ's SecretariesForum - Heeding PresidentThabo Mbeki's message ofVolunteerism, the SAMHSHQ's secretaries organised toysand equipment and donatedthem to the TshwelepeleCrèche. The decision toembark on this project cameabout after they were briefedby the DSW on the importanceof promoting socially healthy

military families. This dona-tion has contributed to thequality of pre-school educationat 10 SAI Bn and clearlydemonstrated that we all canmake a contribution towardsbuilding a better life for all.

The partnership that DSW hasestablished with Pitseng CateringServices and Hoxies Foods alsodemonstrate explicitly what can beachieved when private companiesconcretely plough something backinto communities which have beenpreviously disadvantaged. Their con-tributions and donations have made adifference in the lives of the MolopoMilitary Community.

But why 10 SAI Bn? The answer isthat this is a pilot project exploringwhat can be achieved in endeavoursto empower soldiers' wives. This unitis located in the North West Provincein Mafikeng and is within driving dis-tance from Pretoria. This means thatthe DSW is actively involved in themobilisation of resources. The inten-tion is to establish similar projects inall provinces. However, it is impor-tant to start small so as to learn andimprove before spreading to otherareas.

The empowerment of soldiers'wives is regarded as practical supportto soldiers' families. Research con-ducted within the SANDF indicates

that the majority of members are mar-ried or live with partners. Often thereis sharp conflict between the desire tolead a normal life and the require-ments of military service. Studies con-ducted within the SANDF and inother military forces also show thatfamily problems lead to troubled sol-diers and poor military performanceduring deployments. Studies alsoshow that soldiers can cope withstress better if they know that theirfamilies are being catered for duringtheir absence.

Based on these findings, familysupport must be regarded as criticalin order to maintain mission-readi-ness. William Tycumsch Sherman,General US Army 1864, stated: "Manhas two supreme loyalties - to countryand family… So long as their familiesare safe, they will defend their coun-try, believing that by their sacrificethey are safeguarding their familiesalso. But even the bonds of patriot-ism, discipline and comradeship areloosened when the family itself isthreatened."

The situation therefore calls forthe establishment of a tripartitealliance between the soldier, the fami-ly and the SANDF as an institution.Units, in which Commanding Officersexhibit care by expressing concern forthe welfare of their soldiers, willexperience high productivity levelsand cohesion.

Progress achieved thus far at theTswelepele Crèche would not havebeen possible if the OfficerCommanding was not receptive toDSW's proposals. The establishmentof the crèche at 10 SAI Bn has servedthe dual role of exposing children topre-school education and freeingwomen to pursue activities which willensure their development andpromote self-reliance.

Soldiers' wives involvement insuch efforts will therefore enablethem to find their niche in society,and consequently the struggle tomake ends meet can be tackled. Byempowering women, we will beempowering the nation. To ensure themission-readiness of the SANDF,organisational support is required topromote socially healthy militaryfamilies.

Fltr: Ms Hilda Olivier (a secretary at SAMHS Office), Capt Kitty Thiele (asocial worker from 10 SAI Bn), Brig Gen Ntsiki Motumi (Director SocialWork), Lt Col André Pretorius (SO1 Social Work at AMHU North West),Maj Dalene Thiele (a social worker from Group 20) and Ms Paulinah Mnisi (asecretary at SAMHS Office) during a visit at the Tswelepele Crèche.

heritage

28


Brig Gen (Prof) Deon Fourie, a Reserve Force memberPhotos: Courtesy SA NationalMuseum of Military History

very modern countryin the world - with thepossible sole exceptionof Switzerland - hashonours for wearingon appropriate cere-monial and state occa-sions. They are calledhonours because theyare usually meant tohonour the actions of

people who have, by their courage,merit, or devotion to duty, benefitedthe country, community, or environ-ment in various ways. The servicemay have been on one particularoccasion or over a long period of timein paid careers or as voluntary work-ers, part-time or full-time, forcommendable duty.

To receive honours is regarded ashonourable because the head of stateawards them, because there are fewdistinctive honours and because theyare usually awarded sparingly toselected people with careful consider-ation of the grounds for honouringthem. When there are very many hon-ours in a country and when they areawarded indiscriminately, theybecome cheap and meaningless. Theyare then not respected and bestow lit-tle or no honour on the recipients. Ifindividual departments and provincesare allowed to bestow honours, thislessens the value of all honours in acountry.

When honours from the Presidentare mixed up with other unofficialawards, they also lose their value.There are many such unofficial"medals" in some countries. Some arefor sport and similar activities so thatthey do not even form part of the reg-ular uniform. Recipients in theirServices are allowed to choose towear them with "honours" as they

First article in a series introducing honours and the projected changes.

Building pride and moraleThe significance

of honours.

Ewish. In South Africa, in contrast,because honours come from thePresident, representing the nation,they must be worn on the appropriateuniforms and recipients may not exer-cise a choice. Nor may unofficialmedals or similar devices be wornwith official honours.

In Africa - as elsewhere in theworld - honours have been acceptedas essential to building pride andmorale. In Botswana one finds thePresidential Order of MeritoriousService and the Presidential Order ofHonour. In Kenya - using the honorif-ic name given to the first President,Jomo Kenyatta - there is the Order ofthe Burning Spear; in Ghana theOrder of the Black Star; Nigeria hasthe Order of the Niger and Lesothoawards the Distinguished ServiceOrder of Moshoeshoe.

In Malawi there is the GrandOrder of the Lion, in Zaire there werethe Order of the Leopard and theOrder of the Zaire. On other conti-nents one finds, for example, inLebanon the National Order of theCedar, in Bolivia the Order of theCondor of the Andes. Apart from theorders there are also many decora-tions and medals for the variousarmed services.

Ghana has the Efficiency Medal,Kenya has the Campaign Medal foroperations, in Egypt there is theMilitary Medal of Courage andKuwait has the Liberation Medal forthe war against Iraq in 1991. InSingapore there is the Prugat GagahPerkasa (Conspicuous GallantryMedal). India's decoration for brav-ery is the Vir Chakra (VrC) - rankingwith the British Victoria Cross;Pakistan's equivalent is theNishan-i-Shujaat.

Military honours have a long his-tory. Military commanders every-where have always realised thatrewards lead to further deeds ofcourage or of merit or they encouragewarriors to remain at their posts. For

example, when he argued in favour ofinstituting the Order of the Legion ofHonour as an honour for bravery andfor merit, Napoleon Bonaparte, thefamous conqueror of Europe and FirstConsul of the French Republic, said:"In a republic, soldiers performedgreat deeds largely through a sense ofhonour".

In the history of the black peoplesof South Africa there were variousawards made by kings and chieftainsto their brave or devoted soldiers.Among the Xhosa leopard skins wereawarded and blue crane feathers weredistinctions for brave war services.Among the Zulu, there were specialdecorations for warriors who had dis-tinguished themselves in war. Forbravery in battle there were brassarmbands, ingxotha, as well as neck-laces of interlocking wooden beads,known as iziqu, cut from theUmzimbete or uMyezane tree, thewood of which was reserved for theKing alone. Tonga and Bakwenaheroes had the right to wear, as hon-ours, antelope or goat horns, andnecklaces with little pieces of woodcarved in a special manner, charred inthe fire, or scars on their left sides torecord the number of enemies slain inbattle.

In the Zulu army long service wasrecognised in a similar way by warshields (isiHlangu). These were ofdifferent colours of hides that distin-guished the senior-age regiments - theamaButho - from the younger. Whitewas for the regiment first established -the amaWombe. As time passed,shields that were entirely whitereflected the greatest honour of sen-iority and battle experience, notbravery as is sometimes thought.

29


Types of honoursHonours usually fall into six cate-

gories when we speak of awards suchas the decorations or medals meantespecially for members of the SANDF.There is also another category of hon-ours - that of orders. Orders are actu-ally given to associations or groups ofpeople whose achievements, devotionto duty and meritorious actions havebeen recognised. In the beginningorders were given to small armies and

only warriors belonged to them.Today, in contrast, orders are open toany people who have achieved in thearts and sciences or who have servedwith merit and devotion in govern-ment, the armed forces and the publicat large.

An order may consist of severalranks, usually five, but sometimesonly three. Customarily, members areadmitted first to the lowest rank andthen, as they continue to render

meritorious and devoted service dur-ing their careers, they may rise in theorders upward to the highest rank.Recently President Thabo Mbekireplaced the previous South Africanorders with three new national ordersto recognise South Africans' devotionand merit.

The new orders are the Order ofMapungubwe - for excellence andexceptional achievement; the Order ofthe Baobab - which may be awardedfor meritorious work related to secu-rity; and the Order of theCompanions of OR Tambo to recog-nise the contribution of foreigners.Orders are open to civilians, police,fire services and others, as well as topeople serving in the armed forces.The various uniformed services oftenhave medals and sometimes decora-tions similar to those awarded to thearmed forces. However, there is apreference to award merit by admit-ting them to one of the orders.

Apart from orders there are sever-al categories of other honours.Firstly, there are decorations andmedals awarded for bravery in theface of the enemy. There are usuallythree levels of bravery with bars wornon the ribbons to represent subse-quent awards. The new bravery dec-orations for the SANDF will be theNkwe ya Gauta, Nkwe ya Seleferaand Nkwe ya Boronse (the GoldenLeopard, the Silver Leopard and theBronze Leopard). Then there are hon-ours for leadership, meritorious con-duct or devotion to duty. In SouthAfrica there are also usually three lev-els of merit. Bars also represent subse-quent additional awards of these dec-orations. In this category our newdecorations will be the IprothiyayeGolide, Iprothiya yeSiliva andIprothiya yeBhronzi (the GoldenProtea, the Silver Protea and theBronze Protea).

Orders, decorations and medalsfor bravery and for leadership, meritand devotion to duty are consideredto justify special recognition by allow-ing the recipients the privilege ofwriting the abbreviations of thenames of the decorations and medalsbehind their names. Those used at

In the Battle of El Alamein (1942) the Distinguished Conduct Medal wasawarded to L Cpl Lucas Majozi, a stretcher-bearer in 1/2 Field ForceBattalion.

The Zulu "VC" - wooden beads from the royal tree worn as a necklaceby recognised Zulu heroes.

(Continued on page 30)

30


present for bravery include HCS inthe SANDF, the NSS (for APLA) andthe SBS (for MK). For merit, there arethe SM and the MMM and so on.Incidentally, these abbreviations arecalled post-nominal letters or abbre-viations, not titles as people some-times mistakenly say. Titles attachedto any honours were actually forbid-den for South Africans by a resolu-tion of Parliament in 1925.

For actions demanding not quitethe high levels of achievementrequired for decorations and medals,there is the practice of mentioning byname deserving members of theforces in the despatches sent by ForceCommanders to the President duringor after campaigns or other opera-tions. Such people would be men-tioned for brave or meritorious con-duct, leadership, devotion to duty,praiseworthy service or other distin-guished conduct not meriting decora-tions. Personnel whose names arementioned receive a miniatureemblem of the national coat-of-armsto wear on the ribbon of the relevantcampaign medal or the GeneralService Medal or directly on the jack-et when they have no campaignmedal.

A fourth category of honours isthat of campaign medals. Those thatone will see frequently in the SANDFare the Pro Patria Medal, theSouthern Africa Medal, the SouthAfrica Operations Medal and theMedal for Operations in SouthernAfrica of umKhonto weSizwe andAPLA and, of course, the GeneralService Medal. They are all meant tosignify that the wearers have servedin campaigns and various other oper-ations. Special campaign medals maybe awarded from time to time as

occasion demands. To mark a signifi-cant campaign or operation, clasps areoften added to the ribbons of themedals to show where or when themedal was earned. A General ServiceMedal is usually instituted to indicateservice in briefer or "minor" cam-paigns or other operations and it willbe used for several years. In the newseries to be awarded by the President,a new medal for general service, theTshumelo Ikatelaho, will replace thepresent GSM for the same purpose.In later years yet another may beinstituted.

Fifthly, there are medals for longservice, good conduct and loyalty. Along service medal is awarded forcompletion of prescribed periods ofservice marked by good conduct andloyalty in the SANDF. The newmedal with bars for additional peri-ods of ten years will be the Medaljevir Troue Diens.

At present there is a wide varietyof existing military honours to be seenon the chests of members of theSANDF. They include not only thebravery, merit and service decorationsand medals awarded by the Presidentto the SANDF, but also those avail-able to former members of MK andAPLA. The new series that thePresident is to introduce will be farfewer in number. They will serve thesame purpose of honouring deservingmembers of the SANDF and willinclude the various actions now pro-vided for by several different hon-ours. They will be worn with prideby the personnel of the armed forcesalongside honours previouslyawarded.

Lastly, there are commemorationmedals, such as the Unitas Medal,which may be awarded from time totime to mark special occasions. There

have been few in modern SouthAfrican history. Before the UnitasMedal the Union CommemorationMedal in 1910 was the first, and afterthat there were only the three Coro-nation Medals of Kings George V andGeorge VI, and Queen Elizabeth II.

Selection of referencesFor those interested in further

reading the following may be foundin libraries:

� Abbott, PE & Tamplin, JMABritish Gallantry Awards,Guiness, Enfield, 1971.

� Alexander, EGM, Barron, GKB& Bateman, AJ South AfricanOrders, Decorations and Medals,Human & Rousseau, CapeTown, 1986.

� Crook, MJ Evolution of theVictoria Cross - a Study inAdministrative History, Midas,Tunbridge Wells, 1975.

� Fforde, JPI & Monick, SA Guideto South African Orders,Decorations and Medals and theirRibbons 1896-1985, SA NationalMuseum of Military History,Johannesburg, 1986.

� Fourie, DFS and Brownell, FGA Guide to Decorations andMedals awarded to umKhontoweSizwe and the AzanianPeople's Liberation Army. To bepublished.

� Knight, Ian The Anatomy of theZulu Army - from Shaka toCetshwayo, 1818-1879, GreenhillBooks, London, 1995.

� Mails, Thomas The MysticWarriors of the Plains, AurumPress, London, 1995 (1972).

� Peires, JB The House of Phalo - aHistory of the Xhosa People in theDays of their Independence,University of California Press,Berkeley, 1981.

� Purves A. (ed.) H. TaprellDorling's Ribbons and Medals,Osprey, London, 1983.

� Stayt, H.A. The Bavenda,Oxford University Press,London, 1931, p 73.

� Zimbabwe Warrants 1 to 6 of1981 and Warrants 1 to 3 of1982.

(Continued from page 29)

The author of this series of articles has served as a part-time soldier and sailorsince 1950 - in the 2nd Regiment Botha, the SA Marines, the SA Navy, thePretoria Regiment, at the SA National Defence College, as Director, CF Liaison,on the Staff of the Chief of the Army and on active service as acting SSOOperations, Windhoek. In civilian life he taught Strategic Studies at theUniversity of South Africa. Previously he chaired the State Heraldry Counciland the Council of the SA National War Museum. He is a member of theSANDF Advisory Panel on Honours. He has published widely on militaryaffairs and he first contributed to this magazine in 1961.

31


Convoys trekked throughdesert and mudCompiled by Maj M.H. Gilliver,Officer Commanding 15 Maintenance Unit

n 1999 the centenary of15 Maintenance Unit was cele-brated. Besides being SouthAfrica's oldest logistic unit, italso has the status of being theSA Army's oldest survivingsupport unit.

Taking the position of thisunit into account, it makessense that discussions on howto celebrate this milestone

began in the mid-1990s. Althoughformal dinners, parades and com-memorative silver were all adequatesuggestions, the idea to publish a sub-stantial, well-illustrated regimentalhistory stood out.

After more than five years ofwork, this dream became a realitywhen Through Desert, Veld and Mud:The History of 15 Maintenance Unit1899-1999 by H.R. Paterson & M.Levin was published in May 2002.

The extensive amount of timewhich was invested in this projectcomes as no surprise. At best, theUnit's own records were chaotic and,at worst, many records had not sur-vived at all. These difficulties werenot only restricted to records, butextended to photographs as well.Exposure to the sun and water dam-age rendered some unusable, whilemembers who had later died, emi-grated or were untraceable had takenothers. Undertaking such a project inthe face of such obstacles requiredcommitment, perseverance and,admittedly, an amount of foolhardycourage. However, it is probablyowing to the difficulties attached tothis task that the Unit takes suchpride in the finished product.

15 Maintenance Unit owes itsorigins to the Anglo-Boer War. Just

weeks prior to the outbreak of theWar, the Colony of Natal realised thatit had no logistic unit. It hurriedlycreated the Natal Volunteer Transportand Commissariat Department inPietermaritzburg. This was the pre-cursor of what is today known as15 Maintenance Unit, based inDurban since 1926.

Despite the revolution in transportover the past decade the role of theUnit has hardly changed. Transport-ing supplies has always had its diffi-culties and the Unit has had to devel-op innovative ways of combatingthem. The photograph on the cover ofthe book shows a team of 24 oxenstruggling to pull a single two-wheeled cart across a swollen TugelaRiver. Contradictorily, during the1914-1915 German South WestAfrican campaign, the scarcity ofwater had the Unit resorting to cameltrains to drag supplies across thedesert in the scorching heat. Equallyperilous were the melting snows andresulting mud of the Italian campaign(1944-1945). A special type of courage

IA century ofperseverance.

was required to drive heavily ladenammunition trucks along narrow,winding slippery tracks in theApennine mountains, with the threatof German bombardment loomingoverhead.

The hardships endured by the sol-diers while trekking through desert,veld and mud often went unappreci-ated, especially the role of black andcoloured volunteers, whose supportwas depended on (perhaps more thanany other corps) by the logistic units.Apart from loading and unloadingsupplies, they controlled the teams ofmule and oxen during the Anglo-Boer War and again during WorldWar I. World War II saw them driv-ing the trucks that transported thou-sands of supplies for South Africansoldiers.

The success of any campaigndepends on the components of thearmy working together at the highestlevel of efficiency. Yet, the role of aunit such as 15 Maintenance Unit isoften downplayed in official militaryhistories.

On its 75th anniversary in 1974,15 Maintenance Unit received theFreedom of the City of Durban. Tomark the Unit's centenary celebra-tions the book Through Desert, Veldand Mud was published. Through thecompletion of this project it hasbecome the first logistic regiment topublish its history, not only in SouthAfrica, but possibly in the BritishCommonwealth. This in itself is aspecial achievement in South Africanmilitary history.

The book is available from select-ed bookshops in South Africa at arecommended price of R250,00.

It's also obtainable from the 15 Maintenance Unit, PO Box 806,Durban, 4000 (Tel No: 031-369 1731).

events

32


By Capt Vicky Gqaji, Corporate Communication Officer Langebaan AFBPhotos: F Sgt D.C. Guthrie

he 100th Pilots WingsCourse has indeedproved itself. With theassistance of dedicatedinstructors and groundcrew, the students over-came an array of prob-lems to meet the dead-line of 5 December 2002.

In January 2002 thefleet of Astra aircraft

experienced problems with the nose-wheel actuators, so the students onlystarted flying in late February. As thestudents were already behind theprogramme, flying training wascarried out over weekends as well.

With each student having to do144 training flights, the dream ofachieving wings seemed impossible.

TReceiving their wings

The SAAF motto: "PerAspera, Ad Astra", heldtrue when the com-bined efforts of the stu-dents and instructorsmade that dream areality.

On 5 December 2002a total of 28 studentsreceived their Pilot'sWings at the SAAFWings parade held atLangebaanweg AirForce Base. This 100thcourse has been one ofthe few courses toachieve a 100% passrate.

Various studentsreceived awards duringthe parade: 2 Lt E.V.Gryffenberg receivedthe Inkawzi floating

the simulator phase; the Communityof Hopefield Flying Trophy forobtaining the highest percentage dur-ing the flying phase; and the AirNavigation School Floating Trophyfor the highest overall percentage onthe Navigators' Wings Course.

Sgt J. Olivier was awarded theMonster Wilkens Floating Trophy forobtaining the highest overall percent-age during the Flight EngineersCourse.

The Top Student ElectronicOperator Course Trophy was award-ed to F Sgt J.A. Hauptfleisch for beingthe overall best student during theElectronic Operators' Course.

The Top Student ElectronicTechnician Course Trophy wasawarded to Sgt W.S. Buitendagh forbeing the overall best student duringthe Electronic Technician Course.The Emsie Schoeman Flight Atten-dant Floating Trophy was awarded toSgt A.M. Moema, who has overallshown the best performance as astudent flight attendant.

Honorary award The Chief of the SA Air Force also

presented the Honorary Award,

Lt Gen Roelf Beukes, Chief of the SA Air Force,congratulates Honorary Colonel Zukile Nomvete.

Lt Gen Roelf Beukes, Chief of the SAAir Force, congratulates 2 Lt E.V.Gryffenberg, who obtained the highestoverall percentage in the Pilots' Wingscourse.

floating trophy for obtaining thehighest percentage in the theoreti-cal phase of the Pilots' WingsCourse. 2 Lt L. Potgieter receivedthe Air Force Board floatingtrophy for the highest overall per-centage during the flying phase.2 Lt A. Naik received the SAAFAssociation floating trophy forshowing the most overall improve-ment during the same course.

Pilots' Insignia, PilotCommando Insignia, theNavigators' Insignia, the FlightEngineers Insignia, the ElectronicOperator's Insignia, the ElectronicTechnician's Insignia, the TelecomOperators Insignia, the FlightAttendants Insignia and the LoadMasters Insignia were alsoawarded during the parade.

2 Lt S. Signer received four tro-phies: the 80 Air NavigationSchool Ground School Trophy forobtaining the highest percentageduring the theoretical phase of theNavigators' Wings Course; theSITA Simulator Floating Trophyfor the highest percentage during

trophy for the highest overall percent-age, as well as the Air Command

33


By Capt Vicky Gqaji, Corporate Communication OfficerLangebaan AFB, Photo: Sgt B. Venter

uring 2002 the Air Force Board decided that 2 AirServicing Unit (ASU) in Ysterplaat and 8 ASU inLangebaanweg are to be combined as one unit,2 ASU, situated at Langebaanweg, with theYsterplaat part known as 2 ASU Detached.

Certain existing maintenance functions at 2 ASUDetached have been identified for future privatisa-

tion, while 8 ASU is to be re-named 2 ASU.A change of command took place on a parade held at

Langebaanweg AFB on 28 November 2002, when Col V. Cloetehanded over the command of 2 ASU to Lt Col D.J. Blom. ColCloete was the previous OC of 2 ASU and Lt Col Blom theprevious OC of 8 ASU.

8 ASU has a relatively short history as a Unit, owing to thefact that it has developed from previous Base Aircraft Main-tenance Sections at the base. 8 ASU was established as a self-accounting unit on 1 April 1999, and Lt Col J.M. van den Bergwas appointed as the first Officer Commanding of the Unit. Heserved in this post until December 2000. Lt Col D.J. Blom wasappointed as Officer Commanding 8 ASU as from 1 March2001, and served in this post until the Unit's name waschanged to 2 ASU on 28 November 2002. The main function of8 ASU was to render maintenance support to the Astra aircraftfleet. 2 ASU was established on 1 November 1984 as a lodgerunit at Ysterplaat AFB. The primary reason for the establish-ment of the Unit was to divorce the intermediate and unit levellogistic activities from the operational level activities in theCape Town area. This entailed the amalgamation of 2 ASUwith the maintenance and manufacturing workshops ofYsterplaat AFB. During that time 2 ASU was known as 2 AirDepot.

In 1990 the logistic support activities in the Cape area werefurther rationalised, culminating in the amalgamation of 11 AirDepot with 2 Air Depot in March 1992. On 13 February 1998the Unit's colours (ensign) were presented to the Unit by the

Combined as one unit

late Mr Joe Modise, the then Minister of Defence.2 ASU had to keep abreast with the changes taking

place in the SA Air Force, as well as the external environ-ment. One of the most important changes was the newlogistic support approach to decentralise the logistic man-agement of system or product support to keep it as closeas possible to the operational "coal face". Within thisapproach, 2 ASU accepted the responsibility for the totalintegrated logistic support of the C47-TP and PilatusAstra product systems, as well as the Product SupportSupplier responsibility for maritime safety and survivalequipment of various aircraft systems.

Over and above these primary responsibilities, 2 ASUalso rendered depot level support with regard to therecovery of crashed aircraft, maintenance of handweapons, design and development services, as well asnumerous other logistical support services to the geo-graphical area. 2 ASU also played a substantial role in themanufacture and repair of aircraft spares and groundequipment for weapon systems in the SA Air Force.

Col V. Cloete handed over the command of 2 ASU toLt Col D.J. Blom (left).

D

being the Reserve Force FlightEngineer's Wings to Col ZukileNomvete, Honorary Colonel of28 Squadron, Waterkloof AFB.

Honorary Colonel Nomvete com-menced his career as a teacher, withone of his subjects being physicalscience. He then went into aviationand attained diplomas and licences asa flight engineer in airframes andpower plants from the EthiopianAirlines Training School in AddisAbaba. This was followed by aDiploma in Basic AeronauticalEngineering from AerlingusMaintenance Base in Dublin, Ireland.He qualified as a flight engineer on a

Boeing 727-260 with EthiopianAirlines, where he accomplished3 300 flying hours.

Honorary Colonel Nomvete has,since 1994, been involved in AviationManagement in one way or another.He was appointed as MarketingManager for Atlas Aviation, DirectorMarketing for Denel. He served as anExecutive Director on the Board ofTransnet where his responsibilitiesincluded the Aviation and Propertyportfolios looking at, among others,South African Airways and its sub-sidiaries. These included Apronservices, Airchefs, Alliance Air andConnex Travel.

The criteria for a person to beappointed as an Honorary Colonelinclude having an accepted and credi-ble standing in the community, a lovefor aviation, a serious interest andinvolvement in the unit or squadronand in keeping the SA Air Force andits traditions alive.

The role of an Honorary Colonelis to interact with the unit orsquadron in respect of the communi-ty and to support the unit, the SAAFand the DOD. He or she must payregular visits to the squadron, attendparades and functions and shouldpromote the squadron and itsparticular functions.

By P.W. Butler, Rector Centurion CollegePhotos: Sgt David Nomtshongwana

he above, in a nutshell,describes the symbioticrelationship betweenCenturion College(CENCOL) and theArmed Forces that hassurvived and flour-ished for the past sixty-five years.

A major contribut-ing factor to this long

and successful association is theunique learning and training culturethat has developed over a number ofdecades between the College and theSA National Defence Force (SANDF).

An influential person in militarycircles, during a recent visit,describedthis relationship as unique. He saidthat nowhere else in the world wasthere a similar affiliation between aTechnical College and the ArmedForces.

During the past twenty to thirtyyears about 40 000 SANDF studentshave been sent to Centurion Collegefor practical training. Twelve thou-sand of these students were main-tained by the SANDF, and the restwere employed by private industry.

Centurion College presently pro-vides eighty percent of the SANDF'sTechnical Training in the Tshwanearea and this utilises twenty percentof Centurion's training capacity.

The SANDF is mandated by theGovernment to safeguard the countryagainst any onslaught, and to this endneeds to be in a continual state ofoptimal preparedness. A vital andaxiomatic factor in the pursuit of pre-paredness is the continual availabilityof specialised, current, effective and

insight

34


T

Sixty-five years ofco-operation

in the service of

South Africa.

time-tested technical training, orient-ed to the unique and peculiar require-ments of the SANDF.

This requirement was recognisedand accepted several decades ago,and culminated in the establishment,in January 1937, of a specialisedCollege, at Robert's Heights (laterVoortrekkerhoogte and now ThabaTshwane), to meet the then UnionDefence Force's requirements.

The School for Technical Trainingwas initially a subsection of theAircraft and Artillery Depot.Centurion College therefore started asa military college and, despite severalname changes, has remained essen-tially, but not exclusively, a militaryCollege. The College has, however,always put its facilities and expertiseat the disposal of private industry, thecommunity and the country.

The prime motivation for a cam-pus integrated with the military train-ing environment is to ensure an effi-cient, cost effective and centralisedmilitary-controlled learning environ-ment. In times of tension this environ-ment will provide for adequate levels

of security for military personnel (theSANDF's most valuable asset).

The ability to mobilise personnelquickly is enhanced by this singlelocation concept, the basic preceptbeing to muster forces in the shortestpossible time. Regardless of the cur-rent stable environment in the coun-try, the military must be in a positionto implement required reactionaryprocesses at short notice. The currentsingle location concept allows for thisprocess without jeopardising the abili-ty to continue training.

Presently the College consists ofthe following Faculties: EngineeringStudies, Business Studies, PracticalWorkshop Training and SkillsCourses. A wide variety of academicand skills courses are offered andpractical workshop training com-mences with basic training for begin-ners and progresses to advanced lev-els where students are prepared fortrade tests.

These courses are all based on theCompetency Based Modular Trainingmodel. Practical workshop trainingcourses have already been submittedto SAQA for registration and allworkshop lecturers have already suc-cessfully completed courses in train-ing assessment.

An agreement of co-operation anda progressive relationship exists withthe Pretoria Technikon regardingEngineering and Business studies.

Discussions between CenturionCollege and the Rand AfrikaansUniversity (RAU) have reachedadvanced stages in the creation of a



35

Technolab and Technocity, in partnership withthe University.

A unique learning and training culturethat is the result of decades of mutual co-operation and respect links the SANDF andCenturion College. This is generally consid-ered to be one of the major contributingfactors to the success of SANDF training atCenturion College.

Apart from the technical, academic andpractical training provided by CenturionCollege, they are always prepared to initiateand present specialised training for theSANDF. In the past courses have been pre-sented in photography and television produc-tion. Courses in the advanced planning stageinclude Product Knowledge, Life Skills,Leadership Development, and an EB 2000 -computer-based preliminary Training course.A recent course on Mentorship for seniorSANDF personnel was well received, and theparticipants have requested follow-upsessions.

The SANDF, in partnership withCenturion College, undertakes communitydevelopment projects. One such programme isa joint venture between 68 Air School andCenturion College at Olievenhoutbosch infor-mal settlement, where assistance is given tothe school. Computers have been donated andinstalled, and assistance provided for a school-feeding scheme, with the help of Old Mutual.

The SANDF, acting as a training facilitatorfor the SADC countries, has brokered severalcourses for SADC forces at Centurion College.

Several top-ranking members of theSANDF, and many prominent civilians andcivic leaders, are past students of CenturionCollege.

The SANDF relies on Centurion Collegefor the provision of total training packages,including preparation of syllabuses, schedul-ing and the logistical arrangements. CenturionCollege subscribes to the SANDF tenet:"First time always right".

Over the years Centurion College has,together with the SANDF, done research andpioneered many Technical programmes.

Centurion College has always maintainedthe high standards required by the SANDF,and this has been to the benefit of all studentsand organisations associated with the College.An important development at CenturionCollege, from which South Africa and theSANDF will benefit, is the Training Contractbetween SAAB of Sweden and the College,signed on 8 May 2002.

Apart from being a multi-million Dollar

The grounds of Centurion College.

SANDF members attending class at Centurion College.


36


contract scheduled to run for sixyears, it has several other importantaspects. Agreements have beenreached with various firms and theSANDF for the provision of training.Some examples follow.

A venue has been equipped withthe necessary computers and technol-ogy to present the EB 2000 ElectronicTraining Course. This is a computer-based primary course that preparesstudents for more advanced electron-ic studies. It eliminates the need forcomponents and hardwiring. The SAAir Force has sent many students onthis course.

A pilot course to retrain 44retrenched motor factory workers forre-employment was presented for theJoint Educational Trust (JET).Practical courses in welding, electricalwiring, motor mechanics and autoelectrical, as well as life skills andcomputer literacy, were included inthe sixteen-week, full-time course.

An Adult Basic Education andTraining (ABET) Centre has beenbuilt, and communication literacy inEnglish and numerical literacy classesare being presented. These coursesare presently fully enrolled withex-MK and ex-Apla soldiers beingprepared for integration into theSANDF.

Negotiations have been initiatedwith the National Union ofMetalworkers of South Africa(NUMSA) to provide a wide spec-trum of training courses for theirmanagement and administrative per-sonnel at their head office, regionaland centre level. The personnel aresituated throughout the country andthe training will accordingly be pro-vided on a block-release system.

A Computer Numerical Control(CNC) machine-training centre hasbeen established at Centurion Collegeand has been equipped with CNCmachines donated by SAAB. Themachines have been installed, arefully operational and are beingutilised for training.

Application for accreditation ofthe Centre will be submitted as soonas the relevant Education andTraining Quality Assurance body(ETQA) is in place.

During November 2001 twolecturers from Centurion Collegeunderwent training on ComputerNumerical Controlled (CNC)machines in Linköping, Sweden. Thiswas in terms of an exchange agree-ment for personnel, and these lectur-ers have prepared course materialand are presenting CNC TrainingCourses. As soon as unit standardsfor these courses are available, theywill be submitted to the SAQualifications Authority (SAQA) foraccreditation.

An important highlight of theSAAB/CENCOL agreement was theimplementation of the bursaryscheme on 29 April 2002. Eighty-fourstudents who were awarded bursariesfunded by SAAB commenced theirstudies at Centurion College. Thesebursaries are a significant boost to theupliftment of the disadvantaged andthis is clearly indicated by therelevant statistics:

Eighty-one bursaries were award-ed to black students, two to white stu-dents and one to an Indian student.Genderwise the distribution is sixty-eight males and sixteen females. Theenrolments are nineteen for engineer-ing studies and sixty-five for practicalcourses. The SAAB/CENCOL agree-ment is also an important gatewayinto the RSA for first-world technolo-gy. As new technology becomes avail-able, CENCOL will, by virtue of itscontact with the various firms, pro-cure advanced technology, and bymeans of courses disseminate thisinformation throughout the country.

The lecturer exchange programmeprovides for regular overseas trainingfor CENCOL staff to stay abreast ofthe latest developments.

The CNC and other high-technolo-gy training resulting from the agree-ment will in the near future be ofinestimable value to the country inview of the equipment beingimported.

The Gripen and Hawk fighter air-craft purchased by the SA Air Forcefrom Sweden will be delivered from2006. Denel aviation is already manu-facturing some of the components,and the demand for high-technologytraining will escalate rapidly. Thisenvisaged escalation must be accom-modated. CENCOL are indeed fortu-nate to have reached an agreementwith SAAB and the other Swedishfirms, for apart from high-technology,they can gain a very important cul-ture, that of emulating the Swedishconcern for "quality". This culture isdeeply ingrained and their slogans allseem to address quality.

South Africa desperately needs toadopt and propagate this importantSwedish mind-set throughout thecountry's industry.

South African delegates who havehad the privilege of visiting firms andtechnical training centres in Swedenare all of the opinion that their train-ing is of a very high standard. We inSouth Africa are therefore indeedpleased and proud to have them astraining partners, and look forward toutilising their expertise for the benefitof all South Africans.

SANDF members attending class at Centurion College.

events


37

By LS B.C. Khuzwayo, ReserveForce Division Promotion Clerk

n the spirit of renewal andtransformation of the Reserves,we are gathered here to experi-ence commitment to theReserves. For many years thename of the main lecture roomin the Paratus Building of SAArmy College was known asthe Commando Room. This lec-ture room is used for lectures tothe Senior Command and Staff

Duties Courses." These were words uttered by Maj

Gen Ian Deetlefs, the Chief of Defence

Reserves create awareness

Fletcher and Mr Chappy Holtzhausenfrom Defence CorporateCommunication for their good art-work in the Reserve Force LectureRoom.

During the function the Generalalso mentioned the new publication,"The Reserve Force Volunteer". Thisis the third annual edition, which hasswelled to 84 pages. Maj GenDeetlefs emphasised that this publica-tion was the result of good work fromReserve Force staff and units. Thispublication is distributed nationwideand internationally, and will reachmore than 75 000 readers.

In conclusion Maj Gen Deetlefs

mentioned the Bus advertising cam-paign, which creates awareness of theSANDF Reserves to the general pub-lic. In total 100 Putco buses have beenissued with the SANDF Reservesadvert on the back window. This is agood campaign for reserves sincethese buses travel countrywide, fromour northern borders in the LimpopoProvince to the southern tip of Africa.The smooth running of this campaignwas the good work of Comutanet, theadvertising company.

Reserves, during the openingof the Reserve Force LectureRoom at SA Army College.The event took place on 21January 2003.

With the appointment ofBrig Gen M.E. Petane as theCommandant of the SA ArmyCollege in 2000, the name waschanged to "Lecture Room No1". All SA Army formationswere approached to redeco-rate lecture and syndicaterooms in the ParatusBuilding. Each training facili-ty was going to be decoratedto reflect the main qualities ofthe responsible formation. Asa result, the Reserve ForceDivision was responsible forredecorating "Lecture RoomNo 1", now known as TheReserve Force Lecture Room.This was to reflect the corpo-rate culture of reserves.

Maj Gen Deetlefsexpressed appreciation for thegood work done by theReserve Force Division,specifically Mrs Jenny Renderas the regional co-ordinator.He congratulated Mr Mike

I“On a

window.

By PO Dennis NdabaPhotos: Sgt David Nomtshongwana

he DOD demonstratedto the disabled commu-nity and South Africansociety its commitmentto promoting equalopportunities for dis-abled people, raisingawareness about theirneeds, potential andtheir contribution bycelebrating the

International Day of Disabled Personson 3 December 2002.

The International Day of DisabledPersons is a recognised event in SouthAfrica, where the emphasis is placedon the empowerment and upliftmentof people with disabilities.

The activities started with aDisability Workshop at the GautengDisabled Persons Sport Centre, whichwas opened by the Chief DirectorEqual Opportunities (EOCD), MajGen Jackie Sedibe. The workshop pro-vided a useful platform, not only todiscuss the barriers and plight of dis-abled persons in the DOD, but also tomarket the EOCD's Disability Section.It also created awareness in respect ofthe newly approved DOD's PolicyGuidelines on the prevention andelimination of unfair discriminationtowards people with disabilities.

"The most important fact that wehave to take cognisance of in today'ssociety, and even in the work environ-ment, is that people with disabilitiesface many barriers every day. Thisranges from physical obstacles inbuildings to systemic barriers inemployment and civic programmes.Yet often the most difficult barriers toovercome are the attitudes other

sport

38

Fun Olympics.

SANDF celebratesInternational Day ofDisabled Persons


Tpeople have towards people with dis-abilities. Why is it that people's mostpervasive negative attitudes arefocused on individuals' disabilitiesrather than on their abilities?" saidMaj Gen Sedibe.

The DOD, through the EOCD andthe active participation of the disabledand non-disabled must, however,strive to ensure that people with dis-abilities are able to play a full partici-patory role in the DOD workingenvironment and society at large.

The EOCD, however, recognisesthe fact that those barriers which aredepriving people with disabilities ofservices and facilities, as well as manyothers, are the result of prejudice born

out of ignorance and misconceptions. "It is, therefore, very important

that steps are taken to remove thesebarriers and eradicate widespreaddiscrimination against people withdisabilities. They should also beoffered equal opportunities to liveand work independently with dignityand freedom. We should enable themto contribute and enrich of our societyin accordance with their skills and tal-ents. The Equal Opportunities ChiefDirectorate would like to urge peoplewith disabilities, in partnership with

Ms Moekie Grobbelaar and Mr Wessel Du Toit showing their expertise inballroom dancing to the DOD members.

39


the non-disabled, to remove theobstacles and barriers that society hasput in front of them. Only throughsuch collective and sustained effortswill we be able to minimise and ulti-mately eliminate the prejudice andunfair discrimination that has becomea daily occurrence," added Maj GenSedibe.

After the workshop delegateswere invited to a disability gala func-tion at the Sir Pierre van RyneveldHall, Air Command. During hisaddress, the Secretary for Defence, MrJanuary Masilela, said that nothingsubstantial and of lasting value can beachieved in the DOD without activelyinvolving people with disabilities inthe struggle for equality, self-respectand independence. They and all thosewho believe in creating a just DODfree from discrimination, must sup-port all departmental efforts aimed atachieving equal rights for all, for dis-abled persons as well as the non-disabled.

However, it is important to notethat people with disabilities in theDOD still struggle to be recognisedbecause they have to deal more withperceptions and attitudes with regardto their capability and adequacy, aswell as with a hostile environment inwhich they work. These aspects there-fore also have a very negative impacton the appointment and employmentof people with disabilities in theDOD, which will make it difficult forthe DOD to reach the target ofemploying 2% disabled personnel by

On 4 December 2002 Mr Kobus Swart, SO1 Disability Equal Opportunities,handed a Beginner Sign Language Certificate to Maj Gen Dan Mofokeng,Chief Director Defence Corporate Communication (CDCC), who attended thecourse at the Wits Language School over the period 3 June to 12 July 2002,completing it successfully. (Photo: Sgt David Nomtshongwana)

Sign language

the year 2005. The stereotype of dis-abled persons is that they should bepitied and given charity or that theyand the society in which they liveshould forget that they have adisability.

The implication of these impres-sions and images is that there can benothing positive or beautiful or strongor powerful or productive or useful

about people with disabilities. Yetmost disabled persons possess allthese traits and many more.

"Only when we recognise thediverse contributions of those whowear "labels", will we move awayfrom the "disability" label of disabledpersons and look for the complexityand individuality we take for grantedin ourselves. Through our interac-tions with those with disabilities, westand to learn valuable lessons thatwill lead us to greater appreciation ofdiversity in all its forms. Diversityenhances and enriches," said MrMasilela.

During the opening of the FunOlympics, Maj Gen Sedibe reiteratedthat people with disabilities must beempowered to increase their self-reliance in order for them to takeadvantage of the opportunitiesafforded to them. The Fun Olympicsalso included wheelchair races forpeople with disabilities and the DODtop structure, field events, quadgames, basketball, chess, pool, ball-room dancing and other recreationalactivities.

Mr Kobus Swart and Maj Gen Jackie Sedibe congratulate Ms Roselle Ruddafter she completed the tandem jump.

By Capt Alfred Linda, Chairperson KZN MilitaryOyama Karate ClubPhoto: L Cpl T.M. Tembe

he KwaZulu-NatalMilitary Oyama KarateClub held its first annu-al tournament at OldFort Military Base inDurban on 12 October2002.

The turnout wastremendous. The tour-nament was graced by

the presence of Director SANDFSport, Brig Gen Lindile Yam, and hiswife. The standard of the tournamentwas very high. Capt Alfred Linda, theChairperson of the KZN MilitaryOyama Karate Club, was not onlyoverjoyed by the turnout, but also bythe fact that Brig Gen Yam was thereto witness the event.

HistoryThe KZN Military Oyama Karate

Club is a non-profit club, which seeksto promote karate among DefenceForce members and to maintain goodrelationships while promoting thesport in the civilian community.

The Club was established on 17September 1997. It has entered intomore than five national events andone SANDF Championship. The Clubobtained four gold medals, two silvermedals and two bronze medals in theSANDF Championships 2001. TheChairperson and the instructor of theClub is Capt Alfred Linda, who cur-rently holds a 3rd Dan black belt.

Sensei Linda started karate atschool in 1979 under Brown belt (sem-pai) Dumisani Dlamini. In 1982 hejoined the Red Hill Kyokushin KarateDojo under Shodan A. Manqele.Owing to some problems he left theDojo in April 1983. In 1984 he joinedthe Ziphembeleni High School OyamaKarate under (brown belt) SempaiMbonisi Mbhele.

sport

40

Training body and mind


TEnough isenough.

In 1985 Sensei Linda joined theRed Cross Oyama Karate Dojo underthe then Sensei Alpheus Sabela.Sensei Linda has been training underSensei Sabela, who is now a shihan,until the present.

Sensei Linda has been teachingkarate since 1985. He has producedfour shodans (black belts). He main-tains that karate must be regarded asa religion through which those whochoose it become followers of the lateSosai Masutatsu Oyama (the founderof Kyokushin Kai Kan Karate).

Statement on crimeWe from the KZN Military Oyama

Karate Club are aware and cautiousof the seriousness of the problemfaced by the leadership of the countryand that of the provinces, as well aslocal leadership, in bringing aboutawareness about the problems relat-ing to crime, violence, substanceabuse, HIV/AIDS and child andwomen abuse.

We are aware that crime is a prob-lem that currently cripples our com-munity at large. Our parents cannotbe free any more. They are consumedwith fear that their homes might bebroken into. They cannot drive freelyon the roads for fear that their carsmight be highjacked. They are alsofearful that on pay-day, while theyare in a queue at a bank teller to drawtheir money, they might be robbed bythe youth who they were responsiblefor bringing up. A fear that theymight not be able to get home thenext day after work consumes themas they may be hunted for theirmoney by the same youth they wereresponsible for bringing up.

Ladies and gentlemen, Karatekas,we want to say that crime can beeradicated if we stand together andsay: enough is enough. We must getour children involved in community-based programmes where they aretaught the values and norms ofsociety.

We want to request that our youthbe encouraged to attend karate/mar-tial arts lessons as this is the onlyform of self-defence that is offered atlittle or no cost.

If a child gets involved in this art,the following happens: his or hermind is filled with the understandingthat fighting or violence is not ananswer. His or her mind is subcon-sciously trained to overcome unfore-seen stress brought about by the fearof crime, rape and or violence.

Women abuseThe raping and beating of women

has also brought about the need forour sisters to join in karate so thatthey are not harassed and found to beeasy victims.

Rape and abuse in any form isinhuman. Beating a woman, be ityour wife, girlfriend or fiancée, isinsane. It is high time that we allstand up as Karatekas and say:enough is enough. Our sisters, moth-ers and daughters are not play toys tobe beaten and raped by whoever feelslike beating or raping them.

Karate, through the teachings ofthe late Sosai Mas Oyama and his fol-lowers, is here to teach and freewomen from the slavery of being easytargets. Through karate they will beable to defend themselves againsthooligans who lack reasoning power.

To our brothers out there we saythat beating or raping women doesnot constitute manhood. People whobeat women do not have the mind toreason between insanity and valuinglife.

Karate will teach those who areinterested to learn more than just dis-cipline. The following will also betaught:

41


� Violence is not an answer.� Dogs will fight over a bone

just because they can't find acommon understanding ofhow the bone can be shared.

� Once a fight begins the endmust be victory or defeat. (Hewho studies the Martial artsstudies the way of the soldier -"samurai".)

� Those who follow the teach-ings of the late Sosai MasOyama are taught to refrainfrom violence and to respecttheir superiors.

HIV/AIDSHIV/AIDS is our enemy, as we

understand that has so far managedto evade the firepower of all theforces of the world. It is one enemythat has so far not been defeated bythe use of firepower. It is a dangerousvehicle travelling at a very high speedand has so far not been slowed by theenforcement of traffic laws. It is acriminal that has so far been able toescape arrest. It is a convict that hasso far escaped a life sentence.

We are aware of all this; we arealso aware that it is only a matter oftime before we stand together andfight it. It is just a matter of timebefore the world achieves completevictory over this enemy.

We want to caution all our broth-ers and sisters about the deadliness ofHIV/AIDS.

We want to urge you to join in thefight against HIV/AIDS. Pleaseremember that a healthy mind comesfrom a healthy body. Training mightnot only assist you to avoid theabove, but also to enhance yourreasoning power.

He or she who trains regularlyand possesses a healthy body, thus ahealthy mind, may not be tempted tocommit what a weak body does.People who fail to condomise andwho are rapists are doing so becausethey are mentally weak and, there-fore, unable to reason correctly. Aman who is man enough has a

conscience and will not beat and rapea woman. He thinks before he acts.

A woman who trains is fit and ina position to defend herself and,therefore, may not easily becomes arape victim. She cannot be forced asshe can be if she is harmless and can-not defend herself.

Those who are often at traininghave less or no time for destructivethings, such as drugs and substanceabuse, which imprison the reasoningpower of the individual concerned.

We appeal to all our brothers andsisters to stand up and join hands inthe fight against crime, HIV/AIDS,women abuse, child abuse and sub-stance abuse. Let those who knowand have a better understandingteach those with less knowledge andunderstanding.

Karate/Martial arts is one of thesports that is taught to our youthwhich can be individually practised,but it is also a sport that can help tocreate a climate conducive to all per-sons not being victims. We know thatkarate cannot be used against projec-tiles fired from a gun, but a surprisedefence will always see you findingyour way out of trouble.

We, who are practising Kyokushinkarate and who are followers of thelate Mas Oyama's teachings, want tourge all our brothers and sisters tostart today and do something thatthey will be remembered by.

Sensei (Capt) Alfred Linda demonstrates the Kanku Dai kata.

During the annual award evening of the Pretoria Military Sports Club (PMSC)several members of the karate club were awarded for their achievements of whichone is certainly notable.

Capt André Kok of the SAMHS Training Formation was awarded with theVeteran Sportsman of the Year trophy. His achievements include, among others, asilver medal at the Japan Karate Shotokai (JKS) World Championships in Japan in2001. He graded to the level of 6th Dan in 2001. Capt Kok also was the coach forthe Junior SA Team at the JKS World Championships in Japan during 2002 and hewon the National JKS SA Championship Veteran Division with two gold medalsin 2002. Capt Kok was also appointed as the Director Tournament Training onthe JKS SA Chief Executive Management Board.

In November 2002 he was also awarded with the Sportsman of the Yeartrophy at the SAMHS Sports Award evening. Sensei Kok was appointed as thenational coach for the SA Senior All Styles Karate Team which participated inMadrid, Spain from 18 to 23 November 2002.

With such outstanding achievements, all the PMSC Karate Club memberswould like to say: "Congratulations, Sensei Kok, well done! Keep going strong!"(Article by Maj Otto Lambrechts, DOD Logistic Support Formation)

Sensei Kok leads the way


sport

42

Compiled by Lt Paul Arendse, Corporate Communication Officer TFDC, Photo: WO2 Marius Nel

gt Dennis Bogenhagen, a 34-year-old fire-fighter at the Test Flight and DevelopmentCenter (TFDC) in Bredasdorp, made theSANDF proud by becoming theFirefighters Karate World Champion inthe Kumite (fighting) division for menunder 70 kg.

The competition was held in Christchurch, NewZealand, from 26 October to 1 November 2002 withsixty different countries participating. SgtBogenhagen won the semi-final against a KoreanKaratika and the final against a French opponent.

Sgt Bogenhagen won a bronze medal in SouthAfrica in 1998, a silver in France in 2000 and reachedhis goal by winning a gold medal in New Zealandin 2002. This is undoubtedly a very special achieve-ment. Sgt Bogenhagen had to finance the trip ofR25 000. He wants to thank all the SANDF sponsorsand individual donors who helped make his dreamcome true.

He also won the trophy for the Champ ofChampions during the SAAF KarateChampionships and was chosen to lead the SAAFKarate Team as team captain. Deservedly, he alsowon the TFDC Sportsman of the Year Award for theYear 2002.

Firefighter becomes karate world champion

S

Sgt Dennis Bogenhagen.

By Lt Col G.A.G. Fuller, OC 1 Med Bn Gp Clinical Wing

ipe Major Thomas Fuller of 1 Medical Battalion, theSAMHS Reserve Unit in Durban, represented SouthAfrica at the World Triathlon Championship 2002 inCancun, Mexico, last year. He was placed 23rd in the 20-24 age group and 120th overall. He took over leadershipof 1 Medical Battalion Group Pipe Band in 2001 at the ageof 21 and the Band enjoyed a successful season, with pro-

motion to South Africa's 2nd Highest Grade (International Grade 3)for the 2003 season.

In 2002 Pipe Major Fuller was also successful in individualcompetitions, winning the Best Military Piper, the MarchCompetition and the Previous Winners' March, Strathspey & Reelat the Witwatersrand Piping Society's prestigious 100 Guineasevent in April last year. He is also the Natal Champion and hewon the Gold Piobaireachd (classical music) and the overallwinner's prize at the Royal Scottish Gathering in Johannesburg inOctober last year.

Pipe Major competed intriathlon abroad

Pipe Major Thomas Fuller ready at theTransition Area, Cancun.

P

Courtesy CISM RSA Office

n 2000 the InternationalMilitary Sport Organisation(CISM) Eastern and SouthernAfrica Liaison Office (ESALO)Chairman, Brig Gen J.A.Jansen, announced that fromthe year 2000 the CISM ESALOAnnual General Assemblywould vote for a winner of theSolidarity Trophy every year.

The two main criteria usedto vote for a winner are the country'sefforts to carry the message of"Friendship through Sport" and thecountry's efforts to support othercountries in the region.

At the 2002 Annual GeneralAssembly, which was held in Arusha,Tanzania, South Africa was voted forthe third time in succession thewinner of this prestigious trophy.

During 2002 South Africa hostedor participated in the followingactivities:

South Africa held the first CISMESALO Pistol ShootingChampionships (male/female) inPretoria over the period 17 to 23February 2002. Botswana, Lesotho,Namibia, Swaziland and South Africaparticipated.

South Africa hosted for the firsttime in Africa a Military PentathlonTournament in Bloemfontein from 11February to 11 March 2002. Austria,Germany, Namibia, the Netherlands,Norway, Lesotho, Sweden and SouthAfrica participated.

The First Africa Military Gameswas held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 15to 27 April 2002. Twenty-seven coun-tries competed and three countrieswere observers. South Africa made agood impression by taking 56 medals(28 gold, 26 silver and 2 bronze),which made them the overall winnerof the Games. Solidarity was shown

sport

Vote for a winner

I


43

by helping some of our friends fromSwaziland and Lesotho with air trans-port to and from the Africa MilitaryGames.

South Africa attended the CISM57th Annual General Assembly inOpatija, Croatia. The SANDF was alsorepresented at the Common WealthGames in Manchester, England, from19 July to 7 August 2002. Two offi-cials officiated at the Games and fourathletes took part in the competitions.Between the three pistol shooters,four silver and five bronze medalswere won.

South Africa participated in the50th Military Pentathlon WorldChampionships in the Netherlands.The South African team came 15thout of 30 countries.

Three delegates attended the 39thWorld Military Swimming and LifeSaving Championships in Warendorf,Germany. A workshop on swimmingtraining and coaching, in order togain knowledge and experience in thefield, as this is an aspect where theSANDF experiences a large gap, wasalso attended. A lot of attention willbe given in future to the training ofsoldiers in the field of swimming andlife-saving. While in Warendorf theyvisited the German Armed ForcesSport School in order to benchmarkthe structuring of the SANDF JointPTSR Training Centre (Sport School).This was very important in order toalign the policy and direction of theJoint PTSR Training Centre with thatof international trends.

The SANDF also participated inthe 46th CISM World MilitaryAmateur Boxing Championship inDublin, Ireland, from 5 to 17September 2002. One bronze medalwas won in the 48 kg division.

South Africa hosted the firstMilitary Attachés/Advisors CISMESALO Pistol Shooting Fun Day on

2 October 2002 in Pretoria. Altogether21 countries' delegates participated inthis fun event.

At the 2002 CISM "Regional" GolfChampionship at Fort Bliss, Texas,USA, South Africa, Canada and theUSA took part over the period 29September to 7 October 2002. SouthAfrica came second.

The SANDF also participated inthe 30th World CISM MilitaryParachuting Championships in Oran,Algeria, from 14 to 25 October 2002.

The CISM International MilitarySymposium was held in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil, from 9 to 15November 2002. As the symposiumdealt with Strategic Planning, theCISM Board of Directors appointedBrig Gen Albert Jansen as Director ofthe Symposium.

The 3rd CISM Board of DirectorsMeeting for 2002 was held in Simon'sTown from 25 November to 2December 2002. South Africa playedhost to this very important meeting ofCISM.

The 2002 CISM ESALO AnnualGeneral Assembly was held inArusha, Tanzania, from 9 to 14December 2002. As the host of theCISM ESALO Liaison Office and amember of the ESALO region, SouthAfrica was represented by fourdelegates.

The Following RSA membersserve on CISM commissions: Brig GenAlbert Jansen as President of thePlanning Commission, and Lt ColWolfgang Steinbach as a member ofthe Discipline Commission.

The following members are mem-bers on the following CISM TechnicalSport Codes Committees: R Adm EricGreen (boxing), Lt Col Mark Bruyns(golf) and Lt Col Johan Zietsman(military pentathlon).

Friendshipthrough sport.

S A S O L D I E R l M A R CH 2 0 0 3

46

South AfricanAir Force Fund

Competition

Please phone our competition line with your answer atcell no: 082 234 5800.

All calls charged at normal cellular rates.

The closing date for this competition is 30 April 2003 and the names of the win-ners will be published in SA SOLDIER and in the Ad Astra Newsletter in June2003.

The question is: Which holiday and travel club is associated with theSAAF Fund?

By answering one easy question you stand a chance to win the following prizes:

� A week’s holiday out of season at any one of the SAAF Fund holidayflats.

� A midweek holiday break, Monday to Friday, for four (4) people,self-catering.

� A day in the life of an Air Force pilot. By visiting an Air Force Baseyou will get an insight into the exciting life of an Air Force pilot.

� A cash prize of R500-00.

This is not a lotto. Your chances of winning prizes are even greater. The SAAFFund in association with the Linric Club offers you the opportunity of winningprizes by simply making a phone call. The Linric Club has for the past threeyears assisted SAAF Fund members with a wide range of benefits, such asproviding discounted accommodation, holiday and travel services, to buying aproduct, for example a car, cellphone, hi-fi, tyres and spares at the best possibleprices.

Phone

to Win

Phone

to Win

Phone

to Win

M A R C H 2 0 0 3 l S A S O L D I E R - dod.mil.zadod.mil.za/sasoldier/2003/March2003.pdf · M A R...

Documents

Transcript of M A R C H 2 0 0 3 l S A S O L D I E R - dod.mil.zadod.mil.za/sasoldier/2003/March2003.pdf · M A R...