Thaba Tshwane Voortrekkerhoogte (formerly) Roberts Heights (originally) | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 25°47′24″S28°08′32″E / 25.7901°S 28.1421°E | |
Country | South Africa |
Province | Gauteng |
Municipality | City of Tshwane |
Area | |
• Total | 32.76 km2 (12.65 sq mi) |
Population (2011) [1] | |
• Total | 6,727 |
• Density | 210/km2 (530/sq mi) |
Racial makeup (2011) | |
• Black African | 68.5% |
• Coloured | 0.6% |
• Indian/Asian | 0.1% |
• White | 30.5% |
• Other | 0.4% |
First languages (2011) | |
• Northern Sotho | 29.1% |
• Afrikaans | 27.9% |
• S. Ndebele | 8.2% |
• Tsonga | 7.3% |
• Other | 27.5% |
Time zone | UTC+2 (SAST) |
Postal code (street) | 0187 |
PO box | 0143 |
Thaba Tshwane is a military base (or military area) in Pretoria, South Africa.
The oldest building in the complex is the South African Garrison Institute, what is now known as the Army College. Lord Kitchener laid the cornerstone on 12 June 1902. [2]
Today the installation is home to:
Founded around 1905 by the British Army, and called Roberts Heights [3] after Field Marshal Lord Roberts. The area was subsequently renamed Voortrekkerhoogte ("Voortrekker Heights") in 1939 by the government of the Union of South Africa, following the beginning of the building of the nearby Voortrekker Monument, at a time of growing Afrikaner nationalism. On 19 May 1998, following the end of apartheid, it was renamed again, as Thaba Tshwane. [4]
Pretoria, also known as Tshwane, is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa.
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises thirteen Regular Army regiments, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery and five Army Reserve regiments.
The South African Army is the principal land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Service. The Army is commanded by the Chief of the Army, who is subordinate to the Chief of the SANDF.
Centurion is an area with 236,580 inhabitants in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, between Pretoria and Midrand. Formerly an independent municipality, with its own town council, it has been part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality since 2000. Its heart is at the intersection of the N1 and N14 freeways. The R21 freeway also passes through the eastern part of Centurion.
Field Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, was a British Victorian era general who became one of the most successful British military commanders of his time. Born in India to an Anglo-Irish family, Roberts joined the East India Company Army and served as a young officer in the Indian Rebellion during which he was awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry. He was then transferred to the British Army and fought in the Expedition to Abyssinia and the Second Anglo-Afghan War, in which his exploits earned him widespread fame. Roberts would go on to serve as the Commander-in-Chief, India before leading British Forces for a year during the Second Boer War. He also became the last Commander-in-Chief of the Forces before the post was abolished in 1904.
The City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, also known as the City of Tshwane, is the metropolitan municipality that forms the local government of northern Gauteng in South Africa. The metropolitan area is centred on the city of Pretoria with surrounding towns and localities included in the local government area.
The South African Military Health Service is the branch of the South African National Defence Force responsible for medical facilities and the training and deployment of all medical personnel within the force. Though unusual, as most national militaries integrate their medical structures into their existing service branches, the SANDF regards this structure as being the most efficient method of providing care and support to the SANDF's personnel.
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The South African Army Armour Formation provides an Armour capability to the South African Army. The Formation came into being as part of a restructure. South African Armour Corps units previously under the command of various different brigades and other formations were all grouped under one formation. All armour is assigned to the SA Army Armour Formation under the charge of a General Officer Commanding.
The South African Army Training Formation is the controlling entity of all South African Army training units. The Formation was established in April 1999 and mandated to provide, maintain and sustain landward common training to the SA Army.
Orange Free State Command was a command of the South African Army, active from c. 1933 to c. 1999. Its headquarters was at Bloemfontein, seemingly for a period at the Tempe airfield, later to become the Tempe Military Base.
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Western Province Command was a command of the South African Army.
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26 Field Artillery Regiment was an artillery regiment of the South African Artillery.
Maj Gen Abe Notshweleka was a General Officer in the South African Army from the artillery. He was born in 1954 in Kempton Park and grew up in Tembisa where he matriculated. He joined the uMkhonto we Sizwe's underground structures. He completed a Teaching diploma from a College of Education in Bophuthatswana and taught in schools around Mafikeng. He went into exile through Botswana and later in Malanje, Angola where he completed military training. He later served as a MK Camp Commander of Malanje. He stayed in Mozambique and in Tanzania where he was a Military Attaché.