Northern Cape Province — The Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans is scheduled to visit the South African Army Combat Training Centre in Lohatla, Northern Cape Province, on Saturday, October 28, 2023.

According to a new release by Parliament of South Africa, the oversight visit follows the tragic loss of six members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in a fire at the training centre. This incident has increased the total number of soldiers who have lost their lives during training exercises and other official duties to 13, marking a sorrowful period in the history of the defence force.

The committee’s visit aims to evaluate the work carried out by the Department of Defence and to gain a better understanding of the training exercises at the Lohatla facility. Additionally, the committee will engage with the leadership of the army and interact with more than 4,000 members currently deployed at the Lohatla training centre for training purposes.

The committee had initially planned to visit the training centre earlier but decided to postpone the visit to allow for the burial of the SANDF members who lost their lives in the recent fire.