5 South African Infantry Battalion

Active

1 January 1962

Country

South Africa

Branch

South African Army

Type

Motorised infantry

Part of

South African Army Infantry Formation

RSA Battalion (FIB) (2014 – 2015)

Parent unit	United Nations Force Intervention Brigade

Components	Battalion Headquarters (5 SAI) Alpha Company (5 SAI) Bravo Company (5 SAI) Charlie Company Machinegun Platoon (Call-Sign 50) Mortar Platoon (Call-Sign 60) Reconnaissance Platoon (Call-Sign 90) Engineer Troop Medical Personnel

Garrison/HQ

Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal

Motto(s)

Avante!

Equipment

Mamba APC

Engagements

South African Border War

Insignia

Company level Inisgnia

SA Motorised Infantry beret bar circa 1992

SA Motorised Infantry beret bar

5 South African Infantry Battalion is a motorised infantry unit of the South African Army.

History

Based in Ladysmith

5 SAI was established on January 1, 1962 at Ladysmith, Natal Province.^[1] The battalion became operational on the 1 April 1962.^[1]

The Insizwa Proficiency

5 SAI had a very unusual proficiency in the 1970s and 1980s, called the Insizwa, the Zulu word for a strong young man. The criteria required that only sharpshooters on a tabel 4 level were allowed to compete. A 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) run had to be done under ten mins with battle kit on, followed by 20 kilometres (12 mi) route march also with battle kit. The route march would end at the 200 metres (220 yd) firing line where the competitor would have to shoot 8 shots in the bull. The soldier would also have to successfully complete all other shooting exercises with an 80% success rate.

SADF 5 SAI Insizwa proficiency

Bushwar

5 SAI took part in Operation Savannah during 1975 in Angola,^[1] and Operation Protea in 1980 where it deployed companies continuously on rotation to the operational area, taking part in many of the large operations across the border into Angola in the years which followed, right up to the withdrawal of South African forces from Namibia in 1989.

Training Area

Land to the east of Ladysmith was allocated by the Department of Defence in 1990 as Boschhoek Training Area.

Peacekeeping operations

In 2009, the battalion was one of several South African units who took part as peacekeepers in the United Nations Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC).^[2] The battalion was deployed again in May 2014 to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade.^[3]

SANDF's Motorised Infantry

SANDF’s Motorised Infantry is transported mostly by Samil trucks, Mamba APC’s or other un-protected motor vehicles. Samil 20,50 and 100 trucks transport soldiers, towing guns, and carrying equipment and supplies. Samil trucks are all-wheel drive, in order to have vehicles that function reliably in extremes of weather and terrain. Motorised infantry have an advantage in mobility allowing them to move to critical sectors of the battlefield faster, allowing better response to enemy movements, as well as the ability to outmaneuver the enemy.

Insignia

Previous Dress Insignia

Standard Dress

5 SAI beret badge

5 SAI Nutria shoulder flash with Natal Command Bar

5 SAI Stable belt

Current Dress Insignia

Standard Dress

SANDF Infantry wide shoulder flash

Leadership

Leadership of 5 South African Infantry Battalion
From	Commanding Officers	To
1962-04-01	Cmdt M.N. Horner	1963-07-30
1963-08-01	Cmdt H.K.J. Van Noorden SM	1966-09-28
1966-09-29	Cmdt J. Marshall MC	1968-08-07
1968-08-08	Col M.N. Horner	1968-09-15
1968-09-16	Cmdt J.P.F. Botha	1970-06-24
1970-06-25	Cmdt G.P.H. Kruys SM	1973-08-16
1973-08-17	Cmdt L.C. vd B. Heap	1975-03-31
1975-04-01	Cmdt A.J.M. Joubert	1976-12-01
1976-12-02	Cmdt D. C. Benade	1977-12-30
1977-12-31	Cmdt T.J. Van Schalkwyk	1981-01-02
1981-01-03	Cmdt K.V. Harris	1983-12-31
1984-01-01	Col K.V. Harris	1986-12-31
1987-01-01	Col M.S. Smuts	1989-12-31
1990-01-01	Col J.B. Pieterse	1992-12-31
1993-01-01	Col P.M. Smythe MMM	1995-05-05
1995-05-06	Col S.P. Zeeman MMM	2000-08-04
2000-08-05	Lt Col V.E. White	2004-12-31
2005-01-01	Lt Col N.P. Bobelo	2007-12-31
2008-01-01	Lt Col C. Els	2011-10-23
2011-10-24	Lt Col S.T. Hloka	c. 2013
c. 2013	Lt Col M. Dyakopu	2014
From	Regimental Sgts Major	To

Notes

References

1 2 3 "Fact file: 5 SA Infantry Battalion". defenceWeb. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
↑ "SA Army Infantry Formation". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
↑ "5 South African Infantry Battalion Deploys to DRC". African Defence. African Defence. 14 May 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.

South African Army Units

Department of Defence, South African National Defence Force, South African Army

Divisions and Brigades

Brigades	43 South African Brigade 44 Parachute Brigade 46 South African Brigade

Armoured Formation (SAAAF)

Training	School of Armour

Tank	Regular 1 South African Tank Regiment Reserve Pretoria Regiment Natal Mounted Rifles Regiment President Steyn

Armoured Car	Regular 1 Special Service Battalion Reserve Umvoti Mounted Rifles Regiment Oranjerivier Regiment Mooirivier Light Horse Regiment

Infantry Formation (SAAIF)

Training	South African Infantry School

Parachute Infantry	Regular 44 Para 1 Para 44 Pathfinders 13 Signal Squadron 18 Light Regiment 44 Medical Task Group 101 Air Supply Unit SAOSC 44 Training Wing Parachute Packing Wing Reserve 2 Para 3 Para

Air Assault Infantry	Regular 6 SAI Reserve First City Regiment Prince Alfred's Guard

Seaborne Infantry	Regular 9 SAI Reserve Cape Town Rifles ("Duke's")

Light Infantry	Regular 21 SAI Reserve Rand Light Infantry Regiment Oos Rand Regiment Paul Kruger

Mechanised Infantry	Regular 1 SAI 8 SAI Reserve Regiment De La Rey Regiment Northern Transvaal Cape Town Highlanders Regiment Western Province Witwatersrand Rifles

Motorised Infantry	Regular 2 SAI 4 SAI 5 SAI 7 SAI 10 SAI 14 SAI 15 SAI 121 SAI Reserve Regiment Botha Regiment Christiaan Beyers Johannesburg Regiment South African Irish Transvaal Scottish Tshwane Regiment Buffalo Volunteer Regiment Durban Regiment Durban Light Infantry Kimberly Regiment Natal Carbineers Regiment Bloemspruit Regiment Piet Retief

Artillery Formation

Training	School of Artillery (South Africa)

Regular	HQ Artillery Mobilisation Regiment 4 Artillery Regiment

Reserve	Cape Field Artillery Natal Field Artillery Transvaal Horse Artillery Regiment Potchefstroom Universiteit Transvaalse Staatsartillerie Vrystaatse Artillerie Regiment Pretoria Highlanders 18 Light Regiment

Air Defence Artillery Formation

Training	School of Air Defence Artillery (South Africa)

Regular	HQ 6 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment 44 Parachute Anti-Aircraft Regiment

Reserve	Cape Garrison Artillery Regiment Vaalriver Regiment Oos Transvaal 7 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment (1969–97) Regiment Overvaal

Engineer Formation

Training	South African Army Engineer School

Regular	HQ 2 Field Engineer Regiment 35 Engineer Support Regiment 1 Construction Regiment Engineer Terrain Intelligence Unit

Reserve	3 Field Engineer Regiment 19 Field Engineer Regiment 44 Parachute Engineer Regiment

Training Formation

3 SAI (Training Depot)
SAACTC
Army Gymnasium
Army College
de Brug Training Area
Wallmannsthal Training Area

Support Formation

Army Support Bases (Eastern Cape, Johannesburg, Kimberley, KZN, Limpopo, Potcheftstroom, Western Cape, Mpumalanga)
Mobilisation Centre
Main Ordnance Depot
National Ceremonial Guard
15 Maint Unit
Other Maintenance Units
37 Field Workshop SAOSC
Other Field Workshops

Signals Formation

Regular	1 Sig Regt 2 Sig Regt 3 Sig Regt 4 Sig Regt 5 Sig Regt

Reserve	6 Signal Regt 7 Signal Group 11 Field Postal Unit 71 Signals Unit 84 Sigs Unit

Disbanded Units

Commands	Eastern Province Command (Port Elizabeth) Natal Command Northern Transvaal Command Northern Cape Command Orange Free State Command (Bloemfontein) Western Province Command (Cape Town) West Transvaal Command Witwatersrand Command (Johannesburg) Far North Command

Corps	I South African Corps Cape Corps

Divisions	1st South African Infantry Division 2nd South African Division 6th South African Armoured Division 7th South African Infantry Division 8th South African Armoured Division 9th South African Division 10 South African Division (Operation Prone)

Brigades	16 Brigade (see 81 Armoured Brigade) 17 Brigade (see 71 Motorised Brigade) 18 Brigade (see 72 Motorised Brigade) 19 Brigade (see 82 Mechanised Brigade) 20 Brigade 60 Brigade (Battlegroups HQ Lohatla) 71 Motorised Brigade 72 Motorised Brigade 73 Motorised Brigade 74 Brigade (see 8th Armoured Division) 75 Brigade (see 9th Division) 81 Armoured Brigade 82 Mechanised Brigade 83 Brigade (planned but never existed) 84 Motorised Brigade 10 Artillery Brigade Other brigades

Battlegroups	Combat Group Juliet 61 Mech 62 Mech 63 Mech

Regiments	Regiment Algoa Bay Regiment Dan Pienaar Regiment De Wet Regiment Groot Karoo Regiment Highveld Regiment Langenhoven Regiment Limpopo Regiment Louw Wepener/Oos Vrystaat Regiment Molopo Regiment North East Cape Regiment North Natal Regiment Port Natal Regiment Potchefstroom University Regiment Pretoria University Regiment Pretorius Regiment Springs Regiment Skoonspruit Regiment University of the Free State Regiment Vaal River Regiment Vanderbiljpark Regiment Vrystaat 6 Field Artillery Regiment 7 Medium Artillery Regiment 14 Field Artillery Regiment 19 Rocket Regiment 25 Field Artillery 26 Field Artillery 10 Armoured Squadron 5 Forward Air Delivery Squadron SA Army Troop Information Unit

Battalions	32 Battalion SSB 2 Special Service Battalion 11 SAI 12 SAI 13 SAI 111 Battalion 112 Battalion 113 Battalion 115 Battalion 116 Battalion 117 Battalion 121 Battalion 151 Battalion

Military Areas	Walvis Bay Military Area Soutpansberg Military Area

Commando System	South African Commando System

State Presidents Guard	State Presidents Guard

SWATF	Regular Infantry Battalions 31/201 Battalion 33/701 Battalion 34/202 Battalion 35/101 Battalion 301 Battalion 36/203 Battalion 37/102 Battalion 41/911 Battalion/Regiment Windhoek 912 Battalion/Regiment Erongo 913 Battalion/Regiment Namutoni Modular Infantry Battalions 51 Battalion 52 Battalion 53 Battalion 54 Battalion 55 Battalion SWATF Brigade 91 Reaction Force Brigade Support Structures Logistics Brigade SWA Mil School Special Forces 1 SWA Specialist Unit 2 SWA Specialist Unit 1 SWA Parachute Battalion Air Component 1 SWA Commando Squadron

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