17 March, let us pause to remember these young men from our Generation who answered the Sunset call.
17 Mar 1977: 70317078BT Sapper Christo Kemp from 14 Field Regiment Died of Wounds during mine clearing operations. The sweep team missed a landmine and it was detonated by the Spook just as Sapper Kemp moved forward to relieve the sweep team. His legs were blown off in the explosion and he died within minutes. He was 23.
17 Mar 1978: 75207100BG Private Jonathan Grobbelaar from 95 Ammunition Depot was found critically wounded in the Unit Guard Room with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was rushed to 1 Military Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. He was 18.
17 Mar 1979: 75337022PE Private Manuel North from the Technical Services Corps Training Centre was killed together with his father and sister in a private motor vehicle accident near Nelspruit. He was 19.
17 Mar 1981: 73239311KT Corporal Petrus Jacobus Viljoen from the Pietermaritzburg Commando was Killed in Action during a skirmish with FRELIMO troops near Ponta do Ouro, on the Moçambique border. He was 23.
17 Mar 1981: 70010152PE Warrant Officer Class II Christiaan Rudolph de Wet van Niekerk from Witwatersrand Command Maintenance Unit died of throat cancer in 1 Military Hospital. He was 57.
17 Mar 1983: 78498680BT Rifleman Emden Andries Pienaar from 2 Parachute Regiment was killed in a non-military related incident in Port Elizabeth. He was 20.
17 Mar 1984: 80861784HV Rifleman Johannes Uqwanga from 101 Battalion SWATF was killed in a shooting incident at Ondangwa. He was 23.
17 Mar 1987: One member from a 101 Battalion SWATF Romeo Mike Team Anti-Tank Platoon and one member from 7 SAI attached to 101 Battalion SWATF Anti-Tank Platoon, were Killed in Action during a contact with a SWAPO/PLAN Typhoon Platoon in Southern Angola just north of the Cut-line when their Casspir was hit by RPG-7 Anti-Tank Rockets and M-60 Yugoslavian HEAT STRIM Rifle Grenades. The Casualties were:
82375908BG Rifleman Craig Douglas Wetton from 7 SAI. He was 19.
Rifleman M. Moses from 101 Battalion RM SWATF. He was 20.
17 Mar 1991: 82708330HG Rifleman Clifford Mfanifeni Mnyango from 121 Battalion died from injuries sustained when he was assaulted by unknown civilian persons while on an official weekend pass. He was 27.
17 Mar 1993: 86107166HG Rifleman Mandlekosi Eric Ntshakala from 121 Battalion fractured his right femur in a military motor vehicle accident in the Ingwavuma area. He was casevaced by air to 1 Military Hospital where he lapsed into a coma and never regained consciousness. He was 26.
17 Mar 1994: 88347448BG Trooper Andreas Loock from 1 Special Service Battalion was killed when his private motorcycle was involved in a collision with another vehicle at Despatch while he was on a 7-day pass. He was 22.
17 Mar 2000: 98516784PV 2/Lieutenant Marcus Membra Mecro Rossouw from School of Armour was found dead in the Sarafina Township with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head using his R4 rifle. He was 29.
17 Match 2021: Two members of the Air Force Reserve were killed when their Patchen TSC-2 Explorer, Serial Number 2000 (ZU-UGF) crashed at approximately 09h20 while turning onto final approach for Runway 02 at Air Force Base Swartkop during a scheduled SAAF Museum historical flight general flying training day. The casualties were:
Major General Desmond Barker SM, MM, MSETP, FRAeS. He was 71.
Colonel Rama Iyer. He was 69.
Their names and sacrifices will not be forgotten.