Five soldiers died when the helicopter they were travelling in on an authorised aerial patrol as part of an anti-rhino poaching operation crashed in Kruger National Park.
THE ministry of defence and military veterans will institute a board of inquiry to investigate the defence force's second loss of lives in a week.
Five soldiers died when the helicopter they were travelling in on an authorised aerial patrol as part of an anti-rhino poaching operation crashed in Kruger National Park on Saturday.
The dead were Captain Jacobus van Rensburg, Captain MP Chabalala, Sergeant Paulus Shongela Ndishishi, Sergeant GP Ruiters and Corporal Bheki Petros Cele.
Defence spokesman Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga told Sowetan yesterday that the preliminary investigations were almost done and there will be a board of inquiry.
The SA National Defence Union (Sandu) said it was shocked at the death of the soldiers.
"These deaths represent one of the blackest weeks in the South African military's history. South African soldiers are at the forefront of fighting the scourge of rhino poaching in our country and are doing an excellent job for which they place their lives in mortal danger daily," said Sandu secretary PikkieGreeff.
Meanwhile, Mabanga said plans for the funeral services of the 13 soldiers killed in the Central African Republic last week would be revealed during the memorial service today at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria.
After or during the memorial service an announcement will be made on behalf of the soldiers' families.
There will be no mass funeral but individual services for the soldiers.
Probe on Kruger crash
Five soldiers died when the helicopter they were travelling in on an authorised aerial patrol as part of an anti-rhino poaching operation crashed in Kruger National Park.
THE ministry of defence and military veterans will institute a board of inquiry to investigate the defence force's second loss of lives in a week.
Five soldiers died when the helicopter they were travelling in on an authorised aerial patrol as part of an anti-rhino poaching operation crashed in Kruger National Park on Saturday.
The dead were Captain Jacobus van Rensburg, Captain MP Chabalala, Sergeant Paulus Shongela Ndishishi, Sergeant GP Ruiters and Corporal Bheki Petros Cele.
Defence spokesman Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga told Sowetan yesterday that the preliminary investigations were almost done and there will be a board of inquiry.
The SA National Defence Union (Sandu) said it was shocked at the death of the soldiers.
"These deaths represent one of the blackest weeks in the South African military's history. South African soldiers are at the forefront of fighting the scourge of rhino poaching in our country and are doing an excellent job for which they place their lives in mortal danger daily," said Sandu secretary PikkieGreeff.
Meanwhile, Mabanga said plans for the funeral services of the 13 soldiers killed in the Central African Republic last week would be revealed during the memorial service today at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria.
After or during the memorial service an announcement will be made on behalf of the soldiers' families.
There will be no mass funeral but individual services for the soldiers.
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