Hundreds Of Casspirs On Highways, Don't Be Scared! Here Is Why

Have you seen these Casspirs on the South African highways and wondered if the country is readying up for war? You can relax, not at all, it’s over 13 000 South African Army soldiers who participated in Exercise Vuk’uhlome in November who are now heading back to their respective units.

Truckers are warned to be on the lookout for these camouflaged vehicles as they are not very visible at night.

Army Chief Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha congratulated the servicemen and women for a job well done at the end of Exercise Vuk’uhlome.

Vuk’uhlome (arise and arm yourself in Zulu) drew in members from Regular and Reserve Force units across South Africa’s nine provinces for service in the five newly created Modern Brigades (Mechanised, Motorised, Airborne, Light and Reserve) that took part in the division level training exercise.

Soldiers gathered at the Combat Training Centre Sports Grounds at Lohatla in the Northern Cape on 25 November as Mbatha bade farewell to them, Captain Jacques de Vries reports.

In his speech, the Chief of the Army said the exercise enhances the professionality and combat readiness of the landward force and prepares combat-ready landward forces to fulfil the constitutional mandate of defending and protecting South Africa and its people.

“By the time we leave this place,” Mbatha told soldiers, “we know that we are coming back with a better understanding. When we have not done well, we will continue to sharpen the spear of the South African Army so that when we hand over that [combat readiness] flag to the Minister [we can] say that we remain forever ready.”

“You have done us so proud because we have sent out a clear message to our detractors…to not dare…and to think twice,” Mbatha said.

The units involved in Exercise Vuk’uhlome are returning home between 26 November and 2 December. Nine units are returning to the North West, two to Mpumalanga, two to Limpopo, eight to the Free State, three to KwaZulu-Natal, five to the Western Cape, and four to the Northern Cape.

Various units from different army regiments took part in the exercise from South African Army Headquarters, South African Army Gymnasium, South African Army College, National Ceremonial Guard, 21 South African Infantry Battalion, Andrew Mlangeni Regiment, 1 Construction Regiment, Engineer Terrain Intelligence Regiment, 1 Signal Regiment, 2 Signal Regiment, 5 Signal Regiment, and 3 Electronic Workshop.