Police have released the names of the seven people killed when an SA National Defence Force lieutenant went on a shooting spree at Tempe military base in Bloemfontein on Thursday morning.
They are Major Jacques Coetzer, 31, Warrant Officer Reg Sieberhagen ,38, Warrant Officer Johan Lombard, 49, Staff Sergeant Doughie Douglas, 30, Sergeant Willie Nell,27, Sergeant Tertius Lombard,26, and a female defence force employee, Marita Hamilton, 57.
All the victims, with the exception of Sieberhagen and Hamilton, were married.
A black officer with the rank of lieutenant went on the rampage at 1SA Infantry Battalion, killing six white SANDF members and injuring five people, one of them critically, before he was killed himself.
The lieutenant was 28 years old. The SANDF said it could not yet release his name.
"The soldiers were on their way to a shooting practice. This is why they were armed with R4 rifles. We don't usually carry weapons around the base," said Free State SANDF spokeswoman Lieutenant Emoret Serfontein.
She said the lieutenant walked into the battalion headquarters and opened fire, and then walked through to the personnel department. He fired on some people, and apparently also aimed his weapon at others but did not shoot them.
Major Zirk Coetsee, who was wounded in the chest, is in a serious condition, while the remaining four soldiers are in a stable condition, according to police spokeswoman Senior Superintendent Johlene van der Merwe.
Major Wiehan van Noodwyk was wounded in the chest, Captain Johan de Jager was wounded in the head, Warrant Officer Aldo Mattheus was wounded in the leg and Captain Jan-Harm Steenkamp was wounded in the shoulder. - Sapa