SANDF infantry vehicle topples over on Joburg freeway, but no-one is injured

An army vehicle similar to the one that rolled over patrols central Durban where looters plundered shops recently.

Image: Picture: SOWETAN/SANDILE NDLOVU An army vehicle similar to the one that rolled over patrols central Durban where looters plundered shops recently.

No-one was injured when a Ratel infantry vehicle fell on its side on the N1, just before Beyers Naudé Drive, Johannesburg, on Thursday.

SANDF spokesperson Brig-Gen Mafi Mgobozi said soldiers deployed under Operation Prosper — to help the police in Gauteng — were travelling from Maponya Mall in Soweto to the Eskom Academy in Midrand, where they are stationed.

Accidents happen, and this really isn’t a big deal. Ratels are difficult to drive and prone to sway & roll-overs at highway speeds. There were plenty of Ratel & other vehicle crashes in the SADF too. While it’s not desirable, these incidents are inevitable in a large deployment. https://t.co/Ep7rJjXpQb
— Darren Olivier (@darren_olivier) August 12, 2021

Mgobozi said the soldiers were on their way back to their station when the Ratel they were travelling in failed to stop. The driver swerved and the vehicle toppled over on the side of the road.

“Military police and medics were dispatched. No-one was injured,” Mgobozi said.

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