Durban – Another five members of the SANDF have died, this time in a helicopter crash in the Kruger National Park at the weekend, just days after 13 of their comrades died in action in the Central African Republic.
SANDF spokesman Brigadier-General Xolani Mabanga said on Sunday the scheduled aerial patrol was part of Operation Rhino, an anti-rhino-poaching initiative.
The Agusta A109 light utility helicopter crashed in a bushy area at about 7pm on Saturday.
A pilot and flight engineer based in KwaZulu-Natal were among those killed.
Mabanga said the names of those who died would be released once their families had been notified.
The Mercury has established that one of the dead was Captain Mzi Chabalala, a pilot who had moved to KZN from Orkney in North West.
The other was flight engineer Gene Paul Ruiters, formerly of Bloemfontein, who recently joined 15 Squadron, which is based at the old Durban airport.
According the SA Air Force website, the Agusta A109 replaced the old Alouette III with the first helicopters coming into service in 2005.
“Current planning is for the A109 LUH to be in service for 30 years,” the website said.
On Sunday the SA National Defence Union (Sandu) called for an inquiry into the crash
“Soldiers are at the forefront of fighting the scourge of rhino poaching and are doing an excellent job for which they place their lives in mortal danger daily,” Sandu spokesman Pikkie Greeff said.
“The death of five soldiers closes a difficult week for the military. These deaths represent one of the blackest weeks in our military history.”
President Jacob Zuma sent his condolences, saying the country was “saddened” by the loss.
The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the chief of the SANDF, General Solly Shoke, and the chief of the air force, Lieutenant-General Zimpande Msimang, also expressed their condolences.
Air force members who knew Chabalala expressed shock at his death.
A close friend said she was devastated.
“He was a very outgoing person. He was such a lovely guy. I am still shocked. What a huge loss,” she said.
She recalled that she last spoke to him on Friday, about the deaths of the soldiers in the Central African Republic.
“He asked me, ‘What is next?’ I cannot believe this has happened,” she said. She added that Chabalala was a good pilot.
Another member of the air force said: “I am shattered. He was my best friend in the air force. We have lost a very kind man. I spoke to him just before he took off. I said goodbye to him. My heart is broken.”
Ruiters’s family and friends could not be reached for comment.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife spokesman Musa Mntambo said the crash was very unfortunate.
“Within a short period, our anti-poaching efforts have suffered two major blows as our helicopter also went down this year.”
The Kruger has been targeted by poachers with 135 rhino poached since January and 188 killed nationally.
lungelo.mkamba@inl.co.za
The Mercury
