lleetttteerrss to the editor S A S O L D I E R

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SAA SOLDIERSAA SOLDIERThe of f i c ia l month ly magaz ine of the SA Department of Defence

From the Editor's desk

CSANDF Message on Heritage month

Lettersto the Editor

News fromabroad

Women as agentsof change

First SANDFWomen's parade

2nd Annual BattlefieldsHeritage Festival

The Battle of Delville Wood remembered

Diversity managementin the DOD

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Change of Chairpersonof SANDF Spouses Forum

CSANDF visits Logisticsand Defence InspectorateDivision

Infanteers lookingto the future

Environment for operation reducing the military footprint

Efforts to prevent maritime spills

Blast Impact andSurvivability Research Unit

History of theSA Corps of Signals

SA traditional regiments takes on NATO's best

SANDF supports humanitarianaid for plight in Somalia

SADC Defence Committeeunited against Piracy

Multi-national Military Officerslearn about LOAC

Moment of euphoriafor the DOD students

Visually impaired memberscomplete a computer course

Adv Motimele in the service ofASB Limpopo

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EDITORIAL STAFF

Editor: Ms Nelda Pienaar

Deputy Editor: Mr Lufuno Netshirembe

Editorial Staff: Mr Kgabo Mashamaite S Sgt Lebogang TlhaoleSgt Elias MahumaCpl Ally Rakoma Cpl Itumeleng Makhubela

CONTRIBUTIONS: Although all possible care istaken with articles, the editori-al staff cannot take anyresponsibility for lost articlesand photographs.

Text Editor: Mr Eugene Muller

Translation Directorate LanguageConsultant: Services

Distribution: Mr Jim Tshabalala Tel: 012 355 6341

Layout & Design: Mr Werner v/d Westhuizen

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2005 - Winner of the Government Communicator of the Year Award (GCIS).2005 - Winner of the National Ubungcweti Award (GCIS).

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SAA SOLDIER

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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.

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EDITORIAL BOARDMr S. Dlamini (Chairperson)Brig Gen M.M. Visser Cpln M.P.K. MasemolaCol S.A. MotswadiraCol M.E. PhekoCol S.P. ZeemanCdr C.E. KhumaloLt Col S. KotaneMs N. Pienaar Lt S.E. Segone Mr L.R.M. Netshirembe(Secretary)

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

www.dod.mil.za

www.dod.mil.za

FRONT COVER: Capt Charles Beaurain competing in the triathlon cham-pionship at the Peace Games. Read all about the 5th CISM Military World Games

in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil on pages 38 to 45. (Photo: S Sgt Lebogang Tlhaole)

TAEKWONDO. AB Mbuso Ngwabe (under 68 kg) versus GregoryMarkiet (Suriname). (Photo: S Sgt Lebogang Tlhaole)

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

CISM MilitaryWorld Games38

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mmeessssaaggee from the editorS A S O L D I E R

s we all know by now, September is our heritagemonth when South Africans celebrate the diverse cul-tural heritage that makes up our "rainbow nation". Ofthe 12 South African calendar months, it is inSeptember that we ought to celebrate the contributionof all South Africans to the building of South Africa.

In this edition we delve into some of this military her-itage. Heritage is about remembering the past and those who camebefore us, and what they have done for us that we should remem-ber and celebrate. Yes, we should not forget the past. I say withconviction: if you do not know where you come from how do youknow where you are heading? Life is lived forwards, but under-stood backwards.

In this Edition: on page 5 our Chief SANDF, General Shoke, hasa heritage message for you. As I have said before, what we dotoday has a direct influence on the future. Once we have departedwhat we did today will be referred to as heritage. In creating thisheritage a women's only parade was held by the SANDF. Readall about it on pages 12 and 13. On pages 14 and 15 we bringyou the 2nd annual battlefield heritage festival. In page 16 and 17 we honour those who perished during the Battle of DelvilleWood.

SA Soldier takes account of the diversity of its readers. That is thereason we go the extra mile to bring you news that matter to you.On pages 18 to 20 you can read about the SANDF's socialresponsibly efforts. When we say the SANDF is the Force thatcares we don't only mean caring for humanity but for life ingeneral. This means taking care of our environment as well. Readabout our efforts to save our environment on pages 32 to 35.

On our sports pages we go international where we bringSANDF's participation in various international sporting codes.On page 38 and 39, read about the Reserve Force taking onNATO's best. In last month's editor's note I promised you thatwe would bring you the 5th CISM Military World Games. Thiswas the largest military sports event ever held in Brazil, withapproximately 4,900 athletes from 108 countries competing in 20sporting codes. The SANDF was one of the competitors in thesegames. Read more about it on pages 40 to 45.

It is always a pleasure and indeed a blessing to keep in touch withyou through this DOD official magazine. I look forward to thisopportunity again next month.

Mr Lufuno NetshirembeDeputy Editor

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f rom theedi tor ’ s desk

jale ka ge re tseba gore kgwedi ya Lewedi key a bohwa bja naga, MaAfrika-Borwa ka bophara ba keteka ditšo tša bona ka go fapafapana gatšona, go dira naga ya "molala-tladi (Rainbow nation)."Mo dikgwed-ing tše lesome pedi, ke yona kgwedi ya Lewedi yeo re ketekago tema yeoe kgathilwego ke Ma Afrika Borwa go hlabolleng le go tšweletša pelenaga ya Afrika Borwa.

Ka gare ga kgatišo ye re tšea leeto go hwetša bohwa ba Sešole sa rena.Ka ga bohwa bja rena re tla be re gopola le go keteka setšo le mekgwa yeo badimo barena ba bego ba phela ka yona. Nnete ke gore ga re a swanela go lebala morago moore tšwago gona le go itebatša dikenywa tša bohwa tšeo badimo ba rena ba re šiilegole tšona le go di keteka. Go re motho a tsebe moo a yago gona ka tša bophelo, oswanetše go tseba moo oa tšwago gona, ke bolela seo ka go kwešiša gore bophelo bjore bo phelago, re swanetše go bo phela re eya pele, e fela, re bo kwešiše gotšwa mora-go, nakong tša kgale.

Letlakaleng 5 mo kgatišong ye Hlogo ya Sešole sa Afrika Borwa, Mo Generala SollyShoke o le swaretše molaetša o bo hlokwa wa bohwa. Bjale ka ge ke boletše math-omong gore sengwe le sengwe seo re se dirage lehono se na le khuetšo go bohwa lebokamoso bja naga ka ge seo re se dirago lehono, e tla be e le bohwa go meloko yeo etlago. Go tlaleletša bohwa kudu ka mo Sešole sa rena, go ilwe gwa swarwa kalogo(Parade) ya basadi feela ba mašole gomme o ka bala ka yona go letlakala la 12 le 13.Ko matlakaleng a 14 le 15 re go begela ka ga moketeko wa bobedi wa bohwa bjantwa bja ngwaga le ngwaga (2nd annual battlefield heritage). Ka mo matlakaleng a16 le 17 re gopola bao ba lahlegetšwego ke bophelo ntweng ya Delville Wood.

SA Soldier bjale ka kgatišo ya mang le mang, ke ka fao re lekago ka maatla go letlišetša ditaba tša maemo a godimo. Ke ka fao ko matlakaleng a go tloga go 18 gofihla ka 20 mmadi a ka kwago ka ga Sešole sa naga se hlabolla setšhaba ka ga dipro-jeke tša go thuša baagi ba naga ye. Ge re re "Sešole sa Afrika Borwa se thušasetšhaba re tla be bolela therešo ka ge re tla be re bolela ka bophelo ka kakaretšo, se sebolela gape le ka tikologo yeo re phelago go yona. Bala ka ga boikgafo bja go bolokatikologo go matlakala 32 le 35.

Matlakaleng a dipapadi re le tlišetša tša moše wa mawatle ka ge maloko a mangwea Sešole sa naga a be a tšea karolo go meralokong ya boditšha-batšhaba gomme o kabala letlakala la 38 le la 39. Mo kgatisong ya kgwedi ya go feta, ke ile ka tshephišagore re tla le anegela ka 5th CISM military world games, moo maloko a go balelwago 4900 go tšwa go dinaga tše 108 ba phuthaganego Brazil ba bego ba phadišanagona. O ka bala ka yona matlakaleng a go tloga go 40 go ya go 45.

Ka mehla ke lethabo go nna go bolela le lena babadi ba kgatiso ye bjale ka kgatisobaka ya Lefapha la tša Tšireletšo le Sešole e bile ke tshepha gore re tla kopano kgwe-di ye e tlago.

Mr Lufuno NetshirembeXandla xa muhleri

Translated XiTsonga by Ms Nomvula Chawane.

Go tšwa goMorulagany i

B

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mmeessssaaggee S A S O L D I E R

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Heritage message by the Chiefof the South African NationalDefence Force

Gen S.Z. ShokeChief of the South AfricanNational Defence Force

eptember is the month when weas South Africans the time outto appreciate and celebrate ourdiverse heritage that gives thiscountry its colourful history.

As the South African National DefenceForce (SANDF) we have a rich militaryhistory that is often undervalued butthat has played a significant role inbuilding this country.

It brings to mind the heroic days ofKing Shaka Zulu who was one of thegreatest warriors in the world, in 1816during his reign. His battle techniquesrevolutionized the way wars werefought in Africa. He is renowned for hismilitary genius, discipline and anattempt to unify the warring tribes ofthe Zulu Nation.

In the Anglo-Boer War of (1899-1902),although the protagonists were Britainand the two Boer Republics, the popu-lation of South Africa as a wholebecame embroiled in the war, eitherdirectly or indirectly.

During the First World War (1914-1918)and the Second World War (1939-1945)blacks and whites fought side by sideunder the Union Jack.

South Africa's independence fromBritish rule came in 1961 but unfortu-nately it gave birth to apartheid. Thiswas the Genesis of the Armed Struggle(1961) against apartheid, which saw thebirth of the African National Congress's

SWe (the SANDF) have a rich military history that isoften undervalued but that has played a significantrole in building this country.

military wing, uMkhonto weSizwe andthe Azanian People's Liberation Army,whose mother body was the PanAfricanist Congress.

On 27 April 1994, a new nation was

Gen S.Z. Shoke, the Chief of theSouth African National DefenceForce.

born. South Africa was nolonger a pariah state. Itbecame a place for all wholive in it. Non-statutoryForces were integrated intothe newly formed SouthAfrican National DefenceForce (SANDF) which wasconstitutionally mandated "todefend and to protect theRepublic, its territorialintegrity and its peopleregardless of creed orcolour".

The South African militaryheritage is drawn from thesweat, blood and tears ofmany, so as we celebrateHeritage Month this year, itis important to reflect onwhere we come from as apeople of this country inorder to know where we aregoing. We in the SANDF areimmensely proud of ourcountry's remarkable militaryheritage and the journey thatwe have travelled together toovercome differences and

work collectively to build a democraticSouth Africa that belongs to all who livein it.

Happy Heritage Month to all SANDFmembers.

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Winning letter

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lleetttteerrss to the editorS A S O L D I E R

TREAT EVERYONEWITH RESPECT

On behalf of my committee, the greatercommunity of the North West Provinceand specifically the people of TlokweCity Council area of jurisdiction, I wishto extend a hearty thanks to your organi-sation for a sterling effort and selflessservice to the public at large as well as tothe backbone of society, the farmers andtheir staff. Had it not been for yourexceptional and heroic service, wewould have been faced with a disasteron a scale never before seen in our coun-try due to the recent wide spread threatof fires.Would you be so kind as to con-vey this message of appreciation andgratitude to all your members and staff.Their courage, determination and gal-lant efforts will always be rememberedand appreciated by all and sundry.

I do not think that the City Council,the people of Tlokwe or the North WestProvince Legislature fully appreciate themagnitude of the disaster that befell ourarea and the good fortune we experiencedthat the fire did not reach the hills leadingto the Vredefort Dome. This may wellhave happened had your members notbeen so steadfast in their endeavours, andthe fire could even have spread to theFree State, which would also have suf-fered the same type of devastation as wasexperienced in the North West andGauteng.Once again please accept myheartfelt and sincere thanks for everythingyou and your members do, and havedone, for our City and Province. May yoube blessed with good rains, fertile soil andhealthy stock in the coming season! Eric J.

APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE

Stoch, Interim Chairman: North WestUmbrella Fire Protection Association

R200-00 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 impossi-ble. Please send your letters to: The Editor, SA SOLDIER Letters, Private BagX158, Pretoria, 0001. Letters may also be faxed to (012) 355-6399 or sent viaemail to sasoldier@mil.za. We would like to hear your comments or ideas, par-ticularly about matters affecting members of the Department of Defence.Regrettably, anonymous letters cannot be answered officially or published -Editor.

Let us treat poor people with respect.Do not oppress the poor to increaseyour wealth. Do not exploit the poorbecause they are poor. Do not crush thepoor with your boots, or else povertyand scarcity will come to you like a rob-ber. Do not gloat when those who werehigher are demoted, or else your wealthwill fly off like an eagle in the sky. PteM.V. Mathibela, Phalaborwa

UNISA IN DIALOGUE WITH COMBAT TRAINING CENTREOn 28 June 2011 members from Unisawas invited to come to the SA ArmyCombat Training Centre at Lohatlha tomeet with Brig Gen Nontobeko Mpaxa,Commandant of the SA Army CombatTraining Centre, and some of her unitmembers to look into the possibility ofestablishing a Unisa contact and exami-nation centre at Lohatlha.

As a profound believer in educationand a culture of lifelong learning BrigGen Mpaxa initiated this visit with theprospect of reaching an agreement withUnisa. The following opportunities forLohatlha were discussed during thevisit:

Establishing a Unisa contact andexamination centre.Orientation and registration of learn-ers in Lohatlha.Presenting short courses.Setting up a videoconference facility.

Facilitating small groups.Because of the geographic location of

Lohatlha, the establishment of such aUnisa centre would be of great benefit tothe members permanently stationed there

and learners reporting for courses andexercises at Lohatlha. It can also be ofgreat benefit to the people of local com-munities, as the nearest Unisa centrecurrently is in Kimberley, about 240 kmaway. The visit was successfully con-cluded and the SA Army CombatTraining Centre is awaiting a positiveresponse from Unisa as to whether ornot they see fit to reach an agreement. IfUnisa decides to reach this agreementwith SA Army Combat Training Centre,it will be one of the first of its kind in theSouth African National Defence Force.

In the words of Mary ManinMorrissey: "Don't wait for somethingbig to occur. Start where you are, withwhat you have and that will always leadyou to something greater." Ms HannaCoetzer, Lohatlha

Fltr: Mr Abraham Kheswa (Unisa), Ms Hanna Coetzer, Mr VivianEksteen, Ms Linda Procter (Unisa), Brig Gen Nontobeko Mpaxa(Commandant of the SA Army Combat Training Centre), MsMarindene Louw (Unisa) and Chaplain Joel Mapheto. (Photo: Lt Col Chris Hermanus)

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lleetttteerrss to the editor S A S O L D I E R

RESPONSE TO ARTICLE IN MARCH EDITIONI would like to congratulate you on anexcellent magazine. I look forward withgreat anticipation every month to readthe articles in the magazine since I findthem most informative, and they giveme an insight into what's happening inmy National Defence Force.

Secondly, thank you indeed for pub-lishing two articles in the March editionof SA Soldier, both relating to the pres-tige awards of the SA Air Force. Onpage 21 of that edition you published awonderful photo of Ms Lindiwe Sisulu,the Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans, accompanied by Lt Gen CarloGagiano, the Chief of the SA Air Force.It was my privilege to share the podium

KIMBERLEY CELEBRATES MADIBA DAY93 years ago a boy was born to theMandela family, someone who wouldlater be honoured and loved by thewhole world. A man of great statureand an abundance of wisdom.

He dances to the beat of God's heart,he shines in the light of His presence, hehas a heart of compassion and moves inthe power of His spirit.

During a heartfelt ceremony on 18July 2011, Army Support BaseKimberley bade a very happy 93rdbirthday to Dr Nelson RolihlahlaMandela. The event was opened by thesweet melodies performed by the unitchoir, followed by Chaplain T. Moncho

with a moving sermon befitting the day.The Master of Ceremonies, WO2 L.M.Meyers, in his opening remarks read awell written and researched poem inpraise of Dr Nelson Mandela. The OfficerCommanding ASB Kimberley, Col M.R.Mongo, and MWO F.J.P. Kruger lit ninecandles (for 90 years) and three small can-dles (for 3 years) in commemoration ofthis joyous event. The ASB Kimberleyunit, in turn, displayed enormous gen-erosity in their contribution to MadibaDay by participating voluntarily in a coinlaying ceremony. An amount of R1 500was collected during the ceremony andwas donated to Groenpunt Primary

FEEDBACK ON ANNUAL MEMORIAL SERVICEThe article: Annual Memorial Serviceon page 9 of the April 2011 edition ofSA Soldier refers.

In 2005/6 the South AfricanGovernment engaged a number of lin-guists to review the names of all themen who had died on the SS MENDI, inorder to produce a definitive list of thecorrect spelling of their names. Onreceipt of this list the Commissionamended its records accordingly andarranged for the name panels on theHollybrook Memorial to be re-engravedin time for the ceremony in February2007 commemorating the 90th anniver-sary of the sinking.

The names of the three men buriedin Little Hampton Cemetery wereamended to read as follows:

Linganiso, Private, Simon, 10020,5th, South African Native Labour Corps.

Drowned in the SS MENDI 21 February1917. Grave Ref C. 1774.

Mbombiya, Private, Jim, 9373, 5th,South African Native Labour Corps.Drowned in the SS MENDI 21 February1917. Grave Ref C. 1774.

Segule, Private, Smith, 9122, 4th,South African Native Labour Corps.Drowned in the SS MENDI 21 February1917. Grave Ref C. 1774.

There is no mention of Pte Segule ashaving served under an alias. This is notshown on the original crew list from 1917and would appear to have come from anannotation on the Grave RegistrationReport.

The grave of the three membersreferred to in the article is in the LittleHampton Cemetery and while theCommonwealth War GravesCommission remains responsible for thegrave the local authority is responsible

for the maintenance of the cemetery.The cemetery is visited on a regularbasis to ensure that the grave is in goodorder.

The Commonwealth War GravesCommission is in the process of replac-ing the current headstone with a newheadstone reflecting the correct details.Owing to a severe backlog at theCommission's headstone plant in Francethis may take up to nine months to becorrected.

The Commonwealth War GravesCommission remains committed tomaintaining the graves of theCommonwealth soldiers who died dur-ing the two World Wars and welcomeany comments. Please visit their web-site: www.cwgc.org. Capt (SAN)Charles Ross (Ret), Secretary of the SAAgency: Commonwealth War GravesCommission

School situated next to the Base.It was Dr Mandela himself who said:

"Education is the most powerful weapon thatcan be used to change the world". It is thewish of Col Mongo that this act of good-will, initiated by Lt Col P.J. Steenkamp,be adopted as a tradition within thehearts of all members of ASB Kimberley.It is also the wish of all unit membersthat this good deed, inspired by TataMadiba, should spread to all units in theSANDF.

Happy birthday, sopitsho, ngqolom-sila, velabambentsele, yemyem!

We salute you Madiba. Maj M.Terblanche, email

with them, albeit for a few moments, toreceive the SA Air Force Prestige Trophyon behalf of 2 Air Servicing Unit, AFBLangebaanweg. This has to rate as thesingle highest honour in my career in theSA Air Force. I was honoured, not only toshare the podium with Minister Sisuluand Lt Gen Gagiano, but also to representa unit such as 2 Air Servicing Unit.

Lastly, on page 30 of the same edition,both the Air Force Prestige Unit of theYear and the Air Force Air Servicing Unitof the Year are listed as 2 Air Supply Unit,AFB Langebaanweg. Please allow me topoint out that it was indeed 2 AirServicing Unit, AFB Langebaanweg,which received those honours. Without

going into too much detail, 2 AirServicing Unit is basically responsiblefor the maintenance of the PC-7 Mk IIaircraft, which is utilised for basic flyingtraining in the SA Air Force. It needs tobe said that the members of 2 AirServicing Unit are proud, passionate,precious and committed people whoserve their Air Force and country withconviction. Receiving the aforemen-tioned honours is testimony to that fact.Lt Col Earl Swanepoel, former OfficerCommanding of 2 Air Servicing Unit

* Congratulations once again! Welldone! We apologise for any inconveniencecaused. - Ed

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lleetttteerrss to the editorS A S O L D I E R

SEX AND SOLDIERS UNDER THE SPOTLIGHTThe Southern African Historical Societyheld its biennial conference from 27 to29 June 2011 at the Howard Campus ofthe University of KwaZulu-Natal inDurban. This year's theme was "The Pastand its Possibilities: Perspectives ofSouthern Africa". Five members fromthe School for Security and AfricanStudies and another from the Centre forMilitary Studies at the Faculty ofMilitary Science (the Military Academy)attended this well-organised event.

The Military Academy crew grap-pled with the topic of leisure time utili-sation in the South African military andfocussed on activities, including thosesanctioned and those frowned upon thatsoldiers on deployment often participatein. The title of the panel, "Bored Stiff:The Leisure-time Experience of (SouthAfrican) Troops since 1899," alluded towhat one commentator afterwardstermed "a very brave panel indeed". Theaudience expected interesting and con-troversial papers, and at the panel's con-clusion they were not disappointed. Thepanel as a whole destroyed commonmisconceptions around the nature andcontent on what constitutes military his-tory.

The papers addressing this commontheme followed in chronologicalsequence, with Prof Ian Liebenberg thefirst to present his paper, entitled"Business as Usual: Commercial SexWork/Prostitution in Johannesburg dur-ing the Anglo-Boer War with Specific

with sport and official entertainment,many soldiers sought out entertainmentof an illegal nature. His paper entitled"At the fleshpots of Egypt: The battlefor control of the morality of SouthAfrican troops in North Africa duringWorld War II," was enjoyed by anincreasingly captivated audience. LtHerman Warden, focussing on a morerecent topic, spoke of "SexuallyTransmitted Diseases and Leisure TimeUtilisation within the SADF during theBush War." Lt Tjaart Barnard concludedthe discussion on a high note with hispaper "Soldiers and solicitation: TheSouth African experience", in which hedealt with some of the current illegalpractices of militaries on deployment.At the conclusion of his paper the audi-ence realised that little had changedover the past 100 years in terms of howsoldiers spent their time when notengaged in physical fighting.

The papers were all well receivedand were described as controversial andthought provoking and the team werecommended for their bravery in takingon such a controversial and rather littlestudied yet relevant topic. The membersdid not just make their presence feltduring the academic proceedings, butparticipated heartily in all of the socialactivities as well. New relationshipswith other university colleagues wereforged and the honour of the MilitaryAcademy and the SANDF was upheldat all times. Ettienne Barnard, email

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Reference to the British Occupation."Liebenberg pointed out that there existedboth a formal and an informal network ofsex workers in the ZAR (Zuid AfrikaanseRepubliek) prior, during, as well as afterthe British occupation of Johannesburgand Pretoria. By the end of his talk theaudience were keenly aware that theneeds of troops on deployment stretchedfar beyond post and pay. Lt Col (Prof) Ianvan der Waag presented a packed lectureroom with his paper "Furlough, Beer andBrothel: The Politics of STD's in the AIF,1914-1918." Herein he dealt with howSTD's influenced the Australian wareffort during World War I and how thecontraction of sexual transmitted diseases(STD's) contributed to an enormouswastage of manpower in all armies of theperiod due to hospitalisation. This reveal-ing presentation was backed up with in-depth statistics and graphs, which sup-ported an otherwise well researchedpaper. The Union Defence Force was notabout to let their troops follow in thefootsteps of the Australians during WorldWar I and here Lt Evert Kleynhans didsterling work in his depiction of theimportance of sport as a leisure-timeactivity for soldiers with his paper "TheFighting Springboks: The Role of Rugbyin the Union Defence Force during WWII." After the normality of some defenceforce rugby, Capt Gustav Bentz, with agraphic and no-nonsense presentation,informed a mesmerised audience that inspite of efforts to keep troops occupied

5 SAI BN OUR PRIDEI am proud to write this letter to my bestmagazine as a member of 5 SA InfantryBattalion. Let me first orientate you aboutmy unit. It is the window of Ladysmithwhen coming from Durban andJohannesburg. In summer sounds echofrom Klip River and the green mountainsof Drakensberg far to the west.

In winter snow beautifully covers the

Drakensberg mountains. DuringMandela Month soldiers join hands withlocal government departments to cleanthe Uthukela area and educate peopleabout recycling and other develop-ments.

Our unit keeps battle history alive bygiving our sleeping quarters the namesof battles, namely Platrand, Colenso,

Vaalkrantz, Spioenkop andNicholsonsnek. Every year we partici-pate in the Swartkop challenge (gun runuphill). We are proud to be the centre ofgravity of locals and have been giventhe freedom of the city by the city coun-cilors. We are holding the flag of theDOD high in our area. Cpl M. Guduza,Ladysmith

BE A REAL WOMANA woman's ability to give birth is whatmakes her special.

A woman brings up her children,and even though she may live to pro-vide financially for her children, shealways strives to give her children thebest in life.

A real woman works hard to suc-ceed in life; she is strong. A real womanis confident about all she does andthinks positively even in tough times.

A real woman does not bring otherwomen down. She does everything shecan to inspire, motivate and build them

up. She gives them guidance and praysfor them when they need help.

A real woman always has a smile. Areal woman loves life and cherishes herloved ones. She understands her familyand friends. Women are the conquerors.M.P. Zungu Masango, 121 Bn

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lleetttteerrss to the editor S A S O L D I E R

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FEMALE IN A MALE DOMINANTED ENVIRONMENTAsked what it took to be a female super-visor in a male dominant environment,Maj Motlakepula Miranda Methulareplied: "Most of my colleagues are sup-portive. Therefore, by ensuring that youknow your work, are diligent and will-ing to work long hours, women canbecome just as much team members inthe environment in which we work asmen".

Maj Methula is one of the supervi-sors at Defence Works Formation inThaba Tshwane and a proud mother oftwo children, Solly Thabang and MuziKabelo Methula. She is currently study-

ing at Tshwane South College for aDiploma in Civil Engineering.

According to her, the proudestmoment in her military career was whenshe started with Project Lebaka on 14July 2008 as one of 240 student artisansin the rank group Sergeant to Colonel.The eighteen months programme includ-ed theory and a six-month practicalmodule. The practical module consistedof the following: the building of "dokka"walls and t-walls, mounting and dis-mounting of scaffolding, stretcher bondand flemish bond walls, bricklaying andplastering of different structures and

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concrete slabs. Maj Methula attended a Building

Assessment Course at the CSIR inFebruary 2009. Before she joined theDOD she was a student at Murray &Roberts where she graduated on 27November 2009 as one of 16 construc-tion supervisors. She assisted in thebuilding of the Galleria Mall inAmanzimtoti in March 2009.

She is confident, intelligent, anddetermined to make her mark in a maledominant environment, something shewill surely accomplish with flyingcolours.

GOLF … NO LONGER JUST A SPORTGolf is no longer just a sport; it has

become an opportunity for networking,for old friends to reconnect or just torelax. SA Army Signal Formation out-did itself again by creating just such anopportunity by hosting the annual SAArmy Signal Formation/SACSCorporate Golf Day at the Akasia GolfClub in Pretoria on 12 August 2011.

Stakeholders of SA Army SignalFormation were invited to book a "fourball" and to participate in this annualprestigious event.

During the awards function, BrigGen Leon Eggers, the General OfficerCommanding SA Army SignalFormation, said: "It's a golf day with adifference" and "At the end of the daypeople are here to enjoy themselves". Hethen thanked Lt Col Berna Steyn, Officer

Commanding 4 Signal Regiment, and herteam from 4 Signal Regiment for their

arrangements, and Reutech for being themain sponsor. Maj L. Lombard, email

SAMHS CELEBRATES ITS DAY IN STYLE28 June 2011 marked another significantday in the history of the South AfricanMilitary Health Service (SAMHS) as alarge number of people from differentunits gathered together at the DefenceSports Club in Thaba Tshwane to cele-brate the SAMHS Day.

As custodians of health in the DOD,the SAMHS used its day to celebrate theart of military health and its myriadgains and achievements since its forma-tion. The SAMHS was formed on 1 July1979, which marked its 32nd anniversaryas a separate Service from the otherServices of the SANDF. The day wasused to commemorate and honour allthose members who paid the ultimateprice in service of the great nation andtribute was paid to those members thatwere deployed in hospitals and sickbays,

not only in South Africa, but also in andaround the continent. The members werewell dressed in their tracksuits as theywere keen to be involved in the differentactivities organised for the day, with the 5km walk as the first activity.

Members of 7 Medical Battalion Groupalso showed their skills during the day asthey performed a free-fall parachute jump.The SAMHS Band also entertained mem-bers as they marched through the stadiumand the Medical Veterinary Instituteshowed their dog handling skills.

The push-up competition was also oneof the highlights of the day as MasterWarrants from different formations tookpart in the competition. Master WarrantSebone and Master Warrant Williamswere the winners on the day. The day cul-minated in a precision drill competition by

Military Health Training Formation.Among the competitors were three dif-ferent platoons of the Military SkillsDevelopment System (MSDS) while LCpl Monke Marumo scooped the trophyfor the best drill presentation. "I am veryproud and honoured to win this compe-tition," said L Cpl Marumo: "We workedhard for this."

The Surgeon General, Lt GenVejaynand Ramlakan, encouragedmembers and reminded them of theimportance of the ten focus areas inbuilding towards excellence. He said:"Make sure that you know where thenew SAMHS is moving towards." LtGen Ramlakan concluded by expressinghis gratitude to all people contributingto the growth of the Service. PteTshegofatso Rakoma, Pretoria

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TO ALL THE LADIESThis letter is dedicated to all the ladies:Look how beautiful you are my love,how your eyes shine with love! Yourhair waves, your teeth are as white asmilk, not one of them is missing; theyare all perfectly matched. Your lips arelike a perfect ribbon; do you know howlovely they are when you speak? Yourneck is round and smooth, until morn-ing the darkness disappears when everyou are around.

How beautiful you are, how perfect youare my love. You are compared to aflower. My love, my sweetheart, mybride is a secret garden.My love, do not be like a flower that is

RIGHT: L Cpl L.J. Phorabusy enhancing the living

conditions of theOperational Battalion HQ.

TSALENA PRODUCTION CREW VISIT TO DRCThis letter is not meant to support whatthe Minister of Defence, Ms LindiweSisulu, said during her Budget Speechwhen she highlighted how inadequatethe Defence Budget was nor is it meantfor you, the loyal SA Soldier magazinereader, to pity the members of ourproud organisation. This letter is meantto inform you and update you, the greatSouth Africans, in your sons and daugh-ters who were sent to the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo (DRC) to go andhelp stabilise and bring peace to thatvast country.

The Battalion Engineers, under the com-mand of Sgt N.T. Mowale, are doingtheir best to upgrade the barracks/livingquarters and offices of the OperationalBattalion.

The Light Work Troop (LWT), under thecommand of Capt M. Netshidzati, is alsodoing whatever is possible in theirpower to improve the serviceability ofthe vehicles in the Battalion. There aretimes when the mechanics, or the arti-sans as they like to be called, have to bedetached from the Battalion HQ to theCompany Operational Bases (COBs),like Kitchanga, for a whole week to goand help improve the serviceability sta-tus of our COBs. However, the challeng-ing factor remains the working condi-tions. Soldiering is not for sissies.

On 29 June 2011 we as 4 SA Infantry

Battalion (4 SAI Bn) hosted the Tsalenacrew who where assigned by the DOD tocome and record the lives of SANDFpeacekeepers in the DRC.

On 3 August 2011 the RSA Contingent inthe DRC hosted Mr N. Mabaya, theSpokesperson for the Minister of Defence,at the National Contingent CommanderCompound. At the same time we badefarewell to the Tsalena crew.

On 7 August 2011 in Mpati our TOBbought books in Goma and donatedthem to the two local primary schools.

Note: The Officer Commanding 4 SAI Bn,Lt Col W.L. Madikoto, would like to appealto all SA Soldier readers to pass the messageon to all the loved ones of all the membersdeployed with 4 SAI Bn that we are safe andthat there have been no casualties to date (31August 2011). Lt M.E. Semono, email

perfect in the early hours and when thesun sets it dies. Do not depend on nour-ishment, but on strength. My love, youare the deepest and secret weapon. Stayas good and perfect as you are.

My love, your strength is amazing. Youraised kids for me. You nourish them andwhenever I see them I praise your wis-dom. I am the stronghold, the comman-der, the controller, but without you mylove, I am nothing; without your exis-tence I am useless. Without you my love,my leadership is in vain.

Thank you for your utmost support.Without you, where would my daughter

The LWT in Kitchanga, just an open ground …

be, where would my son be? Where doyou think Africa would be without you;can you imagine the world without awoman?

You deserve my utmost support. Youneed care and love. To me you are like aflower that I take care of and it stays ingood condition. Be as perfect as yourmajesty, for I am perfect. Let me leadyou to a prosperous life. May God blessAfrica and the world, for He is the rulerof the universe, the Owner of mankind,animals and plants. F.K.L. Poogo,Founder and Chairman of ItirelengBokamoso Club (currently deployed inthe DRC)

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By Kgabo MashamaitePhotos: Cpl Itumeleng Makhubela

ver 1 000 women from all theServices and Divisions of theDepartment of Defence (DOD)took their time off on 05August 2011 in order to com-memorate South African

women. Celebrating the differencebrought about by our female citizens hasbecome part of our culture and heritage.The 2011 event was held at the WorksTraining School (formerly known as theCentre for Advancement of Training, orCAT).

During her keynote address Ms LumkaYengeni, a Member of Parliament, saidthe event had been carefully earmarkedfor August as a special month to pay trib-ute to the heroines who risked their livesand careers in demanding to be recog-nised.

"Historically the event goes a long wayback, to 1956, when women organised ahuge demonstrating against the passlaws in Pretoria, which also demonstrat-ed unity across racial lines. Those womenpaved the way for the emergence ofwomen's organisations and campaigns,such as the potato boycotts. They werevocal and in unison during the treasontrials of struggle heroes. Internationalwomen's organisations heard their plightand also joined their cause and support-ed them, side by side for our liberation,"Ms Yengeni remarked.

According to the guest speaker, MrsZimasa Petane, the spouse to Maj GenMxolisi Petane, said that women shouldnot wait to be given roles to lead, butinstead, they should rise up and put up afight.

"Today we see the role of women as pro-nounced and the constitution has gone along way towards acknowledging theirrole in our society and the world literally

O

Women as agents of change

is moving towards giving the womentheir rightful place they deserve. We alsoapplaud and are immensely proud to notethe strides made by the Minister ofDefence and Military Veterans (MOD&MV) Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, and the DefenceSecretary, Ms Mpumi Mpofu. Within afew months in her role as minister, shebrought about major changes in her dep-artment, including the introduction of theseparate dispensation for the members ofthe South African National Defence Force(SANDF) and an improvement in theirconditions of service. The main questionwe should ask ourselves is, are thereenough women in middle to top manage-ment today? Women should rise up to theoccasion when given leadership roles,

prove themselves and be countedamong the best," Mrs Petane said.

Apart from the entertainment providedduring the day, there were also activitiesto empower women with self-defenceand First Aid techniques as well as intro-duction to basic motor vehicle tools suchas a wheel spanner and a jack and werelectured on the do's and the don'ts whenconfronted with adverse motoring /security situations. Other invitedguests included the Dep-uty Speaker ofthe National Assembly Ms NomaindiaMfeketo, and as a re-spected Womanin Football Adminis-tration and aFootball Club owner, Mrs Ria Ledwaba,and many others.

ABOVE: A music groupfrom Cape Town providingan entertainment to thecrowds during celebrationsat the DOD Works TrainingSchool.

LEFT: Ms Lumka YengeniMP delivering her keynoteaddress during the celebra-tions held at the DODWorks Training School, for-merly CAT.

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Female members march past the podium..

Cpl Ally RakomaPhotos: S Sgt Lebogang Tlhaole

omen epitomise tenderness,care and wisdom, buttoday's landscape tells a dif-ferent story. Women are nolonger choosing between afamily and a career, theychoose to have both. They

are also not limited by boundaries, buthave in fact broadened their horizonsand reached heights that the earlier gen-erations could only dream about.

As we celebrate heritage month to high-light and promote cultural expressionand diverse heritage, which contribute tobuilding our nation, our collective historynot only ensures worldwide awarenessand exposure for our country, but buildsupon the foundation for generations tocome in embracing the Africaness weshare.

On 29 August 2011, the SANDF womenin their different colourful uniforms daz-zled the crowd with a women onlyparade performed in detailed precisiondrill on the field, there was also a fly-pastand a flight in salute by the SA Air Forceat the Thaba Tshwane Military SportsGround.

W

DOD celebrates the anchors of family and society

The parade also served as an opportunityto celebrate our military diversity, as itpayed homage to the rich legacy of theSANDF's contribution to humanity and itsparticipation in changing lives of ordinarycitizens.

Addressing the gathering and about 450

female soldiers on parade, the Ministerof Defence and Military Veterans, MsLindiwe Sisulu, commended the role ofwomen in the DOD and reaffirmed theimportant role of these amazing SANDFwomen soldiers in peacekeeping mis-sions who go beyond their normal call ofduty in creating a safer Africa by protect-

Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans,Brig Gen Portia More from the SAAF (left) R Adm (JG) EmelyMasanabo from the SA Navy look on while Ms Moradi Dlaminireads the Public Service Act Personnel (PSAP) Code of Conduct.

ing the vulnerable andinsecure.

She said that theDepartment of Defencewas a department inmotion, which seeks tofind an efficient and effec-tive modus operandi thatwould advance the gov-ernment's prioritiesthrough its constitutionalmandate.

Minister Sisulu said shewas proud to see all thesewomen in uniform on theparade ground. Seeingthese women in the differ-ent Service uniformsmade her optimistic for

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ABOVE: Members on paradeand a salute flight by two Oryxhelicopters displaying theSANDF flag and the Nationalflag.

the future and the heritage that wasbeing created for future young womenwho would want to join the military."To see how the ranks of women havegrown over a few years is truly a long-term investment in the future, not onlyfor themselves, but also for the greaterSouth African community, as everypassing day brings confirmation thatwomen in defence occupy an exception-

al place in our society", said the Minister.

She added that South Africa had madeconcerted efforts to accelerate women'sinvolvement in a range of spheres in themilitary environment, and this has beenrecognised as a good democratic practice."Young women are joining the SANDFwith the realisation that the protectionand defence of the country's sovereignty

is no longer a male only preserve", shesaid.In conclusion, she said the SANDF hasbeen contributing to peacekeeping mis-sions for 10 years. "South Africa deploysthe largest number of female soldiers inpeace-keeping missions compared withother troop contributing countries.Female peacekeepers regard theirdeployment as an opportunity to puttheir military training into practice andthey make it their business to reach outto women, the elderly and vulnerablechildren", she said.

Peacekeeping in Africa is part of thelegacy that will be enjoyed by the nextgeneration as their African heritage. Thisheritage that begins in our time will tellthe next generations that Africa enjoyspeace partly because of these SouthAfrican women in the SANDF uniform.

She applauded our women in arms fortheir full involvement in and impact onsocial support services supporting thesocio-economic reintegration of ex-com-batants into their communities, demobil-isation, rehabilitation, reintegration andrestoration of basic social services to theconflict affected population, thus creat-ing a peaceful and guaranteed atmo-sphere for post-conflict reconstruction.

ABOVE: Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, the Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans, proudly extended her sentiments to memberson parade, while Brig Gen Portia More from the SAAF (left)and R Adm (JG) Emely Masanabo from the SA Navy look on.

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Article and Photos by S Sgt Lebogang Tlhaole

s part of the Emnambithi/Ladysmith Municipality'sBattlefield Heritage Festival on02 July 2011, nine regiments ofthe South National DefenceForce (SANDF) were granted

the Right of Freedom of Entry toLadysmith, of which four regimentsactually took part.

The Municipality celebrated the 2ndAnnual Battlefields Festival with severalevents that highlighted the 118 day siegeof the town. The events included theLiterary Festival, Oral HistoryWorkshop, Arts and Culture Festival,International Gun Run, MulticulturalExhibition and Freedom of the Cityparade.

This privilege means that troops maymarch through the city concerned withdrums beating, colours flying and bayo-nets fixed. It has a long history and sym-bolises the confidence of the civilian pop-ulation in the Regiment or Unit.

In his message, the Chief of the SANDF,Gen Solly Shoke, said that South Africa'srole during the Second World War isacknowledged as truly remarkable andmany of the regiments that paraded in

A

2nd Annual Battlefields Heritage Festival

Ladysmith participated with distinctionin some of the major battles that tookplace in North Africa and Europe.

Nine regiments of theSANDF were granted theRight of Freedom ofEntry to Ladysmith, ofwhich four regimentsactually took part.

Lt Col M.J. Rowe shows the parade and public the scroll afterreceiving it from the Mayor, Honourable Councillor Vincent Madlala.

served before them.

The 121 SAI Bn, Durban Light Infantry,

Military Police escorts march past.

He added that thedemocratic elections in1994 heralded the birthof a truly united SouthAfrica. The ReserveForce units that parad-ed through the streetsof Ladysmith reflectedthe demographics ofthe modern SouthAfrica. This is aremarkable achieve-ment in the country'shistory and the sol-diers who serve inthese regiments reflectthe same pride in theirtraditions as those who

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Natal field Artillery, Vrystaat ArtilleryRegiment, Transvaal State Artillery,Umvoti Mounted Rifles, Natal MountedRifles, 1 Medical Battal-ion Group and

15 Maintenance Unit were granted thefreedom of entry: The Mayor said that the city was heart-ened by the selfless contribution of a

making.

Major C.E. Nel, Officer CommandingNatal Field Artillery, addressed theevent on behalf of all receiving units. Heexpressed his gratitude to the Mayorand the Councillors for granting theFreedom of Entry and for allowing theSANDF to exercise this right, and tohonour both Regulars and Reserveswith the highest honour a city couldbestow on Defence Force units, namelygranting the Freedom of Entry. He saidthat, as a Defence Force, we are mindfulof the fact that it is our duty to serveand protect the citizens of our countryand the sovereignty and territorialintegrity of the country.

And concluded by saying that as we cel-ebrate our Freedom of Entry we mustbe mindful of the supreme sacrifice paidby the many soldiers in the siege andrelief of Ladysmith, as well as thosewho have given their lives in the manybattles in the vicinity and that it wastheir sacrifice that had brought us ourfreedom.

The OC of 5 SAI Bn saluting the Mayor of Ladysmith, Honourable CouncillorVincent Madlala, during the Freedom of Entry parade in Ladysmith.

number of people andorganizations, particular-ly the people ofLadysmith. He men-tioned that the BattlefieldHeritage Festival paradewas worth attending, towitness history in the

SANDF members that were granted the Freedom of Entry, marchingthrough the streets of Ladysmith during the 2nd annual battlefieldsfestival parade.

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Article and Photos by Mr John Adler

he battle of Delville Wood is ofparticular importance to SouthAfrica, as it was the first majorengagement entered into by theSouth African 1st InfantryBrigade on the Western Front

during World War 1. From 14 July to 20July 1916, the South African Brigade,comprising 121 officers and 3032 otherranks, was engaged in one of the bloodi-est battles ever fought. Under commandof the 9th Scottish Division, the 1st SouthAfrican Brigade was ordered to attackDelville Wood and to hold it 'at all costs'.The 95th Commemoration of the Battle ofDelville Wood, including a wreath layingceremony in the town of Longueval inthe Somme province of France was heldon 10 July 2011.

For five nights and six days the brigadefought against units of the GermanFourth Army Corps. It was outnumberedand was attacked from three sides. Onthe Western Front, units were normallyconsidered to be incapable of combat iftheir casualty levels had reached 30%,and they were withdrawn once this levelhad been reached. The South AfricanBrigade suffered losses of 80%, yet theymanaged to hold the wood as ordered.This feat has been described as "Thebloodiest battle of the hell of 1916."

Throughout poor weather and enemyartillery fire, which reached a crescendoof 400 shells a minute, the surroundinglandscape was transformed into a mess ofbroken tree stumps, roots and massiveshell holes. Only one tree survived andeven today the shrapnel marks are visiblein it's ancient trunk.

Mud and rainwater covered bodies ofSouth African and German soldiers alike- many the bodies remain in the woodtoday. On 20 July 1916, six days after

T

The Battle of Delville Woodremembered

entering the wood, Col Thackeray,who was himself wounded, walkedout of Delville Wood with two wound-ed officers and 140 other ranks casual-ties sustained by this Brigade were ofcatastrophic proportions.

Following the war, Delville Wood waspurchased by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick andpresented to South Africa. The memo-rial was unveiled on 10 October 1926.Two replicas of the memorial were

Above: To the memory ofthose Natives of the SouthAfrican Labour Corps whocrossed the seas in responseto the call of their great Chief,King George V, and laid downtheir lives in France, for theBritish Empire, during theGreat War 1914-1918..

Above: The only tree that wasleft standing after the surround-ing landscape was transformedinto a mess of broken treestumps and roots during the1916 Battle of Delville Wood, theshrapnel marks are still visible init's ancient trunk even today.

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made. Both are in South Africa, one inthe Union Buildings in Pretoria, and onein Cape Town. This memorial alsoserves as the national memorial to allthose of the South African OverseasExpeditionary Force who died duringWorld War I. A total of some 229,000officers and men served in the forces ofSouth Africa in the war. Of these, some10,000 died in action or through injuryand sickness, and their names are writ-ten in a memorial register that was keptat this memorial, and is now kept in thenearby museum. Almost a third of thetotal South African casualties duringWW1 occurred at Delville Wood in justsix days.

Today the wood, memorial and muse-um are looked after by the SouthAfrican Government. The DelvilleWood Cemetery, situated across theroad from the memorial, contains 5,493graves. Almost two thirds of these are ofunknown soldiers.

Walking along the remains of thetrenches that still scar the landscape tothis day, it is difficult to imagine thatthis tranquil, beautiful place was the siteof the horrors that these young men(most mere teenagers) endured.Knowing that many of these boys stilllie buried, anonymous under my feet,

was deeply moving. And I felt proud ofour Defence Force that has ensured thatalthough they may be anonymous, theyare not forgotten.

Arques-la-Bataille

South Africans of all races were involvedin the Great War in various roles and theyall distinguished themselves by servingcourageously. The South African Native LabourContingent came to France early in 1917and No 1 General Labour Hospital wasestablished at its camp at Arques-la-Bataille near Dieppe. Most of those whodied in France lie in Arques-la-BatailleBritish Cemetery. There are 381 graves ofthe First World War of which 260 are ofmen of the Contingent, including some ofwhom were exhumed from Ste MarieCemetery, Le Havre, to which the SSMendi was headed before tragedy struck.

All these graves are grouped around aGreat War Stone, on the face of which is aconcave bronze medallion with the headof a Springbok in high relief. Inscribed onthe stone in English, Sesotho and Xhosaare the words :"To the memory of those Natives of theSouth African Labour Corps who crossedthe seas in response to the call of theirgreat Chief, King George V, and laid

down their lives in France, for theBritish Empire, during the Great War1914-1918, this Memorial is erected bytheir comrades."

On the 8th of July 2011 a commemora-tion was held at the memorial followedby a wreath laying ceremony in thetown of Arques-la-Bataille.

The sinking of the SS Mendi in theEnglish Channel, a troopship carryingthe last Native Labour contingent enroute to France, with its heavy loss oflife was also commemorated at Arques-la-Bataille.

On January 16, 1917 the Mendi troop-ship sailed from Cape Town en routefor La Havre in France carrying the lastcontingent of the SANLC. On the morn-ing of 21 February 1917, another ship,the SS Darro, rammed the SS Mendi ,which sank in 20 minutes. There aremany stories of the men's bravery asthe ship went down. One of them isthat of the Reverend Isaac WauchopeDyobha, who cried words of encour-agement to the dying men. The mensang and stamped the death dancetogether as the SS Mendi sank, takingwith her all still on board and manywho leapt into the icy waters. Of note isthat, regardless of race, clan or tribe,these men faced death together asSouth Africans.

Other tales of valour are told of JosephTshite, a schoolmaster from nearPretoria who encouraged those aroundhim with hymns and prayers until hedied. On receiving the news of the dis-aster (on 9 March 1917), all the mem-bers of the South African House ofAssembly, under the then PrimeMinister Louis Botha, rose in their seatsas a token of respect to their fellowSouth Africans who had gone downwith the SS Mendi. The survivors con-tinued their military service in France.Like so many other military disasters,the story of the SS Mendi is a story ofsupreme courage in the face of death,and valour shown between brotherstoward each other in dire circum-stances. The courage displayed by thesemen has remained a legend in SouthAfrican military history.

The 95th Commemoration of the Battle of Delville Wood, includ-ing a wreath laying ceremony in the town of Longueval.

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Capt (SAN) I.L. Mbanjwa

he preamble of the SouthAfrican Constitution adopted in1996, speaks to all citizens: "We,the people of South Africa,recognise the injustices of ourpast; honour those who suf-

fered for justice and freedom in ourland; respect those who have worked tobuild and develop our country; andbelieve that South Africa belongs to allwho live in it, united in diversity."

In 1994, South Africans "emigrated" enmasse, to a "new country", replacing arepressive social and legal structurewith one of the most sophisticated andmodern constitutions in the world,which was crafted with the intention tobring change to the lives of all SouthAfricans. The most obvious andremarkable changes in corporate andinstitutional structures that have takenplace in recent years are the result of ourconstitutional transformation policies.Transformation Management Policieshave been developed to move frombeing a historically disadvantaged soci-ety to a more representative society thatembraces and values its diversity.

In the Department of Defence (DOD)the Transformation Management ChiefDirectorate has promulgated aTransformation Management Policy

T

Diversity management in the Department of Defence

with specific guidelinesto eliminate discrimina-tion on any grounds.The policy has alsobeen established toimprove attitudinal,stereotypical and per-ception changes to pro-mote social cohesion.However, transforma-tion seems to be takingmuch longer thanexpected and diversityis not entirely embracedand managed.

It therefore becomescrucial for all DODmembers and employ-ees to understand theimportance of manag-

The policies have been established toimprove attitudinal, stereotypical and perception changes and to promote social cohesion.

Capt (SAN) I.L. Mbanjwa.by , items.

respect for the individual differencesfound among members or employees.The idea of this management style is toencourage employees to be comfortablewith diversity in the workplace anddevelop an appreciation of differences inrace, culture, gender, background, expe-riences, opinions, skills or any other fac-tors that may not be shared by everyoneworking in the same area within thedepartment

The DOD officials are also encouragedto put an effort into complying withtransformation management impera-

ing diversity in their working environ-ment to eradicate all forms of divisionsand discriminatory practices. Thus creat-ing a favourable working environmentwhere all members and employees arerespected for who they are Where theycan experience a sense of belonging anddevelop their full potential for maximumperformance so that they contribute posi-tively towards the achievement of work-place objectives.

It is critical that all DOD officials createeffective diversity management pro-gramme, to promote recognition and

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tives and create the kind of develop-ment systems where all members andemployees from diverse backgroundsshow respect and tolerance towardseach other. Management practices,existing systems, and leaders that donot promote mutual respect and thedevelopment of employees shouldalways be challenged according to thelaid down prescripts.

The philosophy of diversity manage-ment suggests that institutions aremaking the necessary changes in theirexisting systems, structures and man-agement practices to eliminate any sub-tle barriers that might keep employeesfrom reaching their full potential.Furthermore, the presence of diversityin the office does not have to hamperproductivity or create conflict. Instead,it must function as one of the mosthelpful aids in the promotion andattainment of the goals and objectivesof the DOD.

Globally, differences in the workplaceare increasingly seen as a powerfulopportunity for strengthening institu-tional performance. Therefore leadersand managers must be keen to mentor,coach and encourage the developmentof underlying skills as well as talentsamong employees. It has been evidentthat well mentored and coached indi-viduals gain confidence in their abili-ties. They tend to enjoy their jobs,which leads to satisfaction and positiveresults. Mentoring and coaching asone of the tools to gain new knowledgeand skills, could be used to advancediversity management practices ifproperly implemented.

In a diverse institution like the DOD,diversity management is crucial in thecampaign to increase morale, produc-tivity and retention levels. It must beinstitutionalised to effect essential innerand structural changes that will shapethe DOD into a more inclusive work-

ing environment that embraces humandignity and mutual respect.Institutionalising diversity managementwill further convert an unfriendly work-place atmosphere into a welcoming envi-ronment where people freely communi-cate their opinions without fear of careerlimitation or victimisation.

The key to enhancing human dignity andsocial cohesion as well as discipline with-in a diverse environment is to be able toproperly interpret and implement rules,regulations and policies as well as proce-dures such as the DOD Shared ValuesSystem, Codes of Conduct,Transformation Management Policy,basic Military Cultural practices, andmany other policies. All Commanders aretherefore encouraged to ensure that allunit members and employees are familiarwith and understand all transformationmanagement related policies that regu-late the DOD with a view to advancingthe eradication of all forms of discrimina-tory practices in the workplace.

IMPORTANT POINTS TONOTE:

Valuing diversity starts with individ-uals; it starts with you. Treat people as individuals; avoid act-ing on perceptions, stereotypes orassumptions.Respect differences, try to look atthings from the other person's per-spective and be objective.Learn about issues that affect groupsof employees.Get all team members involved andrecognise individual strengths accord-ingly. Use equal performance standards forall workers.Never underestimate other people'sopinions.Understand different cultural tenden-cies.Recognise and confront issues of dis-comfort.Appreciate and utilise different per-

spectives and styles of diverse work-ers.Recognise group differences in com-munication and perspectives.Provide feedback often and equallyto all members.Know the laws, policies and regula-tions to ensure equity in employ-ment of human resources.Be aware of and condemn differentforms of discrimination.Confront behaviours (e.g. racist, sex-ist, stereotypical, discriminatorypractices, etc) according to the laiddown prescripts.Convey clear expectations.

Our organisation is a new organisationand it requires a new form of leadershipand management style, e.g. leadershipthat embraces and respects diversity,with a view to making the DOD one ofthe most harmonious institutions in thecountry.

Diversity management is in the midst ofprofound transformation. All DODUnit Commanders are therefore encour-aged to embark on diversity manage-ment training for all members andemployees to effect change, which willhelp the organisation to retain produc-tive workers, foster understandingamong the diverse workforce and main-tain social cohesion.

Let us all unite in condemning actionsand statements that threaten social cohe-sion and continue instead to promoteacceptance and understanding amongall DOD members and employeesregardless of race, culture, ethnicity,gender, background, disability, etc.

Remember that diversity means no onecan sit back, but we should want to bepart of a common goal in which ourdiversity remains a source of culturalenrichment and social stability for all.

"UNITED IN DIVERSITY"

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ssoocciiaall responsibilityS A S O L D I E R

By Cpl Ally RakomaPhotos: WO1 Christo Crous and Sgt Elias Mahuma

ver the past decade, the SouthAfrican government throughthe SANDF has taken its prop-er place in the community ofnations in being proactive inthe collective security in theregion and the continent as a

peacekeeper.

The SANDF has embarked on a numberof initiatives to promote regional andcontinental stability under the patronageof the UN and AU.

With the expansion of UN Peacekeeping

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The SANDF supports humanitarian aid for Somalia

resolutions came the recognition thatpeacekeepers would need to serve in avariety of functions, both in the tradition-al military functions and humanitarianrelief operations supporting post-warrecovery, demining, disarmament andelections. The SANDF has become a bea-

"As a South African, itreally feels good to knowthat we are goodwillambassadors helping tomake a difference to thedesperate population,"Col Khumalo said.

Members of the SANDF repackage food aid supplies at AFBWaterkloof in Pretoria to be airlifted to Somalia.

con of hope in different parts of tur-moil stricken countries in Africa, suchas the DRC, Burundi, Sudan, Ethiopia,Eritrea, and the Central AfricanRepublic.

Humanitarian assistance and peace-keeping have been important to theSouth African Government's efforts toensure a better Southern Africa, thuscontributing to a better Africa.

In this regard the SANDF has part-nered with the Department ofInternational Relations andCooperation (DIRCO), and the Gift ofthe Givers Foundation in response tothe UN appeal to offer humanitarianassistance to the draught strickencountry of Somalia.

On 16 August 2011 the SA Air ForceC130 Hercules airlifted 18 tons of aidfrom Air Force Base Waterkloof inPretoria to Mogadishu in Somalia. The

Urgently needed medical supplies, including anti-malaria medicationand water containers, being loaded at AFB Waterkloof.

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ssoocciiaall responsibility S A S O L D I E R

ABOVE: Welcomeaid: SANDF person-nel, Gift of theGivers and relief aidagencies unloadrelief supplies from aC130 transport air-craft onto a truck fordistribution inMogadishu and therefugee camps.

The SANDF showing UBUNTU beyond our borders: The C130transport aircraft crew who delivered much-needed supplies toSomalia.

airlift was part of a massive drive byGift of the Givers to take much neededfood and medical supplies to millions ofrefugees fleeing the country's droughtand hunger.

SA Soldier spoke to Mr Ekream Omar,the Transport, Logistics and PackagingProject Manager for Gift of the Givers.He said that the Gift of the Givers hadbeen collecting food, water, and medicalsupplies for its relief response to Somaliafor over a month. He mentioned that theflight, provided by the SANDF, deliv-

Col David Khumalo, the OfficerCommanding of Joint LogisticsOperations Support Unit, spoke to SA

Soldier and said that as the SANDF,they were deeply concerned aboutthe plight of the Somalian people.The situation in Somalia had deterio-rated to such a level that it left a trailof devastation affecting the popula-tion, with mostly infants, young chil-dren, pregnant women and womenfacing starvation. He added that hislogistical team had spent hours help-ing to offload a Gift of the Giverstruck and repackage the supplies inrecord time for the airlift to Somalia(Mogadishu).

Col Khumalo commented and said:"As a South African, it really feelsgood to know that we are goodwillambassadors helping to make a dif-ference to the the desperate popula-tion. I am extremely proud of thesemen and women who unconditional-ly serve humanity. Let us not behelpless spectators when a disastersuch as this happens."

ered 112 tons of aid in twoweeks. Another shipmentof 500 tons would soonleave for the war-torn,drought-stricken country.So far food aid, cookingutensils, tents and otheritems have beeen distribut-ed to thousands of peoplein refugee camps nearMogadishu.

Mr Omar thanked theSANDF and the SouthAfrican public for being ofgreat help during this crisis.More assistance and dona-tions for the mercy missionis, h owever, needed:including educational toysfor thousands of childrenliving in the camps. Hesaid: "The best of people, like theSANDF, are those who benefitmankind."

ABOVE: Working around the clock to unload theGift of the Givers truck and repackage the suppliesin record time for the airlift to Somalia.

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ffooccuuss on securityS A S O L D I E R

Cpl Ally RakomaPhotos: Sgt Elias Mahuma

he Southern African Develop-ment Community (SADC)Defence Chiefs, as well as headsof intelligence agencies met in ahistoric meeting on regional anti-Piracy strategy to work out a

joint anti-piracy and maritime crime strat-egy at the Velmore Estate outsidePretoria from 24 to 27 July 2011.

The Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, accompa-nied by the Chief of the SANDF, GenSolly Shoke, addressed the attendees dur-ing the welcoming function anddescribed the meeting as a historic occa-sion, as this was the first time that all theDefence Chiefs of the SADC had gath-ered in the same place, and South Africaand its SADC neighbours were ready towork collectively on a joint antipiracyand maritime-crime busting strategy.

She said that the effectiveness of themeeting would be higher if individualcountries combined their efforts ratherthan if each member country had a planof its own. It was important that theSADC Defence Committee should syn-chronize its legislative, political, economicand judicial policies to allow armedforces of the member countries to operateswiftly and effectively against maritimecriminals, including pirates.

"The SADC member states should put inplace robust laws to curb piracy effective-ly. The current practice of 'catch-and-release' of pirates should be stopped,since it allows experienced pirates to exe-cute more sophisticated acts of piracy andthere have been around 1600 acts of pira-cy, which have caused 'immeasurableharm'," said Minister Sisulu.She said that the increase in piracy off the

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SADC Defence Committee united against Piracy

Horn of Africa was directly linked to con-tinuing insecurity and the absence of therule of law. In this respect piracy hadincreased the cost of trade. "As regions areincreasingly regarded as threatened bypiracy, they are seen as unstable, orvolatile, and entire trading routes arealtered, insurance premiums increase, andcargo shippers use alternative ports topick up and deliver their goods," she said.

The meeting provided a forum to estab-lish a common framework of cooperationand a regional network of maritimenations for a free and secure maritimedomain. Regional issues of mutual inter-est were discussed and the strategic rami-fications of the SADC initiative were high-lighted as a major development in themaritime arena. Regional maritime securi-ty capabilities were required would makeSADC region a world-class maritimeplayer and this would boost economic

development.

There was much discussion on trans-national maritime networks that poseda threat, human trafficking, piracy, ter-rorism and other factors that couldretard regional maritime and generaleconomic interests. The provision ofmaritime environmental protection andmaritime resource co-ordination wouldensure the safety of seafarers, charteredvessels and other shipping. Coastalmonitoring, surveillance, identificationand tracking would be valuable to thenavies, government entities, portsauthorities and maritime industry.

Gen Solly Shoke, the Chief of theSANDF, pointed out that SADC mem-ber states would have to take responsi-bility for their own maritime security inco-operation with other regions, taskforces, navies and role-players.

Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans,stressing that the SADC must establish robust rules of engagementfor anti-piracy.

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eemmppllooyyeeee empowerment S A S O L D I E R

By Kgabo MashamaitePhotos: Sgt Elias Mahuma

or the first time in Africa approxi-mately 59 international seniormilitary personnel converged onthe Military Academy atSaldanha near Cape Town toattend the Fifth Senior Workshop

on International Rules GoverningMilitary Operations (SWIRMO) from 27June to 02 July 2011 to learn about the lat-est trends in international rules govern-ing military operations.

In his welcoming address, Lt Gen DerrickMgwebi, Chief Human Resources andActing Chief Joint Operations, said that

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Multinational military officerslearn about LOAC

the SANDF provided troops with thebest military training for the peace-sup-port operations on the continent."Globally, armed conflicts afflict theworld daily with cruelty, suffering anddeath, especially for those not in the busi-ness of war fighting. To lessen destruc-tion in times of armed conflict, whilstallowing the exertion of full militaryforce, we as commanders and plannersand executors of military operations needto know and understand the prescrip-tions of the Law of Armed Conflict(LOAC) and then rigorously implementand adhere to those stipulations."Lt Gen Mgwebi said. He encouragedcommanders to ensure that membersunder their command were aware of

International senior military personnel converged onthe Military Academy at Saldanha near Cape Town toattend the Fifth Senior Workshop on International RulesGoverning Military Operations.

Fltr: Lt Gen Derick Mgwebi C HR, Ms Christine Beerli, ICRC VicePresident, Maj Gen Manfred Mabuza GOC Training Command andMr Andrew Carswell at the opening of the 5th Senior Workshop onInternational Rules Governing Military Operations (SWIRMO) eventpresented by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)and hosted by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)on behalf of the African continent at the Military Academy, Saldanhafrom 27 June to 02 July 2011.

their obligations under the LOAC inorder to prevent breaches of the lawand, where necessary, to suppress andimplement a punitive measures.

According to Mrs Christine Beerli,ICRC Vice President, the decision tohave this seminar was motivated by adesire to empower the armed forceswith tools to enable them to under-stand international law and to limit thesuffering of people affected by armedconflict or internal violence. She hopedthe seminar would help the delegatesimplement human rights law and itspractice in the field of operations.

The highlight of the event was themock rescue operation of a hijackedvessel by four "thugs", which helpedput theories on general detention prin-ciples into action.

The simulated exercise involved four"criminals" who were surprised by anOryx helicopter carrying 4 SpecialForce Regt Langebaan members andthe South African Police Services(SAPS) coast maritime squad. Theyroped down onto the ferry and imme-diately took command from the bridge.The "criminals" were subsequentlyarrested.

During the closing ceremony Maj GenManfred Mabuza, GOC TrainingCommand, expressed his appreciationthat the ICRC had chosen the SANDFas the host. Maj Gen Mabuza urged thedelegation to consider the countrywhen planning their holiday schedule,and to explore all the tourist destina-tions the country has to offer.

The fifth SWIRMO seminar hosted bythe SANDF on behalf of the Africancontinent was also presented alternate-ly in English, Spanish and French to thedelegates; Lt Cols to Maj Gen from var-ious armed forces across the globe.

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Article and Photos by S SgtLebogang Tlhaole

ver the period 06 June to 01July 2011, the DirectorateLanguage Services presentedand piloted the first Arabicprogramme for 23 learners.The aim of the pilot pro-gramme was to assess how

first-time learners would fare in a peri-od of four weeks. The DirectorateLanguage Services can fully lay claim tothe fact that it has achieved its goal.

Directorate Language Services enhancesthe DOD language ability and supportsthe SANDF during Peace SupportOperations in terms of language capa-bilities. The Directorate also played acritical role throughout the world byequipping numerous military attachésand assistants in linguistically prior totheir appointments. In addition to thetraining Directorate language Servicesrenders interpreting, editing and trans-lation services in support of DOD objec-tives.

Since the SANDF started deploying tonon-English speaking countries it was

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Euphoria for the DOD

imperative to arm attachés with the lan-guages spoken in those countries, such asFrench or Kiswahili. Arabic is critical inthe SANDF because we are deployed inthe Sudan. This has led to the appoint-ment of an Arabic speaking languagepractitioner in the DOD.

After several efforts to acquire the ser-vices of an Arabic speaking languagepractitioner, the Directorate LanguageServices finally appointed Mr SimphiweLobi as the first language practitionerwith this capability in 2010. This appoint-ment enabled D Lang to pilot the firstArabic learning programme.

On 30 June 2011 the learners visited theSiyafunda Trust to be exposed to theArabic culture, language and religion.The centre funded Mr Lobi's education inthis field, which will be used throughouthis endeavours.

During their visit to the Siyafunda TrustMs Ruth Tutu, Director LanguageServices, said that it was a moment ofeuphoria for the DOD as it marked animportant achievement in the history ofthe department in the sense that it wasthe first Arabic programme to be devel-

The learners also visited the Siyafunda Trust to beexposed to the Arabic culture, language and religion.

oped and tested in the DOD.

She stated that the Department wasproud to have Mr Lobi as a PrincipalLanguage Practitioner who even thoughonly joined the DOD in November 2010,had been thrown in at the deep end.Through his dedication and commit-ment, he has expedited the develop-ment of an Arabic programme thatwould be instrumental in promoting theArabic language competency of DODmembers.

She thanked the learners for diligentlycompleting the course: "You are thecream of the crop and the meansthrough which the DirectorateLanguage will be able to provide Arabiclanguage training in the DOD. Sheurged them to continue with of thetraining, and to advance from the lowerto higher levels of Arabic languagecompetency so as to make a differencein the department.

Mr Lobi said that the learners couldpride themselves on having tried to thebest of their ability to learn as much aspossible within a short space of time.He said that it must be borne in mindthat the environment was totally differ-ent from the one they knew.

He added that Arabic had its ownalphabets, which differed markedly

The learners who attended the first Arabic course in the SANDF with MsRuth Tutu, Director Language Services, and facilitator, Mr Siphiwe Lobi.

from the English alphabets, andlearners had to learn to readand write from right to left. Inaddition Arabic has its owngrammar rules that also differedcompletely from those ofEnglish.

He concluded by saying that theDirectorate knew where im-provements were needed andas more Arabic learning pro-grammes are presented, moreinformation will be gathered toimprove on the approach toteaching the language.

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Article and photo by Capt LesibaKekana, ASB Limpopo, Com Officer

am Ewing once said: "Hard workspotlights the character of people". 1July 2011 was a proud day inthe history of the SA ArmySupport Base Limpopo inPolokwane as the day markedthe official inauguration parade

to bestow the highest honour, the rankof Honorary Colonel of the unit onAdvocate Abram Malose McCAPSMotimele. Distinguished guests fromthe home of peace, Limpopo Province,and the community of Polokwanegraced the occasion.

In his capacity as Honorary Colonel hewill act as the adviser to the officer com-manding and through personal exampleand attendance to unit activities, theseresponsibilities may include fosteringcivilian, local and regional connections,goodwill and support, as well as to fos-ter esprit de corps He will also representregimental alliances and unit interests.

Honorary appointments are done toconfer honour and acknowledgementon members of society who stand headand shoulders above the rest in terms oftheir contribution to the development oftheir country. Likewise the militaryacknowledges such contributions bybestowing these military honours ondeserving members of society that arean outstanding example, and esteemedleaders.

Hon Col Motimele said that the SANDFbelonged to the people of South Africaand reflected the new focus of the

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Adv Malose Motimele in the service of ASB Limpopo

democratic state as itwas often seen leadingpeacekeeping andhumanitarian missionsin Africa and beyond.He was gratified andfelt privileged to havethis Honorary rankconferred on him in theservice of ASBLimpopo.

CurriculumVitaeAdvocate AbramMalose Motimelematriculated in 1975 inSetotolwane Highschool. He obtainedthe following qualifica-tions: B.PROC at theUniversity of the North

Honorary appointments are done to conferhonour and acknowledgement on membersof society.

Col John Malepe, OC of ASB Limpopo (left)and Hon Col Malose Motimele mounted thepodium for the general salute.

Ltd, chairman of Audit Committee ofExcel, chairman of Council of Universityof South Africa (UNISA), chairman ofAudit Committee (National Departmentof Health) in terms of Public FinanceManagement Act, chairman ofNational Home Builders RegistrationCouncil, D.C., Secretary-General of theAFT National, member ExecutiveDeputy President (T.M. Mbeki)Consultative Council, member of LegalCommission of the National OlympicCommittee of South Africa (NOCSA),member of Bryneven Primary SchoolGoverning Body, member of NationalDefence Liaison Council, a presidentialappointment, Chairman of the Financeof Remuneration Committee (UNISA),chairman of the Motimele Commissionof Enquiry, Chairman of the Board ofTrustees: Black Lawyers Association -Legal Education Centre.

in 1980, LL.B. University of the North in1982, LLM Georgetown University LawCenter USA in 1987, diploma in trialAdvocacy at the Harvard University LawSchool, USA in 1987, Certificate ofArbitrator skills training course (AFSA)in 2003, Certificate of International medi-ation skills training course (AFSA) in2005.

Hon Col (Adv) Abram MaloseMcCCAPS Motimele SC serves in thefollowing bodies:Chairman of Board of Trustees of PeopleTrust, Chairman of SunTelecommunication (Pty) Ltd, chairmanof African Renaissance Holdings Ltd,Director of Armaments Corporation ofSouth Africa Ltd (Armscor), member ofthe Audit Committee of Armscor,Director of S.A. Link (Airliner), directorof Xcel Engineering & Management (Pty)

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By Ms Bibi SibanyoniPhoto: Sgt Elias Mahuma

new Chairperson was appoint-ed for the Spouses Forum atthe Thaba Tshwane ArmyCollege on 20 August 2011.This forum has been in exis-tence for over six years underthe leadership of Mrs Busisiwe

Ngwenya. Mrs Ngwenya was one ofthe spouses who was instrumental inthe formation of the SANDF SpousesForum, which she led with passion andpride.

This forum assists in the goodwill par-cel project which recognises the familiesof SANDF soldiers on deployment dur-ing the festive season. Over the yearsthe project has had many sponsors, andhas been ably assisted these ladies withtheir passion and dedication for thework that their husbands do each day.

Their work goes far beyond just sittingand building each other up on issuesthat each can relate to. Among othersocial responsibilities the spouses forumhas also adopted the orphanage schoolin Thaba Tshwane, which made nation-al news when the Minister of Defence,

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Spouses Forum Changes

Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, and former Chief ofthe SA Army now the new Chief of theSANDF, General Solly Shoke, donatedblankets and food hampers. It is fittingthat this forum is part of the greaterSANDF. For its work it has receivedmany accolades.

Under the leadership of Mrs BusisiweNgwenya the forum visited the womenlearners at the Saldanha MilitaryAcademy to celebrate NationalWomen's day 2011. The visit wasaimed at encouraging these womenwho work far from home to ensure thatthe mission and vision of the depart-ment are kept in good and disciplinedhands.

Mrs Ngwenya hands over the batton,with the money invested in the forumand a good legacy, to Mrs CharlotteShoke who also was previously thechairperson for the SA Army SpousesForum. Mrs Shoke is the spouse of theChief of SANDF, Gen Solly Shoke.

Mrs Ngwenya urged Mrs Shoke to con-tinue being the strong woman she hascome to know over the years: "Youhave been a backbone of the SA ArmySpouses Forum, as you take up more

The forum assists in the goodwill parcel project, recog-nising the families of SANDF soldiers on deployment.

Mrs Charlotte SbuShoke's Curriculum Vitae

Mrs Charlotte Shoke was born on the15th February 1952, attended school inSwaziland, and matriculated at StMichael's Girls High School. She joinedthe African National Congress and wentto Zambia where she furthered herstudies,obtaining a certificate in busi-ness management at the Evelyn HomeCollege of Journalism.

She went back to Swaziland, and servedin the underground structures of MK,where she supported the TransvaalMachinery headed by Guebuza (laterGen Nyanda). She was a courier ofintelligence information into and out ofSouth Africa, at great danger to her life.During the crackdown by theSwaziland Government on the libera-tion movement in the mid-80's, it wasfelt that Sbu's security had been com-promised. She had to leave Swazilandfor Zambia, with the children. Sheworked in the Treasury of the ANCuntil she was redeployed to Zimbabwewhere she continued with her studies,obtaining a diploma in business man-agement.

Upon her return to South Africa, Sbuattended childcare courses, and workedat the Jabulile Ndlovu Childcare Centrein Johannesburg, run by the SouthAfrican Communist Party. When thatproject closed, she devoted her time tochild care charity organisations in theinformal settlements in Midrand untilher time was cut short by her responsi-bilities as spouse of the Chief of theSouth African Army.

Mrs Shoke takes over the forum withmuch delight as MTN announced at theevent that they were going to adopt theforum. This partnership will enable theforum to achieve its goals tirelesslyknowing that MTN is behind them. MsMotsi Monare, a representative fromMTN said, " MTN is proud to adopt thisforum because of its commitment asactive agents of social change. We asMTN we are stirred by the work aheadand urge you to continue touching thehearts of those around you."

Mrs Busisiwe Ngwenya hands over the file ofall statements of accounts and the constitutionof the forum to her successor, Mrs CharlotteShoke.

responsibility, Iknow you will excel.To the other ladies ofthe Forum pleasecontinue to supportmy successor withthe same measure ofcommitment anddedication you havegiven me. You areindeed in goodhands and I wouldnot have had anyother person takeover the reins fromme. She is soft-spo-ken voice, yet herleadership and disci-pline are clear".

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eevveennttssS A S O L D I E R

Article and Photos by S Sgt Lebogang Tlhaole

he Chief of the SANDF, GeneralSolly Shoke, visited the LogisticsDivision and the Defence Inspec-torate Division on the 28 and 29June 2011 respectively. The aimof the visits was to be briefed onthe current operational status of

the two divisions.

The Logistics Division was established on1 April 1998 with the mandate to ensurean integrated logistic support service tothe DOD to ensure a sustainable SANDFthat is transparent, appropriate, affordable,adequate and accountable.

The Chief of Logistics, Maj Gen Nkonyeni,gave a briefing to the Chief of the SANDFin terms of the mandate, value chain,logistics strategy map, vision and missionof the Division, risks, logistics supportconcept, damage and losses, the logisticsprocess, current challenges and otherissues.

The Defence Inspectorate is a divisionwhich is driven by the need to deliver aservice of indisputable quality, integrityand reliability. It provides the DOD withindependent and objective internal audit,inspections and perception surveys, aswell as an anti-corruption and anti- fraudservice in order to add value to the organi-zations operations.

The Inspector General, Maj Gen Petanebriefed the Chief of the SANDF on theDivision's vision and mission, structure,functions, plan of action, business plan, theMinister's priorities, the Auditor General'sreports, damage and loss of assets, chal-lenges and successes. He added that interms of Ministerial priorities the follow-ing were being audited: the enhancementof the SANDF's peacekeeping capabilityand landward capabilities, maritime secu-

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CSANDF visits the Logisticsand Defence InspectorateDivisions

rity, Department of Defence Workscapability, revitalization of the res-erves, the border safeguardingfunction, and combat and mission

readiness audits. The Chief of theSANDF thanked the two divisions forbriefing him on their current operationalstatus.

The aim of the visits was to be briefed on thecurrent operational status of the two divisions.

Gen Solly Shoke, the Chief of SANDF receiving a token ofappreciation from the Chief of Logistics, Maj Gen Nkonyeni.

Maj Gen Petane hands over a gift to Gen Solly Shoke, the Chiefof the SANDF during his visit to the Defence InspectorateDivision.

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Article and photo by Maj MerleMeyer, Communication Officer, SAArmy Infantry Formation

outh Africa the America ofAfrica" these are the words ofthe well-known journalist andmilitary analyst, Mr HelmoetRömer-Heitman. With thesewords Mr Heitman started hispresentation at the SA Army

Infantry Formation presented a sympo-sium held at the CSIR in Pretoria on 6and 7 July 2011. The aim of the sympo-sium was to look at "equipping theInfanteer for the future".

The Infantry Officers Commandingwere briefed on the African situation bythe knowledgeable speakers, such as MrHeitman, Prof Mike Hough from theUniversity of Pretoria, Strategic Studiesand Dr Martin Rupiya from the AfricanPublic Policy and Research Institute.

All these speakers had one thing in com-mon and that is that war affects theeconomy and civilians. This leads to themass movement of people, somethingthat South Africa is presently experienc-ing and this needs to be addressed bythe increase in border safeguarding.An interesting observation from DrRupiya was that civilians normally reactmuch quicker to the war/unrest thanthe military. The establishment of a war-economy is done very quickly even if itmeans mounting an automatic rifle onthe back of a Nissan bakkie. Thisemphasised the perception that all mili-tary power is relative, you can have thebest equipment, but there may not beany roads or airstrip and therefore thesoldiers cannot move.

All the speakers mentioned the hugeinfluence of cyber-war and the unrest inEgypt and Libya were used as models,where the rebel movements weremobilised via cell phone and face book.

In Africa the face of the conflict has alsochanged from a battle between differentmilitary powers to the civil unrest lead-

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Infanteers looking to the futureThe aim of the symposium was to look at "equippingthe Infanteer for the future".

Senior officers observed the latestinfantry combat vehicle and equipmentfor various terrains.

With this background, the question wasposed, how do we equip the Infanteer forthe future? In order to answer this ques-tion these speakers mentioned severalaspects that need to be taken into consid-eration in the training and equipping ofthe Infanteers. In the Democratic Repub-lic of the Congo (DRC) there is 11 000 kmof waterways and the Infanteer can navi-gate on the water, live on and from theriver. On the other side of the coin thereis the Sudan, which is a desert area.

The terrain where the battles will takeplace is mostly built up areas and attackswill come from soldiers who are welltrained, militias or rebel forces, civiliansand even child soldiers. Soldiers needs tobe trained in air assault, to operate inboth desert, and on water, jungles, moun-tains, built up areas and in a countrywhere a strange language is spoken.Additional to these aspects the OfficersCommanding were informed by MrPhillip Roach and Mr Theo van Dyk,

“ ing to the over throw of thelocal government. Civil unrestis enhanced by unemploymentand other underlying factors ofrevolution, such as corruption,mismanagement, the treatmentof minorities and police brutal-ity. In the next few years thebattle over resources such aswater and energy (wood) andfood may increase and lead tomore civil unrests.

The present day war has takenanother interesting turn in thecapture of innocent civilians,such as tourist, contract work-ers and boats as hostages andthe increase of piracy. In thisregard the incidence of piracyhas moved down to theMozambique coast and there-fore approaching our sea-bor-ders.

both from the CSIR, on improvisedexplosive devises, ranging from boobytraps, innocent looking containers, com-mon explosives etc which causes majordamage not only to humans, but alsovehicles, buildings and even aircraft.With all this in mind various defenceindustry companies exhibited their latestequipment and vehicles. On 7 July 2011the members had the opportunity toshoot with the latest weapons and theywere also treated to a demonstration ofthe impact of improvised explosivedevices and the evening they tested vari-ous night sight and associated equip-ment.

The Infanteer of the future must bemulti-skilled, equipped for various ter-rains, able to work with civilians, trainand operate with the police and even tobe skilled in cyber-warfare. Truly a tallorder, but one for which the Infantry canprepare and aim to obtain the correctequipment.

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ffooccuuss on environmentS A S O L D I E R

Capt (SAN) Adri Liebenberg, SSOEnvironmental Services, ChiefLogistics, Directorate Facilities

nvironment for Operations aimsat providing environmentalintelligence and information toensure adherence to departmen-tal and national environmentalrequirements and considerationsas well as minimising the mili-

tary footprint on the environmentthrough environmental integration in theplanning and execution of Joint,Combined and multinational exercises."

Ex SHARED ACCORD was a bilateralPeace Support Operation (PSO) andHumanitarian Relief Exercise betweenSouth Africa and the United States thattook place in the Eastern Cape Provincefrom 18 July to 5 August 2011. This exer-cise had been planned following of theDefence Committee discussions thattook place in 2009 between the twocountries.

The requirement for environmental par-ticipation in Exercise SHAREDACCORD was channelled through ChiefJoint Operations (C JOps) and the SA-USPre-defence Committee that took placein March 2010. As this was the first fullenvironmental participation in a bi-national exercise, an Ex Environmental

E

Environment for Ops Reducingthe Military Footprint

Planner and an Ex Environmental Officerwere deployed as part of the CombinedHeadquarters and were under directcommand of the Ex Cdr to form part ofthe specialist staff of the J-9 staffs.

The deployment of approximately 300joint personnel at the Combined HQ in

the Combined HQ ensured the fulltimeemployment of two members of theWaste Trade Company for the ten daysof full deployment and resulted in therecycling of about 2,5 tons of wastematerials that ultimately did not placean additional burden on the local land-fill site (see Figure 1).

Minimising the militaryfootprint on the envi-ronment through envi-ronmental integration inthe planning and execu-tion of exercises.

Separation and recycling of wastematerials created additional jobs forthe duration of the deployment.

“

Port Elizabeth created a lot ofrecyclable materials such ascardboard, plastics, glass andplastic bottles as a result of theuse of the Meals-Ready-To-Eat(MREs) or "Rat Packs" providedby the US Marine Forces.

In order to minimise the vol-ume of waste materials landingup at the municipal landfill sitein Port Elizabeth, a local recy-cling company, the WasteTrade Company was utilised toplace separation bins for collec-tion and removal of all recy-clable materials prior to dump-ing waste at the local landfillsite.

This measure implemented at

20 Jul 1121 Jul 1122 Jul 1123 Jul 1125 Jul 1126 Jul 1128 Jul 1129 Jul 1130 Jul 11

TotalTotal Tonnage

Other Plastics

32

32

64

Card-board

12022080140300160100180140

1 4402 483

Cans

56

56

Glass

4537

2406014092100140854

PlasticBottles

40

29

69

Figure 1: Statistics of Waste Recycled at Combined HQ in Port Elizabeth

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Capt (SAN) Adri Liebenberg, SSOEnvironmental Services, ChiefLogistics, Directorate Facilities

t the request of the CoegaHarbour Environmental Section,a Maritime Spill Prevention andResponse Exercise was plannedand conducted as part of ExSHARED ACCORD. The aimwas to execute the Port of

Coega Spill Response Plan by means of aconstructive as well as a live simulation.

All local and national stakeholders wereinvited by the Transnet National PortsAuthority, including the Department ofEnvironmental Affairs (Oceans andCoasts), the South African MaritimeSafety Association (SAMSA), the PortElizabeth Disaster Management Centre,Municipal Environmental Law Enforce-ment and Non-governmental Organi-sations (NGOs). This co-operative exer-cise took place from 25 to 27 July 2011 inPort Elizabeth and the Coega Harbourand consisted of an introductory work-shop, a constructive simulation (CPX)and a live simulation (FTX).

Maritime SpillPreparedness andResponse Workshop

The workshop took place on 25 July2011 at the Port Elizabeth DisasterManagement Centre and was aimed atproviding all participants in the exercisewith background information prior to

A

The management of maritime spills

the execution of the rest of the exercise.The topics presented ranged from theproperties, movement, and the fate of oil,sensitive areas, response phases andstrategies, response equipment, planning,plans, and response organization (includ-ing th introduction of port and diasplans) and health and safety.

The workshop was presented in collabo-ration with two environmental engineersfrom the US Navy Europe, Mr JohnOwens and Mr Brock Durig, and wasattended by all national and local stake-holders and role-players, including theengineer personnel from the SAS DRAK-ENSBERG.

CPX

The constructive simulation took place on26 July 2011 at the Port of Coega and wasaimed at simulating the command andcontrol systems between stakeholders ofthe Coega Spill Plan. A Joint OperationsCentre (JOC) was established at the port.With the assistance of the Centre forConflict Simulation (CONSIM) of the SA

National War College that created sce-narios and injects were created for man-aging different issues relating to the off-shore spill. The exercise led to the reali-sation that stakeholders needed to deter-mine boundary management and worktogether for an effective response.

FTX

The live simulation was aimed at simu-lating the response to an actual oil spillin the harbour by the deployment of theharbour spill equipment at the Port ofCoega on 27 July 2011. This exercise, incollaboration with the Transnet NationalPorts Authority, was a great success andwas considered the first of further collab-orative efforts to develop capability formaritime spill prevention and response.

Exercising our spill plans is important, asit gives us the chance to realise that envi-ronmental spill damage prevention planscannot be successfully executed by oneentity. It is for this reason that we wouldlike to thank the Department of Defencefor its assistance in this regard.

The exercise led to therealisation that stake-holders needed to deter-mine boundary manage-ment and work togetherfor an effective response.

Live simulation of an oil spill in the Coega Harbour

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32

By Dr Genevieve Langdon (repre-senting The Blast Impact andSurvivability Research Unit)

cademics at the University ofCape Town led by Prof GeraldNurick gave South Africa a vis-ible presence in the defenceresearch field. Investigatingeverything from the detonationof a landmine, through to the

structural and human response (surviv-ability) of blast and impact targets, theyhave been raising the reputation ofSouth Africa at academic conferencesworldwide.

In October 2010 Prof Nurick was invitedas an honoured guest to speak to thewell respected Society for ExperimentalMechanics Fall conference, IMPLAST2010 held in Providence, US. During hiskeynote address, he reviewed much ofthe research work conducted by theBlast Impact and Survivability ResearchUnit (BISRU) team over the last tenyears. He focused on the contributionsmade in the field of lightweight materi-als subjected to blast loading. Specialsessions were held in his honour and hewas given a plaque acknowledging hishuge contribution in the field of impactand blast research. Shortly afterwards,Prof Nurick was also an invited speakerto a special workshop on "Modelling

A

Blast impact and survivabilityresearch unit

Investigating everything from the detonation ofa landmine, through to the structural andhuman response (survivability) of blast andimpact targets, they have been raising the repu-tation of South Africa Africa at conferences.

Prof Nurick with his award.

Examples of lightweight materials subjected to blast -:A sandwich panel.

and behaviour of lightweightmaterials", held in Norway.

The BISRU team has beentesting the latest lightweightmaterials in a major effort todiscover the very best materi-als for use in blast resistantstructures. Composites,hybrid metal/composites andsandwich materials have allbeen scrutinised under care-fully controlled blast condi-tions.

Another example of ongoingresearch is the simulation andtesting of scaled V-shapedhulls. A V-shaped hulldeflects much of the blastwave away from the vehicle,improving its survivabilitybut increasing its visibility onthe battlefield, and making itmore prone to toppling.Using the latest computerpackages, the effect of explo-sions on V-shaped structuresare explored. The softwareallows the BISRU team toanalyse different geometriesto find the best hull shape forblast resistant vehicles. Thesoftware results are thenchecked against scaled exper-iments to ensure that all theimportant response featuresare accurately captured by

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the model, thus enabling the team topredict how design changes will affectblast performance. Ultimately, onceBISRU has gained a fuller understand-ing of how the V-concept works, theteam want to try and move on to flatbottom hull technology.

BISRU is home to a globally uniqueexperimental footprint including ablast chamber, high strain rate materi-als testing facilities, drop-mass impactrigs and a purpose built sled tester.

BISRU partners with LandwardSciences (from the CSIR) and Armscor(through project BLAZE). This uniquetri-partite alliance enables BISRU toundertake fundamental research thatadvances the interests of the defenceindustry. Besides world-class qualityresearch, BISRU engages in humancapital development and in trainingthe next generation of engineers inresearch and development skillsthrough its programme of M.S.c andPh.D education. BISRU also con-tributes to improving the skill-base ofthe present defence workforce bysupervising engineering professionalswho are working full-time in industry.A number of graduates from the CSIRand Armscor have completed theirhigher degrees through the part-timestudy.

Contact BISRU: genevieve.lang-don@uct.ac.za

Figure: A V-shaped hull deflecting blast waves away from the vehicle, reducing damage and potentiallysaving lives.

Examples of lightweight materials subjected to blast -:A hybrid metal-composite material.

Examples of lightweight materials subjected to blast -:A honeycombcore (computer simulation).

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By Walter Volker

t long last we have a compre-hensive and insightful pub-lished history of the SouthAfrican Corps of Signals (SACS)and its antecedents. WalterVolker has written a superb tril-ogy of books directly relating to

the fragmented and complex history ofthe various Telegraph and SignallingCorps within South Africa, and the sub-sequent formation of the South AfricanCorps of Signals and its developmentover the years. This is a monumentalwork and includes details on individu-als, unit history and corps history as wellas insignia and many photographs. Averitable cornucopia of communications.

Signals are an invisible elite, providingcommunications so that command andcontrol can be effectively maintained.Without Signals there will be no victory.The ability of an army can be often mea-sured by the size and quality of its SignalCorps. The validity of this statement canbe recognized by reading the history ofthe South African Corps of Signals. Itscomplexity will surprise many.

The SACS showed a huge ability toadapt and change to new technologiesand doctrine, and very interestingly itsclose association with Industry to pro-duce and introduce all types of new andbleeding edge means of communication.

For the military historian the SACS his-tory fills in a long anticipated gap in theknowledge of military communicationsbased on the old Royal Signals valuesbut adapted to the needs of the region,politics and the Information Technologyage. A comparison between Australia,Canada, UK, India and otherCommonwealth countries would bemost interesting.

Walter Volker has done great service tothe SACS and has set the standard for

A

History of the SACorps of Signals

military history in South Africa.His books are:

Army Signals in South Africa: TheStory of the South African Corps ofSignal and its antecedents.Signal Units of the South Africa Corpsof Signals and Related Signal Services.9C - Nine Charlie! Army Signallers inthe Field: The Story of the Men andWomen of the South African Corps ofSignals, and their Equipment.

* The books are available from VeritasBooks at the cost of R450 each, or R1200 for a set of three, plus postage.Information or orders can be addressedto:Walter and Trudie VolkerPO BOX 37672, Faerie GlenPretoria, 0043 , South Africa+27-82-851-6166Volker@boardwalkmanor.co.za

Cliff LordHon Hist RNZ SigsAuckland, New Zealand

Cliff Lord is Honorary Historian forRoyal New Zealand Corps of Signals.Served as a Cipher Operator in RoyalSignals in 1960s in England, Germanyand on Active Service in South Arabia(Aden), Author of Swift & Sure withProf Laurie Barber (history of RNZSignals). New Zealand ArmyDistinguishing Patches 1911-1991 (twovolumes) with Malcolm Thomas. TheArmed Forces of Aden 1839- 1967, withDavid Birtles, Anzac Elite with JulianTennant, The Royal Corps of Signals:Unit Histories (1920-2001 and theirAntecedents with Dr Graeme Watt, TheRoyal Corps of Signals: Unit Histories(1920-2001 and their Antecedents -Supplement. Two books are with thepublishers: Invaluable Service, withProf. Des Ball, and The Armed Forcesof Aden and the Protectorates 1839-1967 (rewrite of original book with pref-ace by Sultan Ghalib of theHadhramaut.

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Op CORONA SANDF female soldiers dancing to the local artist tunes during the J TAC HQ MP Women'sday celebration held in their honour for the success of the mission in Mpumalanga on 10 August 2011.

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By Col Wim Alberts

he South African Military SkillsTeam competed in the 2011CIOR (Confederation Interalliédes Officiers de Reserve)Summer Congress Competitionheld in Warsaw Poland during

August 2011.

The Reserve Force Council under thechairmanship of Dr John Job wasawarded Associate Membership of theCIOR in 2010, which allowed SouthAfrica to enter more than one team forthe prestigious competition, which wasattended by over 11 different NorthAtlantic Treaty Organisastion (NATO)countries.

This military competition for reservistsof all ranks consists of the following dis-ciplines:

Rifle and pistol shooting competi-tion (using the service rifle and pis-tol of the host nation). In this com-petition the P-83 pistol and BerylRifle (the NATO version of theAKM) was used. Land obstacle course (using theNATO standard military pentathlonobstacle course).Water obstacle course (using theNATO standard military pentathlonwater obstacle course). This is donein full combat uniform.Military orienteering march (basedon the civilian sport of orienteering)and incorporating the followingadditional events along the route:map-reading competition, rangeestimation competition and handgrenade throwing competition.

A First Aid Competition and Law ofArmed Conflict Competition also tookplace.

T

SA traditional regiments takes on NATO's best

The South African competitors wereselected from participants in the SouthAfrican competition that was held inPotchefstroom in November 2010.

An initial training group was selected,and after rigorous training two teams ofthree members were selected, includingone reserve (Lt Sifiso Nene fromTransvaal Horse Artillery). Col WimAlberts of the Defence Reserves Divisionwas the coach and manager of the team.

South Africa 1: Lt Zakes Ditshego

(Mobile Deployment Wing), Sgt LeonDaniels (Transvaal Scottish) and ABRock Muchlanga (Navy Reserves).

South Africa 2: Maj David Labuschagne(3 Parachute Battalion), Capt Dougie leRoux (3 Parachute Battalion) and 2LtEdward Murray (Cape TownHighlanders).

The Netherlands invited the SouthAfrican team to train with them inOirschot near Eindhoven in Holland.The team then attended an orienteering

The prestigious competition was attended by over 11different North Atlantic Treaty Organisastion (NATO)countries.

Lt Sifiso Nene (third place with International Team), Col Wim Alberts(Manager and Coach) and 2Lt Edward Murray (third place in theRifle and Pistol Combined Competition).

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training exercise at Marburg inGermany before departing for Warsawfor the competition.

Lt Nene was allocated to an interna-tional team consisting of all the reservesof participating countries, which thentook part as an international team.

The Polish Defence Force built a specialnew land obstacle course with highquality finishing, which impressed all.The track was covered with a rubbercoating, which made the track ratherfast, thus benefiting participants.

All teams had cadets allocated to themas guides and translators. They assistedour team and went out of their way tomake our stay memorable.

The South African team did very wellin the shooting and land obstacle com-petitions. Unfortunately Capt Dougiele Roux ruptured his patella tendonjumping off one of the obstacles andhad to withdraw from the competition.

Orienteering is still one of the SouthAfrican weak points and although someteam members took part in the Gautengorienteering championships before theyleft, the level of the European countriesis just so much higher than what we findin South Africa.

2Lt Murray caused a stir when he wonthe training day competition. However,he could not maintain the high standardhe set for himself and slipped back tothird position. His third position is agreat achievement and motivation forother team members.

Lt Nene as part of an International teamcame third in the category forInternational Teams. This was also agreat achievement as the competition inthat category is very fierce.

Both teams performed rather well andwe now have a solid base to work fromfor the near future. Special thanks aredue to the Reserve Force Council forfunding the athletes and to DefenceReserve Division which is a co-organiser

of the South African Competition, andto the Light Artillery Regiment inPotchefstroom which always hosts thecompetition and subsequent trainingweekends. (Next year the competitionwill be in Copenhagen in Denmark.)

We are looking forward to the SouthAfrican Championships that will beheld in Potchefstroom over the period17 to 23 October 2011.

Any Reserve Force member of anyrank can take part in the competition.The competition is divided into differ-ent age categories as well as a femalecategory. Any person that wishes totake part in this exciting Military Skillscompetition can enter via their ReserveForce units.

It is anticipated that more than 200 sol-diers will enter this year's competition.Four countries have already indicatedthat they would send teams. We arelooking forward to competing againstthe USA, the United Kingdom, theNetherlands and Italy.

The team: Lt Sifiso Nene, Maj David Labuschagne, Lt Zakes Ditshego, Col Alberts, AB RockMuchlanga, Sgt Leon Daniels, 2Lt Edward Murray and Capt Dougie le Roux.

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By Nelda PienaarPhotos: S Sgt Lebogang Tlhaole

n the evening of 11 July 2011Lt Gen Derick Mgwebi, thethen Chief of HumanResources, came to wish thedelegation of 89 members ofthe South African NationalDefence Force (SANDF) and

their Southern African DevelopmentCommunity (SADC) counterpartsfarewell and good luck for the 5th CISMMilitary World Games at a send-offfunction held at the NationalCeremonial Guard Mess in Pretoria. ThePeace Games were held in Rio de

O

A world united by sport

Janeiro in Brazil from 16 to24 July 2011.

The International Military SportsCouncil (CISM) was founded in1948 with the purpose of contribut-ing to world peace by uniting thevarious armed forces throughsports. The role of CISM since itscreation is friendship through sport.

The armed forces have a deep con-nection with sports and one of theexplanations for this relates to theindividual's body efficiency, both inregard to his physical strength andhis specific skills. Being fit to fightin a war and to hunt has been anecessary condition for survivalsince the beginning of mankind.The need for tools and techniquesto do these things has given rise toa large number of modern sportsmodalities, which have originatedin this context.

Being fit to fight in awar and to hunt hasbeen a necessary condi-tion for survival since thebeginning of mankind.

Capt Charles Beaurain (in front) competed in the triathlon at theGames where he beat all his male competitors from South Africa.

The SANDF team marching through the stadium during the openingceremony of the 5th CISM Military World Games in Rio.

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Let the Games begin

The opening ceremony of the 5th CISMMilitary World Games was held at theJoão Havelange Olympic Stadium(Engenhão) in Rio on 16 July 2011. ThePresident of CISM, Col Hamad KalkabaMalboum from Cameroon, thanked thePresident of Brazil for hosting the PeaceGames in Rio. Then he added: "I wishyou all good luck. Let the best win!" ThePresident of Brazil, Ms Dilma Rousseff,then officially declared the Gamesopened.

The theme of the opening festivities forthe Peace Games was the Brazilianfauna and flora, including the role of theArmed Forces in peacekeeping.Included among the special effects wasthe mascot, Arion, who appeared withother characters representing the ArmedForces (Army, Navy and Air Force),Firefighters and the Military Police (aux-iliary forces) - the peacekeeping troopsof Brazil.

Arion was a boy who was transformedinto a military super athlete, and whosemission was to promote peace throughsport. His name has a Greek origin andmeans "He that has energy". Arion wasaccompanied by his loyal sidekick, awhite dove, and the Peace Troops, rep-resenting the Armed Forces (Navy,Army and Air Force) and the auxiliaryforces. The Peace Games Messenger -Arion - aspired to strengthen the unionbetween nations and to encourage brav-ery among the military athletes.

Approximately 6 000 athletes from 110countries, including 2 000 coaches andmembers of technical commissionsparaded in front of the audience - morethan 45 000 people. The evening alsoincluded musical shows and a fireworksdisplay.

The well-known Pelé (Edson Arantes doNascimento) a member of the BrazilianArmy Football team in the fifties, partici-pated in lighting the Pyre (the flame ofpeace) at the end of the opening ceremo-ny. (Most people recognise Pelé as thegreatest football player the world hasever seen.)

Sport modalities

The sport modalities that were compet-ed in during the 5th CISM Military

World Games were divided into fourgroups: military, combat, individual andcollective sports. The SANDF athletescompeted in three of the four groups,namely military (naval pentathlon, mili-tary pentathlon and shooting), combat(boxing, judo and taekwondo) and indi-vidual (sailing and triathlon) sports.

Naval pentathlon

The naval pentathlon is composed of fiveevents: obstacle race, life-saving swim-ming, obstacle swimming race, seaman-ship race (rowing) and an amphibiouscross-country race. The amphibious cross-country race includes running, grenadethrowing, shooting, and rowing in aninflatable dinghy.

Altogether 11 countries participated inthe naval pentathlon held at the AdmiralAdalberto Nunes Physical EducationCenter Sport Complex at Cefan. It boastsa state-of-the-art obstacle course (recentlyinaugurated for the naval pentathlon

events), an athletics track, a water park,multi-sports courts, tennis courts, twofootball fields and a multi-sports gym-nasium.

The SA Navy team entered two men asindividuals and two women in thewomen's team competition.Unfortunately CPO Candre Roodmandeveloped a cyst in an armpit, whichseverely compromised her mobility,resulting in the women's team endingsecond last. The two men fared well andobtained personal best times in severalraces.

In the obstacle race LS Siphiwe Goba'stime was 2:18 sec and LS SiyabongaXhala's time 2:09 sec. Although theswimming events have traditionally notbeen the strong point of the team's per-formance, LS Goba came 22nd in themen's life-saving race and recorded apersonal best of 1 min 12 sec. He alsofared exceptionally well with a 39thposition in the utility swimming race.

The team on average fared well in theseamanship race with LS Goba record-ing an exceptional time of 4:52 sec. Theamphibious cross-country race yieldedgood results, with both men running

ABOVE: The opening ceremo-ny of the 5th CISM MilitaryWorld Games was held at theJoão Havelange OlympicStadium (Engenhão) in Rio on16 July 2011.

ABOVE: The Pyre - the flameof peace - burning for the dura-tion of the Games.

>> on page 40

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their personal best. Cdr Carl Gerstner,team captain of the SANDF naval pen-tathlon team, said: "Swimming is still abig problem and a swimming coach willhave to be identified to assist the athleteswith year-round programmes."

He added: "It must be borne in mind thatthis has and always will be an elite sportand that only a handful of athletes willbe good enough to be able to participateat a very high level. All events are, how-ever, naval related activities, which canbe scaled down or adapted to accommo-date members on a much lower level,thus encouraging greater participation.This is done annually during the SADCSea Week Competition, where countriessuch as Angola, Mozambique, Namibia,Tanzania and Zimbabwe participate."

CPO Clive Isaacs, the team coach, com-mented: "It was a great experience for usto participate in the CISM MilitaryWorld Games."

Military pentathlon

The military pentathlon includes shoot-ing, obstacle race, utility swimming,grenade throwing, cross-country raceand relay. These events were hosted atthe Colonel Eric Tinoco MarquesNational Modern Pentathlon Center situ-ated in the Vila Militar.

Altogether 162 male athletes from 32

countries competed in the MilitaryPentathlon Championship. The SANDFTeam managed to obtain 21st place. Chinacame first with the Republic of Korea inthe second place and Brazil third.

Capt Charles Beaurain obtained 59th posi-tion (individual category) with a total of 5112 points and was the best South Africanathlete in the Military PentathlonChampionship. He also competed in thetriathlon at the Games where he beat allhis male competitors from South Africa(he obtained an overall 42nd position outof 102).

obtained 119th position witha total of 4 549 points andTrooper Chief Nesengani124th position with a total of4 364 points.

Personal best times were alsoachieved by Capt De Wet (inshooting and obstacle swim-ming), Trooper Watkins (inobstacle running and obstacleswimming) and TrooperNesengani (in obstacle run-ning).

WO2 Piet Smit, the coach,said: "The Championshipswere of a very high standardand the pressure wasimmense on each individualathlete for the duration of thecompetition.It was a great experience toparticipate against the best of

The Naval Pentathlon team that represented the SANDF at the PeaceGames, fltr: LS Siyabonga Xhala, Cdr Carl Gerstner (team captain), CPOClive Isaacs, LS Patricia Mc Cue, LS Siphiwe Goba, CPO CandreRoodman.

>> from page 39

Lt Col Magriet Boswell, one of theSANDF shottists, competing at theGames.

Although there are no train-ing facilities for militarypentathlon in Nelspruit(where Capt Beaurain lives)he invariably beats his SouthAfrican competitors. He hasnever been beaten by anyother South African in aWorld Military PentathlonChampionship and he stillholds the record for thehighest total of pointsscored.

Capt Eugene de Wet, one ofthe other SANDF athletes,obtained 116th position(individual category) with atotal of 4 597 points, whileTrooper Martin Watkins

the best in the world and to excel duringthe competition. Congratulations to theteam that flew the South African Flaghigh in the most difficult military pen-tathlon competition in the world."

Lt Col Johann Zietsman, team captainmilitary pentathlon, said: "The availabili-ty of facilities plays a tremendous role inthe preparation of athletes. The use ofindoor shooting ranges with electronictargets and indoor swimming pools givea tremendous advantage to athletes fromother countries."

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Rfn Sandile Hlatshwayo (64 kg) boxing against Tejeda (Dominique).

Pistol shooting and rifleshooting

Another military sport was shooting,which was hosted at the GuilhermeParaense National Shooting Sport Center(CNTE) located in the Deodoro OlympicComplex with a capacity of 1 000 people.The SANDF competed in two shootingdisciplines, namely pistol shooting andrifle shooting.

Competitors in the shooting competitionrequired training, discipline and preci-sion, as each trial demanded a minimumof 60 shots on target. The shooting com-petition had 16 bouts, 8 for men and 8 forwomen.

After shooting on 22 July 2011 Lt ColMagriet Boswell, one of the SANDF shot-tists, said that she did not have such agood day at the shooting range. Sheexplained: "Every millimetre makes ahuge difference if one's arm does not liecorrectly …" Then she laughed:"Although, if it was the enemy or a buckwe would definitely be having biltongtonight!"

Lt Col Boswell added: "The shootingrange is excellent. If we could have sucha shooting range, it would be fantastic."

The most notable score by an SANDFshottist was achieved by Amn Juanette

Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF)events because of his specific skillsand knowledge.

Lt Col Evert Potgieter, the SANDFteam captain for pistol shooting andrifle shooting, said: "Firearm prefer-ence for specific ammunition for thebest weapon cycling and accuracy isa known factor, but the shottists didnot have access to bullet weight andcharge deviations as presented byvarious manufacturers of ammuni-tion."

He added: "Ammunition in the cali->> on page 42

ABOVE: The SANDF taek-wondo team, fltr: Lt Col GerritJansen van Rensburg, MajWillie Pakade, Capt AlfredSehone, Sgt Rodney Ahrends,Sgt Desmond Lakey, AB MbusoNgwabe and Maj Andrew April.

Viljoen (rifle shooting) in theprone event over a distance of50 m (individuals) with afinal score of 590/600. Eventhough it was Amn Viljoen'spersonal best, her positionoverall was 15th.

The competency level ofSouth African judges washighly rated. WO1 HendrikDreyer, who served as ajudge at the CISM MilitaryWorld Games, has been iden-tified for future employmentas a judge at International

ABOVE: In her first judo con-test Lt Bianca Visser (femaleu/63kg) lost against MarianaSilva from Brazil who is cur-rently ranked 18th on the IJFWorld Ranking list.

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bre .22 LR as used by the rifle shottistswere readily available for practice, buthigh-grade premium target ammunitionwas funded and bought privately tooffer the shottists an increased option ofsuccess."

Although the blame for less than perfectscores cannot be put solely on ammuni-tion, it was a major factor in the pre-paredness not being fully up to stan-dard.

Lt Col Potgieter said: "Enhancement oftarget and scoring systems will providea more accurate environment for shot-tists to prepare for competition in majorinternational events."

Boxing

The competition included 10 men's cate-gories divided according to the boxers'weight. The fights were divided intothree rounds of three minutes each andthe boxers were fitted out with glovesand head protectors. Constructed for theboxing competition, the gymnasium ofAdmiral Milcíades Portela AlvesInstruction Center is located at theGuando do Sapê Naval Complex inCampo Grande, and has a capacity of

400 spectators.

Brig Gen Gordon Yekelo, DirectorPhysical Training, Sport and Recreation,had the following to say about the stan-dard of our boxers during the PeaceGames: "Our boxers are talented and met

the standard. However, for all of them,except Cpl Sivuyile Dingiswayo (81 kg),this was their first experience at thislevel. Despite that the majority of themfought credibly and can hold their headshigh. We will return better prepared."

On 19 July 2011 Rfn SiphamandlaNotyandela (56 kg) beat Kadri Kordel(Tunisia). Unfortunately Rfn Notyandelainjured his hand and could not fight thenext day. Brig Gen Yekelo had the fol-lowing to say about the ill-timed injury:"The competition (boxing)Commissioner, Mr James Hunt, hasadvised us to send him to a specialist forexamination in order to avoid any possi-ble aggravation of the hand injury. Inthe same breath Brig Gen Yekelo saidthat Rfn Notyandela showed braveryand commitment and was obviously abetter boxer than his opponent.

WO1 Nigel Friesland, the referee, saidthe boxing during the Peace Games wasa wonderful experience for him. He wasasked more than any other to judge/refduring the boxing competitions. He wasecstatic and said he was going to attendthe first international referee course hecould. WO1 Friesland said that if allboxers could take ballroom dancinglessons to teach them to be on their toesthe whole time, it would help them intheir boxing …

Judo

Miécimo da Silva Sports Center, locatedin the district of Campo Grande, housedthe judo competition in the ZennyAzevedo Algodão Gymnasium, whichhas a capacity for 3 835 spectators. Therewere seven categories for men andseven for women, with fights of fiveminutes. It was one of the events withthe largest number of competitorssigned up. Altogether 55 countries wererepresented at the Games. The cate-gories for the men's competition were:up to 60 kg, up to 66 kg, up to 73 kg, upto 81 kg, up to 90 kg, up to 100 kg, andover 100 kg. In the women's competitionthe categories were: up to 48 kg, up to52 kg, up to 57 kg, up to 63 kg, up to 70kg, up to 78 kg, and above 78 kg. Inmost weight categories the players wereranked in the top 100 on theInternational Judo Federation (IJF)World Ranking list.

ABOVE: TAEKWONDO. ABMbuso Ngwabe (under 68 kg)versus Gregory Markiet(Suriname).

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ABOVE: The well-known EdsonArantes do Nascimento (Pelé),member of the Brazilian ArmyFootball team in the fifties, par-ticipated in lighting the Pyre (theflame of peace) at the end ofthe opening ceremony.

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The SANDF Judo Team con-sisted only of members thathad excelled at SA Nationallevel and the three membersare currently ranked in the topfour in South Africa. CdrHenriëtte Möller, the SANDFJudo team captain/coach/international referee, was alsorequested by the CISM JudoCommittee to act as a CISMobserver at the official weigh-inevery day.

The u/63kg division had themost competitors in all thefemale weight categories. In thefirst fight Lt Bianca Visser(female u/63kg) lost againsther competitor from Brazil whois currently ranked 18th on theIJF World Ranking list. In hernext fight she lost againstCroatia in a very equal contest.This placed her 9th overall.

There were 35 judokas in themale weight category (the mostcompetitors of all the male cate-gories). LS Justin Johannes

personal defence without weapons, thename of which reflects its main character-istics. The words "Tae" and "Kwon" mean"feet" and "hands" respectively, while "do"means "the way".

Altogether 48 countries participated in thetaekwondo competition held at theAdmiral Adalberto Nunes PhysicalEducation Center Sport Complex atCefan.

It was the first time that the SANDFTaekwondo Team participated in theCISM Military World Games, but themembers were well prepared and hadbeen selected at the SANDFChampionships. All the SANDF memberswere internationally registered black beltsin Taekwondo. The SANDF entered onlyfive male members, as no women quali-fied.

Maj Andrew April, the SANDFTaekwondo team captain, said that all themembers did well in their first competi-tion in the CISM Military World Gamesand one member, Capt Alfred Sehone(under 58 kg) went through to the quarterfinals, but lost. Maj April said: "It was avery good experience. We made lots of

friends and were invited to go and trainin Korea." The next Military WorldTaekwondo Championship is sched-uled to take place in Vietnam in 2012.The team captain concluded: "We havea lot of experience and will be betterprepared for the 6th CISM MilitaryWorld Games in South Korea in 2015."

Lt Col Gerrit Jansen van Rensburg, thecoach, said: "It was really a learningexperience. The members had to getused to electronic equipment that hadnever been used by the team before.The members did attack and kick, butthe points were not registered by thesystem as the sensors were not at the

ABOVE: The SANDF sailing team fin-ished 12th out of 25 countries with theirbest place in one race being third.

ABOVE: Trooper ChiefNesengani competing in theobstacle cross. He achievedhis personal best run in theobstacle crossing.

(male u/81 kg) drew an opponent fromPoland (ranked 100th on the IJF WorldRanking list) but unfortunately lost thecontest. The Polish judoka finally endedthird in the tournament. Cdr Möllersaid: "Although LS Johannes lost thefight, he showed potential to compete atthis high level as he managed to controlthe fight during the initial phases. Hislack of international experiences costhim the fight in the end. Owing to thefighting system used, it was not possibleto determine his final placing."

There were 34 judokas in the maleu/73kg weight category. AB DaanBosman (male u/73kg) drew an oppo-nent from Algeria (ranked 82nd on theIJF World Ranking list) in the firstround. He lost the fight by "Ippon", andthe Algerian went through to achieve7th place. Cdr Möller said: "AB Bosmanis only 21 years old and has a brightfuture in this sport at international level.Owing to the fighting system used, itwas not possible to determine his finalplacing."

Taekwondo

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art for >> on page 44

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The Green Village is one of three athletes' villages in Rio. For thefirst time in the history of the CISM Military World Games, the ath-letes' villages were of an Olympic standard.

SANDF members in the audience cheering on our team …

>> from page 39

area of impact. Everyday that the mem-bers participated there was an improve-ment in performance."

The coach was very positive about thedevelopment of the members participat-ing in Taekwondo. He felt that the objec-tives of the CISM Military World Games

had been realised. Lt Col Jansen vanRensburg said: "The members did welldespite competing against Olympicmedallists in the event."

Sailing

Individual sports of the Peace Games

included, inter alia, sailing and triathlon.The SANDF competed in both sportingcodes.

The Naval School with its gorgeous view,the oldest higher education institute inBrazil is on Villegagnon Island, inGuanabara Bay, where the Olympic lanefor the sailing race assembled.

Altogether 25 countries participated inthe sailing. The teams sailed a maximumof three races per day - depending on theweather - for five days.

WO1 Dave Herman, the coach of theSANDF sailing team, said: "Competitivesailing gives young sailors the opportuni-ty to grow both mentally and physically.It also enhances management and leader-ship skills, while a valuable spin-off is thecamaraderie that develops betweensailors."

He added: "The sport of sailing withinCISM is unique in that you only get topractise in the chosen craft the day beforeyour competition begins. This put us at adisadvantage as we did not having a sim-

ilar vessel in South Africa, so the onlysolution was to watch videos and dis-cuss what we saw."

The SANDF sailing team finished 12thout of 25 countries with their best placein one race being third.

It is almost impossible whenvisiting Rio to resist the appealof its 80 km of beaches, espe-cially the renownedCopacabana beach seen here.

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Above: The entrances to the different athletes' villages were mannedby security personnel round the clock for the safety of the athletes..

The greatest concern of the sailors wasthe strong wind, as wind is the onlyway to propel the boat in this sport.WO1 Herman said: "The tide played animportant role in how the competitorsapproached the racing; we do not havesuch big tides in our country, so for usit was a learning curve on a daily basis."

Triathlon

In a single day, with no interval or rest,the triathletes took on swimming,cycling and running. Just as in theOlympic Games the distances for thecompetition were 1.5 km for the swim-ming (the athletes could use any strokethey wished), 40 km for cycling and 10km for running.

It was the first time that an Africancountry was represented in triathlon atthe CISM Military World Games. CaptMarsha Wessels, the SANDF TriathlonChairperson, said: "Acknowledgementwas given and our representation wasrecognised."

Capt Wessels added: "Although therace was held on the last day of theGames, the triathletes still kept theirspirits high as they knew they were rep-resenting our country. This made it allworthwhile."

All members achieved their personalbest times after coming from thewinter season in South Africa. Theteam consisted of all four Services.All members had a wonderful experi-ence and carried the flag with honourand pride.

Capt Wessels concluded: "The road toBrazil was made possible by peoplewithin the SANDF, Denel, officers com-manding and members' commitment totheir training." The race was well organ-ised and of a high standard.

Accommodation

For the first time in the history of theCISM Military World Games, the ath-letes' villages were of Olympic stan-dard. The three athletes' villages werebuilt in Campos dos Afonsos, CampoGrande and Deodoro, boroughs in thesuburbs of Rio. There were 106 build-

ings with 1 206 apartments and a total of4 824 acclimatised rooms. After theGames they remain as a legacy for themilitary families who serve the ArmedForces in the city. The Green Village willalso be used during the 2016 OlympicGames as the umpires/referees village.

Culinary diversity

Each athletes' village boasted its ownrestaurant that offered exquisite meals.To enable the foreign delegations to tastea little bit of the veritable culinary diver-sity of Brazil the restaurant also offered atypical Brazilian dish on a daily basis.

Tourist attractions

A must see is the Statue of Christ onCorcovado Mountain - one of the SevenNew Wonders of the Modern World.The 38 m tall carioca icon was over-whelming and the panoramic view ontop of Corcovado Mountain breathtak-ing. One could see the islands and TijucaRain Forest … Another must see is SugarLoaf Mountain: the cable car to SugarLoaf Mountain reaches 396 metres.

It is almost impossible when visiting Rio

to resist the appeal of its 80 km ofbeaches, including the renownedCopacabana beach with its strikingpavement made of Portuguese blackand white stone, creating a wavymosaic.

Closing ceremony

After ten days of intense competitionit was time for the closing ceremony atthe João Havelange Olympic Stadiumon 24 July 2011. Military bands andmembers of the delegations and vol-unteers paraded on the field, theCISM Flag was lowered and passedon to the next host country (SouthKorea) while highlights of the Gameswere showed on big screens. The clos-ing show, with the quenching of thePyre and a fireworks display, markedthe farewell to thousands of athletesand other members of the delegations.

Afterwards it was party time at thethree villages. Everyone danced thevibrant Samba until the small hours…

… Until we meet again in South Koreain 2015.

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mmeessssaaggeeS A S O L D I E R

By Cpln J.J.F. (Rapula) Viljoen: 1 Military Hospital, Pretoria

o keep on growing in yourspiritual life is a challenge formany believers. After the initialspiritual energy that newbelievers experience they oftenfind themselves on a plateauwhere there is a lack of contin-

uous spiritual growth.

How can I keep on growing in life?There is no single simplistic answer. Itrather lies in discovering and applyingthe available resources for growth. Let'sname a few:

Continuous Study of theWord of God

Francis Bacon (1561-1626) said "Know-ledge is power". This is true for all disci-ples, not only for religion. The more youstudy the Bible, the more you will knowwhat God's will is for your life. This willcontribute to continuous growth.

Very few people can read the originallanguages in which the Bible was writ-ten. Therefore we depend on transla-tions. Unfortunately translations are onlysecond best to the original. Every trans-lation already reflects the translator'sinterpretation of the original text. It istherefore advisable, to utilize not onlyone translation, but to use a few Bibles.

Accompanying the different Bibles it isadvisable to make use of reputable com-mentaries and other trustworthy booksto learn more about the background andsituation in which the passage was writ-ten.

Fellow Believers

Spiritual growth is not only achieved instudying the Word on your own. If youlight a fire, you can't keep one log on its

T

Keep it up - resource for spiritual growth

After the initial spiritual energy that a new believerexperiences, how can I keep on growing in life?

Cpln J.J.F. (Rapula) Viljoen.

own burning. The moment you put afew logs together you'll find that the firegenerates heat and burns properly.Joining a regular Bible study group, callgroup or spiritual support group, createsthe same effect on your spiritual life.

Often people in the group give newinsight on a studied verse. You see theverse from a fresh angle and your viewcan do the same for the group.

A person who is more mature than youin his/her faith life, can be a wonderfulmentor to you. Paul reminded the youngTimothy: (2 Tim 1:5) "I have beenreminded of your sincere faith, whichfirst lived in your grandmother Lois andin your mother Eunice and, I am per-suaded, now lives in you also". (NIVTranslationListening to a sermon on a Sunday can

even become more appealing, if youactively take notes on paper and notonly listening passively. In the SANDFyou can obtain spiritual support fromyour Chaplain during and after work-ing hours. Chaplain's periods and otherChaplain's activities can be great valuefor your spiritual growth. The MilitaryChristian Fellowship is presented inmany unite and their meetings can be aresource for your spiritual develop-ment.

Physical Experience

It is known that people learn betterwhen they experience things. When tak-ing part in the sacraments, believers donot only hear or read the Word. Theyexperience the love of God for Hisworld when they sense the effect of thewater, the bread and the wine on and intheir bodies.

Holy Spirit

The most important motivator for spiri-tual energy is the Holy Spirit. BeforeJesus ascended into heaven hepromised: (Act 1:8) "But when the HolySpirit comes upon you, you will befilled with power…" (Good NewsBible), If the Spirit is not with us, and ifwe are not open to the Spirit, we canmake use of all other resources, but itwill be in vain.

Hebrews 3:14 encourage us: "For if wekeep the substance of the faith whichwe had at the start, even till the end, wehave a part with Christ".

Resources are only helpful if it is uti-lized. Make the most of them and enjoya great spiritual life, Keep it up!

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