We were sitting in the Ops room discussing the upcoming SADF sports championships, when Commandant “Devil Eyes” De Villiers was called to the door. And I heard some mumblings about “fucking Code Sevens”, and then he and the Adjudant disappeared down the corridor.
I hadn’t heard the term before, but it turns out Code 7 conscripts are those with minimal schooling. When I say minimal, it means grade 3 or 4. Without sums. Some of them were just dumb, some never had opportunity, some were dyslexic, but all these people were pigeon-holed as Code 7s. And then they were sent to Bethlehem (not the one with 3 wise men and a virgin).
Two of these Code 7 troops had been doing guard duty at the front entrance gate of one of the training bases just outside of town. The two of them were buddies, and they’d got talking about shooting, and how good they were. The one told the other “I could shoot you from here without aiming” And his mate said “Not a fuck, you couldn’t” A quick double tap later, and his best buddy was dead. The two rounds went in less than an inch apart.
Even stranger, the father of the dead kid ended up paying the legal fees of the kid who shot his son. It’s a strange strange world we live in…..
General Magnus Malan (left) was the head of the SADF and President PW Botha, who signed my commission as an officer in the SADF. Not exactly stuff you put in your CV..
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