Durban - Deep in the Imfolozi Game Reserve the crackle of the walkie-talkie radio shatters the silence of the savannah.
Camouflaged soldiers of the Natal Mounted Rifles and 84 Signal Unit patrol the borders of the reserve alerting others to their location and looking for any suspicious activities.
Armed with rifles, they patrol the reserve with an eye out for poachers and wildlife that could attack them. A lapse in concentration could mean severe injury or death.
In the sweltering dry heat, reservists – who do foot patrols of up to 30km – have to maintain their concentration.
To ensure maximum efficiency, the reservists are strategically placed around the 96ha reserve in KwaZulu-Natal where they not only monitor activities but also do training exercises – including testing the response times of the soldiers to the calls.
According to Lieutenant-Colonel Diederick Kruger, a retired teacher, when the soldiers are deployed they will be responsible for monitoring borders and preventing border jumpers, drug-traffickers, poachers and undesirable elements coming into the country.
When on patrol, the reservists are led by veteran game rangers who pass on their knowledge of the terrain. From the rangers they learn how to deal with wild animals and how to respond to attacks, knowledge which could prove invaluable when they do patrols across the border.
Kruger said this sort of training was vital.
“The training we did in Durban was a problem because the soldiers knew the place like the back of their hands.
“We decided to use the game reserve as this was an unfamiliar territory for the soldiers and half of the soldiers had not seen wild animals. They have gained a huge amount of experience.”
Kruger has been a soldier since conscription was compulsory for young white men during apartheid days.
“When democracy began in the country, a lot of my colleagues left the army. I decided to stay and to train young South Africans. I feel that I can make a better South Africa,” said the 57-year-old former maths and science teacher.
Kruger said his unit consisted of people from different backgrounds with a deep love for the country, and many had become like his own children.
One member of the unit is Lance Corporal Phomolo Khwababa from uMlazi.
A perfume seller by profession, he said: “It was a love for the country that made me join the army. My family initially thought I was crazy but soon afterwards, they warmed up to the idea of me being a soldier.”
A sweating Khwababa who had just returned from watch, said he had chosen to do this “because I heard that rhinos and lions were being killed”.
The softly spoken Khwababa, who has four children, said it had been an eye-opening experience.
“”I have learnt a lot about the behaviour of animals. A few days ago we were chased by a lion. We realised the lioness had cubs and was trying to protect them. If you respect animals they will respect you.”
The exercises are set to continue until December 15.
Daily News