KwaZulu-Natal, particularly its internationally renowned battlefields, was stop number one for this year’s Army College Junior Command and Staff Course (JCSC) with historical significance alongside strategic and tactical lessons the main objectives.
The group left Thaba Tshwane on 2 August on a tour that will end in the Western Cape province after taking in six KwaZulu-Natal battlefields, the East London Nelson Mandela Museum and Oudtshoorn’s Cango Caves.
The KwaZulu-Natal leg of the tour from 2 to 5 August “provided an invaluable opportunity for these future military leaders to connect with South Africa’s rich military history by stepping onto the grounds where pivotal battles took place between 1824 and 1901” Captain NP Loggenberg of the SA Army Training Formation reported.
The six KwaZulu-Natal stops were Isandlwana and Spioenkop – both now honoured as SA Navy (SAN) Valour Class frigates – Colenso, Majuba, Ncome (Blood River) and Ladysmith.
The “immersive experience” allowed the JCSC class of 2024 “the rare opportunity to reflect on the complexities and sacrifices of those who fought o these grounds” the captain reported “not only as a lesson in history but also as a reminder of the enduring legacy of military leadership and the importance of understanding the past to guide future decisions”.
The battlefield tour, the first to be undertaken by SA National Defence Force (SANDF) officer students, is seen as a crucial component of South African military education.
The tour, Loggenberg avers, will not only be a lesson in history but also a reminder of the enduring legacy of military leadership and the importance of understanding the past to guide future decisions.
