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Kativa , Joao Daniel (J D)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
31005
Old ROH no.
679
Service No.
80830664SP
Last Name
Kativa 1
First Name
Joao Daniel
Initials
J D
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1957 (±1 yr) 432
Age at Death
26
Death Record
Date of Death
04 March 1983 109
Cause code
KIA 14,779
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action 14,655
Killed in action, in a contact with the enemy. (Operation Snoek)
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Rifleman
Regiment
32 (Buffalo) Battalion 275
Later renamed 32 Battalion
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,347
Unit
Unknown
Defence Force
SADF 3,832
South African Defence Force
Location
Country
Namibia 768
Locality
Caprivi 225
Cemetery
KIMBO CEMETERY, BUFFALO 177
Grave Reference
OLD SEC 244 1
Memorial
32 Battalion Tree of Honour roll, transcribed by Derek Walker Source: graves-at-eggsa.org (site now inactive), via Mike Sandham, 28 Aug 2026
Names on Tree of Honour
Memorial
32 Battalion Tree of Honour
Location
Within the Voortrekker Monument heritage precinct, Pretoria
Address
Voortrekker Monument, Eeufees Road, Groenkloof, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa
Coordinates
-25.77639, 28.17583 · OpenStreetMap
Panel
Tree of Honour
On the panel
No. 89
Awards
Pro Patria Medal
Pro Patria Medal
South Africa
Pro Patria Medal warrant, Government Gazette No. 5171 (25 Jun 1976), Rule 5, as amended by GG No. 5575 (3 Jun 1977); discontinued by GG No. 25213 (25 Jul 2003, Schedule corrected by GG No. 26778, 17 Sep 2004) for service on/after 27 Apr 2003. Gazette extracts: https://rohsa.co.za/award.php?id=24
Notes

Next of kin given as D. Kativa. ref. "Die Buffel Struikel" by L. J. Bothma

Research notes

Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 04 Mar 2024: 80830664SP Rifleman Joao Daniel Kativa, 32 Battalion, Killed in Action during a contact with enemy forces in Southern Angola during Operation Snoek, age 26. Same contact as Mande A. PN 31552. Cause already Operation Snoek. | Also Last Post 04 Mar 2021: 80830664SP Rifleman Joao Daniel Kativa, 32 Battalion, KIA Operation Snoek Southern Angola, age 26. Same contact as Mande A. PN 31552.
25 Sep 2026, Unit2 service-branch sweep: the stored Secondary Unit "Army" was CLEARED as a duplicate. It was not a sub-unit, it was a service-branch word repeating what the Branch column already says. Secondary Unit is for sub-units -- a company, a squadron, a commando -- and this record's branch of service is unchanged at "Army".

Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories 1
by Peter on 08 December 2010 · via source
On the evening of 3 April 1983, the first and fourth platoons from 32 Battalion's Alpha Company were preparing to set an ambush on a road four kilometres north-east of Vinte Sete, when they spotted six SWAPO insurgents moving ahead of them. They were spotted in turn and the SWAPO men managed to run to cover in a more favourable position, before opening fire on Alpha Company, pinning the latter down for some 15 minutes and inflicting a number of casualties on them before withdrawing under cover of an 82 mm mortar bombardment. The combat had definitely ended in favour of SWAPO on this occasion, as Alpha Company suffered two fatalities, Sergeant A. Mande and Rifleman J.D. Kativa, whilst 11 other members were wounded, including both platoon commanders, 2nd Lieutenants A du Plessis and G.W. Roos. Information extracted from 32 Battalion: The Inside Story of South Africa's Elite Fighting Unit , by Piet Nortje.
Dedications

No dedications have been added yet.