A former commander ‘of the notorious unit has ‘been promoted to lead ‘the SANDF, reports ‘Ann Eveleth
A FORMER commander of 32 Battalion, the crack unit recently linked to train violence, is set to take over the South African National Defence Force’s KwaZulu-Natal operations.
Colonel Jan Houghardt ended his stint in South Africa’s dirty wars against Angola and Namibia as second-in-command of 32 Battalion and became a group commander in the former Transvaal in the early 1990s.
Currently commander of the SANDF’s Group 9 in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, Houghardt is set to succeed senior staff officer operations Colonel Peter Rose, who is to retire to enter the private sector at the end of the year.
The Mail & Guardian disclosed earlier this month that former members of 32 Battalion have approached the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to discuss their involvement in train violence. There is no suggestion Houghardt was involved in such incidents.
Houghardt’s promotion also follows reports of a growing militarisation among SANDF-linked farm commandos in the province ‘ particularly in the Midlands region currently under his command.
National Party MP Rudi Redinger said last week some farmers had held talks with an Executive Outcomes-linked security company called Saracen, with a view to hiring them to bolster farm security.
Weenen farmers said they had already hired ex-Koevoet members to bolster their security following a spate of farm attacks in recent months.
Defence analyst Helmut Heitman said this week it was likely Houghardt would know Executive Outcomes members, ‘as many of them came from 32 Battalion’. He would also have come into contact with some members of Koevoet during his stint in Angola.
Major Kim van Niekerk said she did not think, however, that his prior involvement in 32 Battalion would present political problems in the volatile province.
‘Any military person with a long record has been posted from pillar to post, so I don’t think the fact he served in this or that unit should be a problem,’ she said.
Houghardt was unavailable to comment. Heitman said he was a ‘pretty hot-shot company commander with 32 Battalion in the early 1980s … Houghardt was involved in several campaigns in the south-east and south-west of Angola, including Modular, Hooper and Packer, and was probably also involved in the last campaign in south-west Angola in 1988.’
He said Houghardt had also served as a company commander of Operation Super in 1982, in which he led a platoon of 45 troops into an attack on Iona in south-west Angola. ‘When the dust had settled, they had killed 201 insurgents and he only lost three of his guys.’
Details of 32 Battalion members’ alleged involvement in train violence are still under wraps, but Heitman said he found the disclosures ‘surprising’ as the battalion had ‘quite a good reputation in military service’.
He said Houghardt would have a good reputation as a result, and his appointment would ‘probably be welcomed by farmers … He will come across as a good, competent officer and a man of experience.’