8 South African Infantry Battalion is a
mechanized infantry unit of the
South African Army.[2] The battalion is equipped with
Ratel Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) used for fast transport and combat mobility across rough ground. Support weapons for mechanized infantry are also provided with motorized transport, or are built directly into these IFVs, in order to keep pace with the IFVs in combat. The battalion was raised at
Upington in the
Northern Cape in 1973 as part of the South African Infantry Corps, and since the change in structure, has been assigned to the Infantry Formation.
8 SAI continues to train for conventional warfare and forms part of the annual brigade-level Lohatla Army Battle School exercise.[3] Training includes IFV-mounted and dismounted fire-and-move drills, and integration with Engineers, Armour, Artillery and Air Force elements.[4]
The unit was established at
Upington in the Northern Cape in October 1973 and received its first batch of national service trainees the next January. They could, however, not cope with the Gordonia heat and the unit afterwards received trainees in July.(1986 Intake was in January. 1987 Intake was in February) The base for its first decade consisted mainly of tents, in 1979 the harsh conditions of extreme desert heat and dust storms coupled with limited facilities led to 111 national servicemen from Alpha Company going on
AWOL. A resultant Board of Inquiry led to the Base being vastly upgraded in the following years.
Motorised Infantry
In its first decade 8 SAI was a motorised Infantry battalion. The Battalion primarily deployed with Buffel APCs at that stage.
Battalion Storm Pioneer Platoon
8 SAI had a storm/
assault pioneer capability in the 1980s, usually designated Oscar Company. Assault pioneers were the integral combat engineering component of the battalion. Assault pioneers were trained in tasks such as:
Field defences and obstacles,
Mine detection and removal,
Primary demolitions,
Non standard bridging,
Anchorages and suspension traverses
The Pioneer Platoon provided small tasks and close support capabilities to the battalion ensuring immediacy of response and decreasing the workload of the engineer squadrons. By the 1990s this function was retired to the Engineering Corps however.
Battalion Tactical Reconnaissance Platoon
8 SAI experimented with the tactical reconnaissance platoon concept for infantry units around 1981-1982 at Riemvasmaak. These abbreviated pathfinder/reconnaissance courses were given by the SA Special Forces to certain SADF units. A nickname given for this training was the "junior recce" course.
SADF era Infantry Pathfinder/ "Junior Recce" proficiency badge conducted at Riemvasmaak in the early 80s
Mechanised infantry
By 1976 infantry operations were being transformed drastically when the Ratel Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) was introduced for the first time and in November the first Ratel course was presented at 1 SAI.
Similar to 1 SAI, 8 SAI was transformed into a mechanised unit by the mid 1980s and mechanised leaders followed a similar training route.
All students attended the course until the Section Leaders Phase had been completed. Section Leaders were then awarded their Lance Corporal stripes and then placed with regular rifle companies. The rest of the future NCOs also received their stripes and future Officers received their white Candidate Officer's tabs. These students were then evaluated and split into the Mechanised Platoon Commanders Course and Specialist Instructors Course.
These platoon commanders were destined to either become future leaders of 8 SAIs rifle companies or instructors at the Training Wing, while the Specialist Instructors would become Officers and NCO's responsible for training of Ratel gunners and drivers.
All students qualifying as Section Leaders were authorised to wear one parallel yellow bar above their two Corporal stripes.
Students that qualified as Platoon NCOs were authorised to wear two parallel yellow bars. The Platoon NCOs were responsible for the support of the vehicles, guns and signal equipment of a specific platoon.
Students that completed either the Platoon Commanders or Specialist Instructors Course were permitted to wear three parallel yellow bars above their stripes, signifying their platoon sergeant status. Platoon sergeants were responsible for the training and discipline of an allocated platoon.
SADF era 8 SAI Mechanised Leader Brassards 1980sBlits 2 exercise certificate, Lohatla Army Battle School 1993
(1979-1980) Supply troops with 6 SAI through Madimbo in the Limpopo Valley into Rhodesia to protect farming communities in the south of that country from
ZANLA infiltration.[5]
Operation Yahoo (1982), mobile skirmishes countering SWAPO infiltration in SWA in the Ogandjere tribal area, north of the
Etosha pans and the Bakenkop farm. 55 insurgents killed and 16 apprehended. 1 Ratel lost by concentrated RPG fire.
The Cubans opened a second front on 27 June 1988 against the South Africans and launched a ground offensive in the direction of
Calueque Dam in Southern Angola. The area to the north of the dam became the scene of fighting.
MiG-23 aircraft attacked the facilities, bombing a bridge, sluice gates, a pump, a generator, and a pipeline to Ovamboland in three waves.[7] 7 soldiers from 8 SAI and 4 from
1 SSB/
10 Armoured Squadron lost their lives in this engagement.[8]
Operation Excite/Hilti (1988), Draw Cubans out of
Techipa, Southern Angola and ambush, preventing an advance to Calueque and SWA/Namibian border.
Operation Merlyn (1989). Prevent the incursion of PLAN (SWAPO) insurgents into South West Africa/Namibia in contravention of
ceasefire effected 1 April 1989.
From 1990, the unit deployed internally in South Africa. Its main tasks at this time included counter insurgency in urban and rural areas.[9] In late 2019 the unit was reportedly deployed in a number of communities in
Cape Town to combat
gang violence[10] by supporting police operations.[11]
8 SAI preparing for joint training with 61 Mech Battalion, Lohatla Army Battle School 19938 SAI COIN operations using airborne infil northern Kwa-Zulu Natal, 1993
Since 1994
In June 1994, the unit received its SANDF
Colours, the first presented to a unit in the new South African National Defence Force.[12]
8 SAI Ratel IFVs on maneuver at Lohatla Army Battle School, Northern Cape
Amalgamation with 61 Mech
61 Mech Battalion amalgamated with 8 SAI post 1994
8 SAI's main training area, at
Riemvasmaak, north of Upington, was transferred to a civilian community. Since then 8 SAI uses the SA Army Combat Training Centre at
Lohatla as its main training area.[13][14]
Mamba Mk 2 APC used by 8 SAI in peacekeeping operations
8 SAI Mechanised Fleet early 1990s
Alpha or attack vehicles
1 Ratel 20 per section, 3 sections per platoon, 3 platoons per company.
1 Ratel command per platoon, 4 per company.
Charlie or support vehicles
Ordnance
Current
Vehicle mounted weapons
8 SAI is equipped with
Ratel 20 Infantry Fighting Vehicles,[18] Ratel 60 mm (2.4 in) Mortar Platform Vehicles, Ratel Command Vehicles[a] with mounted 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine guns, Ratel 90s[a] and Ratel 81s[a], Kwevoel 100 Armoured Trucks for IFV Recovery, field maintenance, fuel bunkers and water provision,[19] Samil 50 and 100 logistics trucks, Samil 20 trucks for its organic field workshops, Casspir APCs for its forward artillery observation party,[citation needed] and Rinkhals Field Ambulances.[20] 8 SAI has also used Buffel IFVs and Mambas at various stages in its history. Ratel mounted weapons include the
Denel Land Systems GI-2 20 mm (0.79 in) Quick Firing Cannon (QFC) (Ratel mounted), 60 mm (2.4 in) breech-loading mortar (Ratel mounted), Browning M1919[21] Machine gun and the Browning M2 12.7 mm (0.50 in) Machine gun.[21]
Badger IFV earmarked for replacement of the Ratel Fleet 2016 onwardsSANDF exercise Seboka 2007 8 SAI Ratels with 1 SSB Rooikats
Small-arms
8 SAI is equipped with the:
Vektor SS77 Squad Automatic Machine gun,
Fabrique Nationale 7.62 mm (0.300 in) Light Machine gun,
Vektor R4 5.56 mm (0.219 in) (.223 NATO) assault rifle, 40 mm (1.6 in)
Under Project Hoefyster, the SANDF will eventually replace the Ratel family of vehicles with the Badger system.[24][25][26]
Nine versions are contemplated of which three are earmarked for mechanized infantry battalions such as 8 SAI:[27][28][29]
Command (turreted 12.7 mm (0.50 in) MG for self-defence, multiple radios and command post equipment)
Mortar (turreted 60 mm (2.4 in) breech loading long-range mortar)
Missile (turreted Denel ZT3 Ingwe)
Section (turreted 30 mm (1.2 in) cannon)
Fire Support (turreted 30 mm (1.2 in) cannon, but with more ammunition than the section vehicle)
Signal variant
Ambulance variant
Artillery variant
Badger IFV front and rear views
8 SAI Commemorative coinSADF 8 SAI affiliation certificateSADF 8 SAI challenge coin
Insignia
Previous Dress Insignia
SADF era 8 SAI insignia
Current Dress Insignia
SANDF era Infantry Formation insignia
Unit song
Ou Kalahari Wysie
Ver in die Noord-Kaapse duineveld waar gemsbokke nog baljaar,
Daar word 'n seun tot 'n vegter wat leer om sy land te bewaar
Selfs deur die snikhete somer en deur die winter kou,
Leer ons en werk ons en veg ons want ons land is ons hoogste trou.
Ver in die Noord-Kaapse duineveld weg van die stad se gewoel,
Daar leer die manne van 8 SAI te streef na die hoogste doel,
Onder die vry-bloue hemel en ongerepte natuur,
Toon ons ons ware karakter, wys ons ons krag en vuur.[1]
^IDRC; Cock, Jacklyn; Mckenzie, Penny (1998). From defence to development : redirecting military resources in South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa & Ottawa, Canada: David Philip, International Development Research Centre.
hdl:
10625/14245.
ISBN0-88936-853-8.