Identity
Person No.
32034
Old ROH no.
34837
Service No.
94747623PE
Last Name
First Name
Owageng Abelt
Initials
O A
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
23
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
KIA 14,779
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action, in Operation Boleas, to restore stability in Lesotho at Khatsi Dam
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Lance Corporal
Regiment
Defence Force
SANDF 1,025
South African National Defence Force
Location
Country
Locality
Grave Reference
Memorial
Memorial
Location
Maseru, Lesotho
Address
Coordinates
Panel
Not listed against a numbered panel
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
Memorial
Memorial
Location
On a koppie at the Voortrekker Monument, overlooking Pretoria
Address
Coordinates
Panel
Not listed against a numbered panel
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
Operation
Operation
Dates
1998-09
About
SANDF intervention in Lesotho, September 1998, to restore order after a disputed election and mutiny; involved combat against elements of the Lesotho Defence Force in Maseru.
Unit History
Role at time of death
Infantry (Parachute)
Status
Permanent Force (Regular)
Part of
Part of
Listed under South African Army Infantry (Parachute) (Regular) in the SA Army Units navbox.
Notes
Ref SANDF 1998 RoH
Research notes
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 22 Sep 2026: named as one of "Six members from 1 Parachute Battalion, attached to 44 Parachute Brigade... killed in Action in fierce close-quarter fighting during the BATTLE FOR MOKANYANE BASE in Lesotho during Ops Boleas". Exact match. The battle is named here where the record gives only the operation.
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
-
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post
Graham Last Post 22 Sep 2026
- South African War Graves Project open source ↗
-
defenceWeb -- SANDF peacekeeper fatalities
open source ↗
defenceWeb, "SANDF peacekeeper fatalities" and "DRC deaths pushed SANDF peacekeeper fatalities to over 100 since democracy" (compiled lists). Confirms existing record. NOT linked to the De Brug Wall of Remembrance -- that memorial explicitly excludes Operation Boleas (Lesotho) dead per its own stated scope.
Stories
No stories have been added yet.
Dedications 1
Paratrooper?s Prayer Heavenly Father, King of the world I know that all things are in your hands, whatever happens to me. As a paratrooper I am prepared to suffer hardship. I am ready to endure danger and unrest, pain and hurt. I am willing to be hungry end thirsty. I am prepared to face the enemy fearlessly. Lord I am weak. I cannot depend on my own strength. I do not want to trust in my own abilities. Lord my God; Let me trust in you alone. Give me courage and strength, and, above all, faith to do my work fearlessly ?