Mavango, Mxolisi

Identity

Person No.

48613

Service No.

Unknown

Last Name

Mavango 3

First Name

Mxolisi

Initials

M

Date of Birth

Unknown

Est. Birth Year

1975 (±1 yr) 200

Age at Death

27

Military Service

Rank

Corporal

Regiment

5 Special Forces Regiment 19

Unit

5 Reconnaissance Regiment 23

Secondary Unit

Army

Defence Force

SANDF 922

South African National Defence Force

Death Record

Date of Death

21 August 2002 114

Cause code

ACC 1,522

Accident

Cause of Death

Died of burns 17

Died in hospital from smoke inhalation and burns sustained on 13 August 2002 during a veld fire at the Police Special Task Force Verdrag anti-terrorist training area. 5 Special Forces Regiment and the Special Task Force were conducting a joint final training exercise to deploy operationally for the World Summit on Sustainable Development

Location

Country

South Africa 23,303

Locality

Gauteng 9,447

Cemetery

SADF WALL OF REMEMBRANCE, VOORTREKKER MONUMENT, PRETORIA 1,911

Grave Reference

Alternative Commemoration until grave found 1,597

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

Notes

Unknown

Research notes

Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 21 Aug 2026: Corporal M. Mavango, 5 Reconnaissance Regiment, died in hospital from smoke inhalation and burns sustained 13 August 2002 during a veld fire at the Police Special Task Force Verdrag anti-terrorist training area (joint 5 SFR / STF exercise for the World Summit on Sustainable Development), age 27. Initials M left; first name not invented. Graham gave no service number. Same Verdrag/Ellisras veld fire as Makumbane PN 31524, Nkwanyana PN 32296 (13 Aug), Mathebula PN 31681 (15 Aug), Vavarirai PN 33667 (22 Aug), Zulu PN 33950 (23 Aug). New ROH record (not on SAWGP at research time). Not the 32 Battalion Fernando Mavango PN 31723.
Mike Sandham 21 Aug 2026 omissions: Corporal M Mavango, 5 Reconnaissance Regiment, died of injuries (smoke inhalation and burns) from the 13 Aug 2002 Verdrag veld fire, age 27. ╠ Mavangu Mxolisi KIO 2002 ╣ SASFA In Memoriam PDF https://www.recce.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4.1.-Memoriam.pdf (memoriam page itself was down for upgrade). SASFA lists Mavangu Mxolisi with Makumbane Nthatheni, Mathebula Benneth, Nkwanyana Bongani, Vavarirai EV, Zulu Shadrack — all KIO 2002; same incident cluster as Mike asked (Makumbane PN 31524 and Nkwanyana PN 32296 13 Aug, Mathebula PN 31681 15 Aug, Vavarirai PN 33667 22 Aug, Zulu PN 33950 23 Aug). FirstName set to Mxolisi from SASFA; LastName Mavango left (Graham/SAWGP). SAWGP details.php?id=31723 is this 5 Recce death (verified 2025-03-11); ROH PersonNumber 31723 is Rifleman Fernando Mavango, 32 Battalion — not merged, SAWGP id collision. SASFA recce.co.za/memoriam/ HTML was unavailable (site upgrade).

Citations

Unknown

External References

Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post
Col (rt) Graham du Toit Last Post 21 Aug 2026: Cpl M. Mavango, 5 Recce, died in hospital 21 Aug 2002 of smoke/burns from 13 Aug Verdrag veld fire, age 27. No SN / first name. New ROH record.
Mike Sandham
Mike Sandham 21 Aug 2026 omissions: Cpl M Mavango / SASFA Mavangu Mxolisi KIO 2002, 5 Recce, Verdrag veld fire, age 27. Same incident as Makumbane, Nkwanyana, Mathebula, Vavarirai, Zulu.
South African War Graves Project
SAWGP details.php?id=31723 currently Cpl M Mavango, 5 Recce, 2002-08-21. ROH PN 31723 is Fernando Mavango 32 Bn — not merged.
Unit veterans association
SASFA In Memoriam – Operators: Mavangu Mxolisi KIO 2002 (with Makumbane, Mathebula Benneth, Nkwanyana, Vavarirai EV, Zulu Shadrack).
Unit veterans association
SASFA In Memoriam: Mavangu Mxolisi KIO 2002 — confirmed Special Forces operator

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Mavango , Mxolisi (M)