Camps at Durban Regiment
Heir kom die campers - passop mense.....
I did all but one of my camps from Durban's Salisbury Island Naval Base under Durban Regiment, the other was at 5 SAI Ladysmith. (Infantry Base)
My First 30 day Camp with Durban Regiment in 1989 started by getting kitted out and a welcome speech from the OC, I was asked to donate my beret as it was one the officers' pub did not have on display. I initially said no but was asked again in a manner by the staff sergeant which made it clear I was to "donate" my beret - not really a good start.
The rest of the camp was pretty much uneventful, mostly just patrols with two arrests and one contact with a drug carrying Hi-Ace taxi who ran the road block with an AK47, the stopper group made short work of the taxi driver and the taxi with the LMG.
However 1990 was a little different, mostly patroling Umlazi but the mood towards the SADF was different, the locals did not tolerate us and this made for some hairy moments. I remember Intel got us out at a local field where the two factions (Inkhata and the ANC) were looking for a fight. As we drove in, the Inkhata group was already there, about 150 or so men already toy-toying (chanting war songs). We parked our Buffels under a thorn tree for a little shade whilst this event unfolded.
About 20 minutes later we saw a line of ANC men running, snaking through the hill on the other side of the valley, they eventually arrived and started toy-toying as well. They noticed that we were closer to the IFP (Inkhata) than them and this was due to where they stopped on the road. It, however looked like we were siding with the IFP and this angered the ANC. The next thing all hell broke loose and there was shots fired and a petrol bomb landed on our Buffels windscreen burning our driver, hence to say a double tap to centre mass of the chap which threw the petrol bomb and the threat was neutralised. Anyway - we all de-bussed and the crowds scattered - problem sorted then hey. Not really as the Law Officer went through all the statements from this live fire incident he stated the shooting was not legal due to the law abiding petrol bomber not having anything in his hands at the time he was shot, never mind the 3 next to him on the floor and therefore the immediate threat was the petrol bomb........ What the FUCK!!!!!! Lets say the "individual" was lucky in that skirmish and all charges were dismissed and the decision was made the use of deadly force was needed to save lives.
Above: Umlazi 1990
In 1992 I was called up for a 30 day camp in Amanzimtoti but based in Salisbury Island for the Referendum for Mandela to run in the general election and a week into this camp they changed the time to 60 days. This did not go down well with all 300 or so troops. We all got together and it was unanimous in, we would not go out on patrol until the time was reduced back to a 30 day camp. The ranks decided anyone that did not go out would be arrested and locked up for 6 months. This really angered us further and again we talked about our options, the official response was, we would go out but not with peace keeping in mind. Anyone steps out of line and there was going to be guaranteed shots fired.
Township incident
The camp commander asked for Clinical Psychologists from Natal Command HQ to come and assess us individually, this they did for three full days and we stood by our threats of trouble. The report went back from them if the camp was not reduced back to 30 days there would be serious trouble. Needless to say my first and only official strike action took place in the SADF with great results as some of us would have lost our jobs as some employers were less than pleased when you were called up.
?? - Well.....
With the above in mind some of us spent a lot of time sweeping houses looking for weapons, we were offered one days pass for each home-made weapon with an arrest. Now thats all the incentive we needed to do a good job, I can say we did have a few days passes courtesy of some fools.
SAP on the job
On the note of Home-Made's, I do believe that the ingenuity of some of the township folk was pretty good as most would fire and maim or kill, however there were some real daft designs. In villages the "factorys" consited of one house making barrels out of 1/2 inch galvanised pipe, the other triggers, ect... The items were hidden in roofing under rubble, beds - just hidden anywhere.
Home made 12g shotgun
In 1993 it was back to Salisbury Island Naval Base, on arrival at the base a regiment of the Cape Coloured Corp was just getting ready to leave the base. The word was they had been thrown out, a Swan (Navy Chick) was attacked and they had fucked the place up pretty bad, burglarised the shop, the Swans quarters and a load of cars were broken into!!!! Seems we were brought in to repair the Army/Navy relationship. Well we helped clean up the camp and wash the stench of them out, cleaned out the pool as they used it for a toilet - WTF.
Posters in townships
Called up as usual and in 1994 this was for Mandela's election, really not happy about this as we all were expecting trouble and thats what we got. The world is told about fair elections, not what we saw. Inkhata men and women being intimidated into voting for the wonderful ANC, if they did'nt, out came the shambucks, pangas and even tyres (neckalcing - the victim wears tyre round their neck and petrol is set alight while they are alive). I have seen this happen once where a woman was accused of sleeping with another man and so a kangaroo court decided necklacing was to be the punishment. The crowd was so aggressive we were helpless as as it happened to late as once the petrol is lit the victim dies pretty quickly. To think about it, not really that far away from Mugabe and his gang of shits. To digress, when is someone going to s***t that arsehole?
After a month of having rocks thrown at me and honestly a little 10 year old shit hit me square on the head with half a brick, and being briefed about our new rules of engagement where you cannot use force unless told to by some pencil pusher legal oak at HQ - So are we then to ask the aggressors to wait for our HQ response and then carry on with the fight once this has been done. I'm off home swearing never to pick up an R4 again for our new government and did I hate that FW De Klerk p**s for selling us out to the masters of the world.
Hey how'd our guys do in 1995 world cup - well done guys - whats this in the Invictas film, making Mandela out to be the hero????
Here is some food for thought, a few years in power and presto - we were not that bad after all.
Still doing this............
But now believing this..................
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