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Nkwanyana , Bongani Andries (B A)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
32296
Old ROH no.
35153
Service No.
Unknown
Last Name
Nkwanyana 3
First Name
Bongani Andries
Initials
B A
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1967 (±1 yr) 289
Age at Death
35
Death Record
Date of Death
13 August 2002 107
Cause code
Unknown
Cause of Death
Died fighting veld fire at SAP training centre near Ellisras 3
Died fighting veld fire at SAP training centre near Ellisras
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Sergeant
Regiment
5 Special Forces Regiment 20
Formerly 5 Reconnaissance Regiment (1995)
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,347
Unit
5 Reconnaissance Regiment 9
Later renamed 5 Special Forces Regiment (1995)
Defence Force
SANDF 1,027
South African National Defence Force
Location
Country
South Africa 23,872
Locality
Gauteng 9,374
Cemetery
SADF WALL OF REMEMBRANCE, VOORTREKKER MONUMENT, PRETORIA 1,926
Grave Reference
Alternative Commemoration until grave found 1,612
Memorial
Memorial
SADF Wall of Remembrance
Location
On a koppie at the Voortrekker Monument, overlooking Pretoria
Address
Voortrekker Monument, Eeufees Road, Groenkloof, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa
Coordinates
-25.77639, 28.17583 · OpenStreetMap
Panel
Not listed against a numbered panel
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
Unit History
Role at time of death
Special Forces (Reconnaissance)
Status
Permanent Force (Regular)
Part of
Special Forces Brigade
Part of
Special Forces Brigade
5 Special Forces Regiment operates as one of the standing/permanent operational regiments of South African Special Forces, established from the same 1972 lineage as 1 Reconnaissance Commando. Special Forces are their own branch within the SANDF, not part of the Army.
Notes

Of Babanago, KZN | Graham Last Post 14 Aug 2026: died in hospital 14 Aug from smoke inhalation and burns sustained 13 Aug at Verdrag STF training area (joint 5 SFR / STF exercise for WSSD). That post says Cpl age 24. ROH retains Sgt / age 35 / DateDeath 2002-08-13 pending a better source for the death-in-hospital date.

Research notes

SASFA In Memoriam (operators): confirmed Special Forces operator. SASFA: Nkwanyana Bongani KIO 2002. https://www.recce.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4.1.-Memoriam.pdf SN CORRECTION 25 Aug 2026: ServiceNo 80897473PE cleared -- the pantser.cmvo.org.za SADF deaths PDF lists that number under "NKUNA, HOXANI WILLEM" (CPL, Sterf 16 11 95), matching PersonNumber 32295 (Nkuna, DateDeath 1995-11-16) by surname and exact date, not this record. Original value: "80897473PE". Left as an unresolved collision otherwise -- this correction is specific to this one PDF-confirmed case, not a general claim this record's other data is wrong.
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
on 17 August 2026 · via source
PRETORIA Fifth SANDF soldier dies after fire Fri, 23 Aug 2002 A fifth SA National Defence Force soldier has died of burn wounds sustained during a veld fire at a police training area in Limpopo, the SANDF said on Friday.

Major GS Zulu (45) died on Thursday night at 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria, a statement said. He is survived by his wife, Happy Zulu. Five people died after fighting a blaze at the police Special Task Force's Verdrag urban anti-terrorist training area near Lephalale (Ellisras) last Tuesday. Two soldiers died on the day of the fire and a third died in hospital later that night. They were Warrant Officer Elias Viva Vavarirai (46) of Namakgale near Ba-Phalaborwa in Limpopo, Sergeant Nthatheni Makumbane (34) of Thohoyandou, and Sergeant Bongani Andries Nkwanyana (39) of Babanango in KwaZulu-Natal. The fourth man, Corporal B Mathebula (26) of Giyani, died in hospital at the weekend. All were from 5 SF Regiment, based at Ba-Phalaborwa. The soldiers and police were conducting a final training exercise for the World Summit on Sustainable Development that starts on Monday.
Dedications

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