17 January, let us pause to remember these young men and women from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
17 Jan 1949: P10736 Signalman John Lamb Fraser from HMSAS Natal was accidentally killed while swimming at Salisbury Island in Durban. He dived into shallow water and broke his neck when his head struck rocks at the bottom. He was 19.
17 Jan 1969: 48076 Constable Daniel Cooper from the South African Police who was serving in Rhodesia and based at Victoria Falls unfortunately contracted Cerebral Malaria and died two days after being admitted to the Wankie Colliery Hospital. He was 21.
17 Jan 1972: 4187 Air Lieutenant Guy Munton-Jackson, a South African National serving with 7 Squadron Rhodesian Air Force, was killed when his Alouette III Helicopter R5077 crashed at 03h00 in the morning near Gwelo while flying in extremely poor weather conditions. He was 26. His Rhodesian Air Force Flight Tech, 5395 Flight Sergeant Peter John Garden was also killed. He was 28.
17 Jan 1975: Constable Dawid Willem Erasmus from the South African Police was accidentally killed in a military vehicle accident while serving in Rhodesia. He was 23.
17 Jan 1977: 71349229KT Rifleman Johannes Jesajus Botha from Springs Commando was critically wounded during July 1976 while stationed at Katima Mulilo when he was struck in the abdomen by a bullet resulting from an accidental discharge of a fellow soldier’s rifle. He was evacuated to 1 Military Hospital but he never recovered sufficiently to ever be discharged from the hospital. He sadly succumbed to his wounds nearly six months later on 17 January 1977 when complications set in. He was 21.
17 Jan 1977: 73290587BA Rifleman Edward Leslie Mayo from 5 SAI was accidentally shot dead by a fellow soldier while in an ambush position east of the Kwando River. It appears that after the ambush position had been set up, Rifleman Mayo left the position to relieve himself after which he then walked around back into the ambush area where he was mistaken for a SWAPO/PLAN insurgent who were confirmed to be in the area. He was 19.
17 Jan 1985: Special Constable Shopeke Hatutale from the South West Africa Police Counter-Insurgency Unit: Ops-K Division (Koevoet) was Killed in Action during a contact with SWAPO/PLAN insurgents in Northern Owamboland. He was 32.
17 Jan 1988: 86106598HG Rifleman Dumisani Ngubani from 121 Battalion was killed in a military vehicle accident in Durban. He was 24.
17 Jan 1990: 89077085CK Rifleman Johan Bush from the 2ndBattalion South African Cape Corps was killed in a military vehicle accident between Bray and Mosita. He was 17.
17 Jan 1995: 90716432PY Rifleman Fani Zacharia Mdletshe from Group 10 Headquarters went Absent Without Leave AWOL from his Unit and was later found dead in Durban with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head using a privately owned pistol. He was 28.
17 Jan 1998: 94670882 Private M A Rakgoale from Gauteng Command was found dead in Soweto with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was 25.
17 Jan 2000: A very unsavory incident in the History of Umkomaas Commando occurred at the Regiment when 7864631CA Lieutenant Carol Anne Herbst, the Chief Administration Clerk at the Regiment, was shot dead behind her desk in the administration office by a disgruntled SANDF Reserve Force soldier, Rifleman Sibusiso Vilikazi, using his R4 Assault Rifle following an apparent dispute. She was 51.
(NOTE: Sibusiso Vilikazi was a former member of MK/ APLA who was integrated into the new SANDF's Reserve Force after 1994. He was immediately discharged from the SANDF following the incident and subsequently convicted for her murder. Sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, he was released after serving only six years but not long after his release, he was once again involved in another attempted murder incident, this time in Pietermaritzburg after which, he apparently committed suicide. He was 32).
17 Jan 2007: Rifleman S W Zondi from the Durban Light Infantry was critically injured on 14 January 2007 when the SAMIL vehicle he was in overturned in wet weather near Cedarville during Ops Humane, the prevention of the spread of swine flu. He was admitted to the Prince Mshiyeni Hospital where he sadly succumbed to his injuries on 17 January 2007. He was 34.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.