MULTI RACIAL SADF

Actually Non Whites made up more than 60% of the old SADF - from purely
'black units' like 32bn at Buffalo, 5 recce at Phalabowa, 21Bn at Lenz or
121 in Natal and of course 101 etc in SWA. Plus coloured units like SACC
(South African Coloured Corp). Also stacks of non whites served in support
and logistic roles. Many storemen, clerks, drivers, pioneers were black or
coloured. Indians often served in the navy coming from Durban.

I can honestly say that I have spent more time with Blacks than whites in
the SADF. In fact the irony is that by the mid 80's often the first
experience a white boy had after growing up in a town (not a farm boy) to
deal with blacks on a social level was in the SADF. It's ironic that the
very structure that supported apartheid gave white kids their first real
social experience of blacks. Kind of defeating the whole purpose of the
excise if you ask me - my understanding of blacks and the injustice of our
countries laws stems from many hours lying in a bivvy in Angola talking
quietly about their lives, concerns and frustrations.

What open minded young man (for example like Cobus) could not help but be
moved by seeing life from the other side of the verwoed curtain.

Mark J. Davies - 3^rd March 2000

last camp i was on one of the chefs(seconded from 5 recce as he was g3 after
being wounded)was a black guy from zimbabwe,who was in the rhodesian army in
the old days and still referred to himself as a rhodesian.

Stuart - 3^rd March 2000

having actually been with 32Bn in Kwasene over a period of nearly 1 year I
can understand the feeling of betrayal that these guys felt - remember that
they alone were never South Africans - they were always so proud of Being
Angolan. It was a bloody criminal act to put them on township duty. How
could anybody in his right mind put a Rotwieller to look after cats??
On the whole the SADF treated it's non whites well but in the case of 32Bn
they let them down badly - I remember the feeling in Kwasene steenpunt a few
days after the Phola Park incident when the Press and the ANC were howling
for their blood. A true feeling of despondency and depression throughout the
unit. Sad to see a unit with such a fighting history being treated like
second rate killers. - Isn't that what our government made them??????

Mark J. Davies - 4^th March 2000