Something that might interest former soldiers

[Sapper740]

We've seen this before: the new regime culls the established professional soldiers and officers and replaces them with untrained political appointees who will be "Yes" men to the new leader. Throw in racial animus and that's a recipe for disaster.

[Peter Laidler]

I forwarded this thread to an ex South African Army friend of many years, who left when the tide was turning. He commented to me this morning that '........ The whole western world should have seen this coming. It is a tribal Country now' Indeed.

As a bit of an aside, I got on the London bus a couple of weeks ago and the white driver was clearly from SA(?) I asked him the usual friendly Q's and he told me was from Rhodesia. Told him that I was in Malaya and carved into the brick wall into one of our camps there, was the Rhodesian African Rifles (or was it Rhodesia Light Infantry) Lion with a tusk badge. He immediately flicked his lapel over, and there, he had a miniature RLI badge. Made his day that someone would recognise it. Made my day too as he didn't collect my fare!

Added the next day. My ex SADF friend, as above emailed me later and said that the SADF mentioned in glowing terms at the start of this thread started its visible decline shortly after the 80's freedom regime came about. That's as diplomatic as he was prepared to go. Needless to say, he saw the writing on the wall and left!

[MSW2]

The SA Air Force has more than 300 aircraft. Currently 6 are useable. They cannot move troops or supplies. No air cover for troops fighting on the ground.

[MSW2]

Perhaps just something I can add to what was said in the article. It is strange that troops who did not surrender are confined to where they are and not allowed to do as they please. In my experience the easiest way to tell that the people who said that the 'surrender' was just to retrieve bodies are telling lies is to watch their lips. If they are moving the lies are flowing freely.
Also, the business interests connected to minerals in the Congo that the people who sent the troops have is the reason they are there. Nothing humanitarian, just money...