61mech:
These conflicts were not just about black liberation. There was a lot of tribal factors at work below the surface as well. The cold war was also in play and dominated geopolitics at the time. The liberation movements in southern africa was dominated by Marxist ideology with all that implied. Not all Blacks were onboard with this. If you think this was just white propaganda, look at what Mugabe did in Matabeleland North to the Ndebele
people after the war.

The soldiers of 32Bn. which was arguably the finest infantry unit in African history were originally from Angolan tribes that the MPLA government tried to wipe out. Along with their families they found a home in the SADF. In Namibia SWAPO was commiting lots of atrocities against rival tribes while conducting their insurgency. South West African territorial forces were dominated by black soldiers from opposing tribes.
About 40% of SADF special forces who qualified as operators during the apartheid years where black as well. I ended my service before ANC rule and had lots of black and coloured NCO's around.

Its a oversimplification to say these soldiers were traitors to their race. An Ovambo is a Ovambo before hes a black man.If you have to choose between a group who wants to wipe out your tribe and a gov. who denies you the right to vote, its a easy choice.
In the same vane, you could argue that the white populations in SA,Rhodesia,Namibia were just another tribe rather than some colonial power. After all, the Boers fought one of the first anti colonial wars in Africa against the English.

Majority of 32BN were from Holden Roberto's FNLA I believe

ssaengine:
SA Special Forces

Iron fist from the sea!

Fidha254:
One of those pics that don't come with a date or explanation..

1:GSU recce with US Swat or Secret Service.
2: GSU training with Israeli SF

Looks like secret service CAT

Geronimoe:

How do you source for the medical corp? And don't you guys have like a military university where these guys go to to get converted to military life? I'm still wondering how a university graduate will want to start as a private in the military. And can you explain how you get manpower for the non comms and officer cadre?

Not sure if this helps, but the current commander of 7 Medical Battalion entered service at the rank of captain according to this article? http://www.defenceweb.co.za/sa-defence/sa-defence-sa-defence/new-boss-for-7-med-battalion-group/

Cont.

Couple of taakies working protection duty for recently arrested former Mozambican finance minister Manuel Chang. I'd guess US government requested their involvement given severity of his case. From the related story it seems he's really just a small fry (his estimated bribe is in the region of $3 million) the person they really want is the name they've redacted in the indictment. Said individual was on the take for $70 million, various new sources speculating it could be former president Armando Guebuza. If it is then he's unlikely to ever set foot in SA again unless the government is prepared for the ensuing shitstorm that would make the al-Bashir incident look tame. Fascinating case this

ssaengine:


He's a reserve pilot for 2 Squadron. I don't think he's publicly stated where he works now.

Thanks

ssaengine:
SAAF members in Sweden for High-G training. From pics it's elements of 85 Combat Flying School and 2 Squadron.

@GripenNews

Didn't notice before, but the former OC of 2 squadron Musa Mbhokota is in the second photo, fourth from right. Anyone know if he works for SAAB now?

patches689:
That feeling when your police will never look as good as the Rhode Island state police


feels bad man

They'd all get eaten alive in downtown Jozi even the Delta Force looking fella

Algerian1:
Tunisian SF

Any takers on why pretty much any and all SF look the same now? Even Spetsnaz GRU etc

ssaengine:
Very old pic, but I like it.

Some footage here. One person from this video is still in PPS shoulder flashes indicate he was a warrant officer (inspector), but a captain or higher now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH1T_kREHoY&list=FLg0lZLBy1B0Pyx9C4NgyU4g&index=10&t=63s

lionel4power:
Head of South Africa's 7 Medical Battalion. They provide SF and paratrooper medical support as well as counter NBC work etc.

Medical doctor, para and SF qualified.

Watch until the end, his predecessor flinches like a novice, but he remains composed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgM7sLU4xpI

gees9:


is major Labuschagne still with 2 squadron?

Awesome! Was worried she was lost to the private sector.

ssaengine:
...

is major Labuschagne still with 2 squadron?

ActivateKruger:


Overkill? It would be show off to arrive with Hornets RDVs and man armed just for lobola negotiations. To think about it, wouldn't you want to be accompanied by Special Forces to lobola? It's more than cool, it's legendary

NB: Screw the taxpayers and the opposition parties

Not if you want to finish 2 terms

ActivateKruger:


I didn't know that. I guess every African custom has a bridal price of some sort. However, the Ngunis excell at it. I read King Mswati III wanted 300 cows as a sign of interest to his daughter, it's 300 cows just to say "hello sir, I want to lobola your daughter", then you'll end up doing 700 cows in total...

However, the Ramaphosas will depart with only 100 cows... So the report says

False report and I think the media reports are now being corrected, uncles from the groom's family would carry this responsibility. As far as SF, I doubt this would be justifiable. At most STF, but even that would IMO be overkill in this instance. Uganda is relatively low risk, but again IMO

Frumentum:
OFF-TOPIC

Update: Latest medal standings from the Commonwealth Games in Australia. 3 golds in wrestling and Nigeria has moved up.

Really proud of our athletes if only we could match this at an Olympics

saengine:
Are these still operational? I don't think I've personally ever seen one in the air.

Yes saw one over Centurion this afternoon. Oryx and 2 A109s not long after

jteku:


Looking forward to sicario 2......my best part in sicario1, was the border crossing(return) I repeat that part every time I watch that movie.

Beautiful film, I watched it in the cinema the first time and was blown away. Really shows the lengths to which a nation's special forces may have to go to win

Patchesagain:
Zuma in Burundi with Recce protection


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYe2Blxbhxg

I find it very interesting when Statesmen do this. Zuma has the Counter-Assault unit as was as the PPU to call on, both are para-military and both could certainly handle the threats one would likely face in Burundi.

It's determined by the threat assessment. The PPS is a pretty large organisation with for example intelligence officers, so long before there's any boots on the ground there's a substantial advance team which arrives with a technical unit e.g. metal detectors, comms, video surveillance. Then sniffer dogs, just watching that video I can spot 4 PPU vehicles. The Vito would carry the CAT team, but don't assume that every suit is a bodyguard as CAT also wear civvies although they aren't hard to spot (usually tactical boots with formal wear). Remember that the motorcade is in transit protection, so once they disembark they'll already be a team waiting for the principal. Basically imagine the American president travelling, but on a much smaller scale with the same purpose. These teams all in all can number well over 50. Looking at the video JZ is in the X5 and the tailing 7 series is a back up vehicle, both are armored. Also different countries have different protocols for example from the video I can tell that PPS flew their vehicles to Burundi. But if they were going to Britain then the SA embassy would have to supply them with vehicles and the Metropolitan Police would book them firearms and provide an escort. Also if the principal is taking a personal trip then the PPS must provide ALL relevant personnel. I wouldn't know much about SASF though. I'm not in SAPS or a former officer just know someone under PPS protection so now and then I chat to them. Somethings will, admittedly, be ego driven!

Frumentum:
It's been a crappy day. Last night the ADF attacked a Tanzanian-manned small FIB base, COB Semuliki in Beni, DRC. Though the attackers were repelled, 14 Tanzos, 5 FARDC were killed. 53 others were wounded.
RIP.

Time to dramatically overreact! RIP

Frumentum:


They've been delivered, I think. Someone in another forum posted pics of 2 outside Swakopmund. They'll be in the 2017 report.

Woah that's pretty

Not sure if this is a repost, but how many operators can you fit in a Hornet?? This was escort duty in Libya, Brother Leaders last days

gees9:


I see you beat me to it!

On Friday driving home along the N1 from Polokwane to Tshwane I came across a Hornet RDRV on an 8 ton truck. Must have been on the way to Phalaborwa! No pics unfortunately

ssaengine:


Someone is bound to ask why they often wear Botswana Defence Force uniforms. Do you have a nice, well rounded, "makes sense", answer? Or are we left to guess.

I see you beat me to it!

frumentius:
I really hope all these guys on this Insta account come through the Basic Training Cycle. They're not Recce operators yet - they passed Selection yes, but the Basic Training Cycle is 57 weeks of weekly tests where one can be dropped at any time.
All the more reason SANDF social media policy has to be updated so there's no need for such private initiative. Personally, I think any soldier who presents himself for Selection is mature enough to discern what/not to share online. The Advanced Training Cycle, of course, should remain off-limits, not to mention actual ops, however innocuous.

So the person running the account is in the training cycle? WOW COOL. Any particular reason why the BDF uniform is so popular?

Courtesy of the official SAPS twitter a Taakie in Nyanga or Phillipi East operating. A few months ago after a hostage situation in Gugulethu the minister of police posted a group photo of himself with what appeared to be the entire WC Special Task Force without their faces obscured. Believe the photo is still up, they didn't seem to mind.

Henry240:

No offence intended, but i usually find it weird that there were Black members of a supposedly White racist government security tool.

How did this work out, and how were these Black members perceived in their communities?

I can see 1 Black security member in this photo.

They weren't perceived well at all, but the man you see in that photo was a sweetheart compared to people who worked under Dirk Coetzee and Eugene de Kock at Vlakplaas! The ANC itself had a number of 'askaris' people turned by one reason or the other by Vlakplaas, CCB, BOSS you name it. A number for example would be captured enroute to frontline states like Swaziland, Namibia, Angola etc and tortured. Some were petty criminals who were offered a chance at 'redemption'. Others were simply double agents sent to kick up a hornets nest. But the most famous of all askaris would be the men of 32 Battalion who were former FNLA fighters disillusioned with Holden Roberto's leadership.

GreenandGold:
The STF deployed in an East Rand township at the times of the pre-94 election violence.

Believe this is rather the old riot units and not STF? They were all issued the same camo uniform until 1994 or thereabout

ActivateKruger:


Maybe with new national leadership (president) we could send other guys to be schooled by the FBI like the Scorpions. This is getting out of hand. A CIT heist this morning, an attempted heist on Sunday then the Mpumalanga one caught on video last week as well. The gangs are having a field day.

True just read about two separate heists in the North West just 2 kilometres apart. I think they should definitely look at either an NIU or STF base in the northern provinces because the only central ones are in Gauteng far as I understand.