# 6 South African Infantry Battalion

6 South African Infantry Battalion is an air assault infantry unit of the South African Army.

## History

6 SAI was established on 1 January 1962, at Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. The new training unit was housed on the property previously used by 44 Air School established by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

### Bush War/ Namibia

The battalion became operational in 1970. 6 SAI took part in Operation Protea and Operation Daisy in Angola.

### 1984 Grahamstown riots

The Unit was involved in quelling the 1984 Grahamstown riots. The army had been called in to assist the South African Police who had failed to contain the situation.

#### Air Assault Infantry

The battalion has since become an air assault infantry unit specifically trained to deploy via helicopters.
The battalion was deployed in April 2013 to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as part of the United Nations Force Intervention Brigade.

#### Battle for Kibati

In 2013, 850 members of 6 SAI were part of the United Nations (UN) Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) authorised to use lethal force to achieve peace in the DRC. 6 SAIs involvement in the FIB saw the defeat of the M23 rebel group during the Battle of Kibati and other skirmishes. The first elements moved into the DRC on 28 April 2013 and the rest following from 15 June, with all 850 South African troops ready for action by 18 June.
Special Forces elements such as snipers were also attached to 6 SAI. When the FIB came under mortar fire, 6 SAI established an observation post at the triple towers site and engaged enemy targets up to 1400 meters.

#### Freedom of Grahamstown

On 28 August 2014, after their return from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the battalion was honoured with a Freedom of the City parade through Grahamstown.

## Leadership

6 SA Infantry Battalion Leadership :
| From | Commanding Officers - 6 SAI BN | To |
| 21 January 1962 | Cmdt S.J. Terblanche | 31 July 1963 |
| 1 August 1963 | Cmdt M.N. Horner | 19 December 1963 |
| 20 December 1963 | Cmdt H.N. Norton | 18 September 1966 |
| 19 September 1966 | Cmdt F.A. Patten | 30 November 1967 |
| 1 December 1967 | Cmdt C.J. Lloyd | 1 November 1968 |
| 2 November 1968 | Cmdt H.F.P. Riekert | 29 September 1972 |
| 30 September 1972 | Cmdt E.J.J. Nel | 11 January 1976 |
| 12 January 1976 | Cmdt G.C.MG. Fourie | 19 April 1979 |
| 20 April 1979 | Cmdt M.J. Grobler | 31 December 1981 |
| 1 January 1982 | Cmdt F. Oelschig | 18 October 1984 |
| From | Commanding Officers - 6 SAI Training Unit | To |
| 18 October 1984 | Cmdt F. Oelschig | 28 February 1986 |
| 1 March 1986 | Cmdt P. J. Stroebel | 31 December 1990 |
| From | Commanding Officers - 6 SAI BN | To |
| 1 January 1991 | Cmdt G. P. Nel | 20 December 1991 |
| 21 December 1991 | Cmdt H. D. Du Plessis | 17 December 1993 |
| 18 December 1993 | Lt Col J. Du Buisson | 8 December 1995 |
| 9 December 1995 | Lt Col E. R. Rabie | 7 July 1999 |
| 8 July 1999 | Lt Col A. P. J. Du Preez | 31 January 2008 |
| 31 August 2008 | Lt Col M.S. Gopane | 18 March 2010 |
| 18 March 2010 | Lt Col S.S. Ntsunguzi | 23 February 2012 |
| 23 February 2012 | Lt Col Altin J. Gysman | 29 January 2019 |
| 29 January 2015 | Col V.D. Maseko | 22 February 2017 |
| 22 February 2017 | Lt Col M.A. Saki | 2017 |
| 2017 | Lt Col Yandisa Gaxenia | Present |
| From | Regimental Sergeants Major - 6 SAI BN | To |
| 8 January 1962 | WO1 P. J. Grove | 31 December 1963 |
| 1 January 1964 | WO1 F. P. Smit | 31 December 1964 |
| 1 January 1969 | WO1 D.J. Maritz | 16 June 1964 |
| 17 June 1974 | WO1 J. J. Gous | 31 December 1979 |
| 1 January 1980 | WO1 D. J. Oosthuizen | 31 December 1981 |
| 1 January 1982 | WO1 J. M. Goodrich | 18 October 1984 |
| From | Regimental Sergeants Major - 6 SAI Training Unit | To |
| 18 October 1984 | WO1 J.M. Goodrich | 31 December 1987 |
| 1 January 1988 | WO1 W. van Onselen | 31 December 1990 |
| From | Regimental Sergeants Major - 6 SAI BN | To |
| 1 January 1991 | WO1 J.F.E. Van Zyl | 1993 |
| 1993 | WO1 W.R. Botha | 1998 |
| 1999 | WO1 C.C. Richardson | 2008 |
| 10 October 2008 | MWO C. H. "Cassie" Coetzee | Present |

## Insignia
### Current Dress Insignia

Air Assault (Qualification) :
* Black on Thatch beige, Embossed Small Helicopter with wings

## Gallery

* 94847696rr>Bongani Vincent Mothobi/ID7303055734082