Today, 2 May, we salute and honour the following men & woman who sacrificed their lives whilst standing in the defence of what they held dear at the time and against evil and tyranny.
SOUTH AFRICAN BORDER WAR
02 May 1982: 80586357CK Rifleman Karel Titus from the South African Cape Corps was killed when he was knocked down and run over by a civilian vehicle while carrying road block duties at Eersterivier. He was 29.
02 May 1982: 72481708PE Captain Leon van Wyk from 1 Parachute Battalion was Killed in Action east of Otavi during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents. A single SWAPO/PLAN insurgent was holding up in a shack on a farm. The shack was surrounded by a section of Paratroopers in the dark and after a heavy volume of fire had been brought to bear on the shack, Leon tried to enter it. However, the insurgent was still alive and fired at Leon with his AK-47 as he burst open the door. Leon was hit by several shots and severely wounded. He died shortly afterwards from his wounds. The insurgent escaped in the confusion. He was 26.
02 May 1984: Special Warrant Officer Benyamen Joseph from the SWA Police Counter-Insurgency Wing: Ops K Division (Koevoet) was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland. He was 37.
02 May 1985: 80021267SP Rifleman Piet Defransa from 201 Battalion SWATF was killed in a military vehicle accident. He was 21.
02 May 1987: Three members from 5 Reconnaissance Regiment were Killed in Action during a contact with enemy forces at Otchinjau in Southern Angola during Ops Bauwer. They were:
- 81525792PD Corporal Augusta Fernando. He was 26
- 81531692PD Corporal Martin Nyamhunga. He was 24
- 81539553PB Corporal Obadiah Malose Sebata. He was 25
02 May 1990: Two members from the Cape Regiment were accidentally killed when their Buffel Troop Carrier overturned in Mpumalanga. They were:
- 87951620BW Corporal Andrew Afrika. He was 23.
- 86074630BW Rifleman Jan Geduld. He was 36.
02 May 1990: 84558428PO Lieutenant Mike Schillings from Group 17 was killed in military vehicle accident at Vereeniging. He was 22.
02 May 1998: Warrant Officer Class II Christiaan Jacobus Mouton was killed in a private motor cycle accident at Rietfontein in Pretoria. He was 42.
RHODESIAN BUSH WAR
1977 – Lance Corporal Cornelius Hendrik “Conny” POTGIETER, 6th Battalion, Rhodesia Regiment, KIA. Died aged 24 years in an ambush. Buried in the Athlone Cemetery, Bulawayo.
† Their names and sacrifices have not been forgotten †
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