Serious News for SA Local Regts..

[Mervyn Mitton]

I heard today - from a Warrant Officer serving in Jo'burg - that the local Regiments are being dis-banded and reformed

under new names and with African CO's.

I understand that the laying up of the Colours for the Transvaal Scottish will take place very soon.

Some of these Regiments have history extending well back into the 19th. Century and have served their Country

with distinction. A tragedy that they are being treated like this simply because the present Govt. is obviously nervous of

having them under their old organisation.

What is apparantly happening in the North will soon spread to the other Provinces. My newspaper story on the

Lounge must link with these changes.

I would be grateful if any other members from SA can confirm if all of this is true - it is the first I have heard.

One final thought - buy their badges and medals whilst you can....................... Mervyn

[Brett Hendey]

Mervyn

Terrible news! I was one of the misguided people who believed that after the saintly Nelson Mandela became President of the "new democratic" South Africa in 1994 our country had a great future. Since he retired, it has been all downhill and this country has increasingly becoming a basket-case banana republic where corruption and criminality rule. Instead, it could have followed the example of Singapore and other ex-colonies and built on the foundations that brought them civilisation and the advantages that go with it. The colonisation of the world by European nations was far from perfect, but it stopped people sitting around thinking about inventing the wheel and written languages, to say nothing of the countless positive benefits that are still enjoyed today by the ex-colonial oppressed (e.g. cellular telephones, BMW's, sunglasses, and Kentucky Fried Chicken).

Regards

Brett

[sabrigade]

Any update on this?

I also heard about the Transvaal Scottish a few weeks back.

Sad news indeed.

[Mervyn Mitton]

No, I have heard nothing further - the papers seem to have missed it - which is strange, I would have expected a big

outcry. Should anyone have any more news please let us know. Mervyn

[Strapper]

I must say, sometimes I feel like a frog being boiled. They take away, bit after bit of our culture, heritage and pride. Dishonouring our fallen and destroying our Proud military history. Maybe some will think this is deserved, but at the time we served and fought for the side we were born on. No Acknowledgement, no pensions, no medals and now...no places of refuge, no regimental history. The Transvaal Scottish ...I want to continue but F**K it. It is a bit too depressing. Have you seen the size of some of our present defence force personnel.

[Brett Hendey]

I have received an e-mail from a friend who has ties with the Transvaal Scottish. In it he details some of the recent events concerning the appointment of the regiment's first black CO, who was eventually relieved of his command on October 30. An account of some or all of this affair was given in the newspaper, 'Beeld'. These events are even more distasteful than those revealed earlier on this forum concerning the first black CO of the Durban Light Infantry.

The fact that the Transvaal Scottish man was eventually fired gives one a faint glimmer of hope, but how a man with his qualifications and poor record came to be appointed in the first place is beyond any civilised comprehension.

In South Africa today, the facts that the two officers who behaved badly were black and the criticism of them came from me, a white person, would be considered proof that I am a racist. If the criticism were to come from another black person, he would be dismissed as a 'cocoanut'.

Brett

[Chris Boonzaier]

"A tragedy that they are being treated like this simply because the present Govt. is obviously nervous of having them under their old organisation."

To be devils advocate .... it is a less a question of destroying traditions than it is of facing realities....

To fill the ranks of the "old" Transvaal Scottish you would probably need White Conscription again... anyone up for it?

What are the dempgraphics of the modern SADF?

It is probably realistic to say that the army adapts to the demographics of the country it belongs to.

[Brett Hendey]

Am I correct in believing that the military of India and Pakistan managed to maintain many of the traditions established under the British Raj?

Brett

[Chris Boonzaier]

Indeed... but I dont think there is a Delhi Scottish... and i remember how some of our members laughed seeing an Indian unit with bagpipes.

There is a big difference between keeping traditions and having "the Ndebele Highlanders"

Theoretically one could argue that African traditions are missing. SA Military tradition has Impi, Assegai and Ossewa... all would need a place, the All Blacks do a Haka, not a highland fling... and their rugby does not suffer because of it ;-)

I am a great fan of South African Military history, but I think there is no realistic way to keep a Sotho Highland Regiment in Joburg and a Xhosa Highlanders in Cape Town,

What % of the Other ranks in the Army are of European descent nowdays?

Best

Chris

[Mervyn Mitton]

I understand - from an officer with NMR that an understanding has been reached and no further names will be changed - or, arbitrary

senior officers appointed. We will have to wait and see.

Bagpipes probably originated in India - so why are they strange when Indians use them ?

Demographics are the centre of present SA policy. 70% African - approx. 10% each for white, Indian and Coloured.

[azyeoman]

I remember when there were parades on base in Saudi, where I was working, the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces (RSAF) had a marching band with bagpipes. As I remember, there were a couple of Brits who had been hired to teach them how to play. They hadn't quite got it down and it didn't seem to go with the Saudi uniforms. I recall the Saudi National Anthem being played, but never Amazing Grace.