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Botha , Johannes Jesajus (J J)

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Photo of Botha
Identity
Person No.
29535
Old ROH no.
134
Service No.
71349229KT
Last Name
Botha 263
First Name
Johannes Jesajus
Initials
J J
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1956 (±1 yr) 383
Age at Death
21
Death Record
Date of Death
17 January 1977 131
Cause code
SHOT 546
Shot
Cause of Death
Died from injuries received in a Shooting Incident at Katima Mulilo 1
Died from injuries received in a Shooting Incident at Katima Mulilo. He was accidentally shot in the abdomen by his friend, and transported to 1 Mil Hosp. He was subsequently discharged as medically unfit but was readmitted to 1 Mil and died as a result of his injuries
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Rifleman
Regiment
South African Commandos 98
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,343
Unit
Springs Commando 1
Defence Force
SADF 3,821
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,859
Locality
Gauteng 9,374
Cemetery
SPRINGS CEMETERY 41
Grave Reference
Grave 419 1
Coordinates
-26.24526, 28.42538 OSM
Unit History
Home Unit
Springs Commando
Attached To
102 Bn
Role at time of death
Infantry (area defence)
Status
Commando (Area Bound Reserve)
Part of
SADF Commando System category
Generic Regiment-field text used across hundreds of records whose actual unit is a specific local Commando (e.g. Rustenburg Commando, Boksburg Commando -- captured in Unit). Post-WWII, "Commando" is its own force-component category alongside Regular/Permanent Force and Active Citizen Force -- area-bound, part-time reserve units tied to a specific district, mobilised for local counter-insurgency/area protection duties during the Border War era. Not a single regiment; this Status applies to the whole category.
Notes

Son of Mr. W. J. Botha, of Springs.

Research notes


14 Sep 2026: Pro Patria Medal added -- database-wide sweep for SADF Border War operational-area deaths within the medal's gazetted window (25 Jun 1976 - 27 Apr 2003), per the warrant's died-before-qualifying-period provision. See PersonAward.Citation for the gazette references.
14 Sep 2026: Pro Patria Medal added earlier today REVERTED -- John obtained the actual Government Gazette (GG 5171/5575); the "died before completing the qualifying period" provision relied on does not exist in the primary text (it was a secondary-source claim). Actual Rule 5 requires (a) combat/enemy-caused incident, (b) a Ministerially-acknowledged operation (clasp), or (c) 55+ continuous/90+ non-continuous days in an operational area -- none of which this record's cause of death clearly demonstrates.

Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories

No stories have been added yet.

Dedications 1
by RIP Jacques Botha on 25 March 2008 · via source
In loving memory of my uncle who passed away when I was 2 years old & 6 days before the birth of my sister. Although we never really knew you, we heard a lot of stories through family & friends.