Nongqai vol 6 no 7

Then about two years later we were chasing the last two freedom fighters of a special forces infiltration near Namatoni in the Etosha National Park at about four o’ clock the afternoon when we hit contact and killed both. We were now right at the eastern border of Owambo land when I just got this urge to go and sleep at Okalongo an Army basis in the west of Owambo about four hundred kilometres away. Anybody else would have told you I was nuts. There was just no logic to this move but somehow I believed Okalongo was going to get attacked that night. It took us awhile to get there and we only arrived after dark. I went inside to the basis commander and told him about my expectations and asked him to tell his mortar guys to just fire illuminating mortars if an attack would occur.

That night at about two the first “tchum” was heard. In split seconds I was up screaming commands. Starta, starta! Telling my drivers to start the Casspirs. But silence! Silence! Silence. Now what on earth. Was this now an attack or was it the army! I could not determine where that mortar came from because it exploded on the other side of the basis and could have been fired from anywhere. Sitting, waiting, finally going back to sleep to my total disgust. The next morning we found piles and piles of 60 mm mortars, 82 mm mortars, B10 bombs, RPG 7’s and many more explosive devises a mere 100 meters from us. So when I commanded my drivers to start the Casspirs and when they did the SWAPO guys saw that it was Koevoet and scrambled of in all directions over open pieces of land around Okalongo. They abandoned all their heavy metal to get away a soon as possible. Two hours later it started raining heavily and all tracks were washed away.

That next morning I could kick myself. Stupid, stupid. How could you. I have missed another opportunity that only comes once in a life time. How could I! Org, I was sick.

I felt bad for days. We were ready. The hand breaks on the Casspirs were loosened.

Ready to go. We had piles of illumination mortars packed out with lots of mortar launchers ready to be pumped. We would have caught them pants down. But somehow only caught their heavy metal piled up to be collected plus their tracks washed away and I could not even chase them over those vast open spaces. At least that would have given us some bonus on our smart move. Due to the fact that we would have been on their tails from day break on wet ground in wide open spaces we would have had a pretty good change of nailing them very early the next day. But with no tracks at all and still raining, chances was slim that we would even see one track. I just felt miserable. But had to accept. I have lost it again! We got into our Casspirs and drove off to Oshakati in silence. Nobody asked me why I drove all over Owambo to go and sleep at Okalongo, but neither did they ask me how did I missed forty freedom fighters a hundred meters away from where we slept in wide open spaces! I could and maybe would have cried if they did ask me!

Well third time lucky! Again I just knew Onangwêna was going to be “reffed” that Saturday night. Not for any reason at all. I just knew it. So again we were late, originally planning to sleep at Eenhana.

So again we arrived after dark. Parking without lights as silently as possible and prepared for an ambush. Loosened the hand breaks of the Casspirs, opened the lights. Oiled the guns, packed out the illuminating mortars and launchers. Prepared the guys in the basis and had a nice barbeque because we were expecting SWAPO 97