Northern Transvaal Command was a

command Command may refer to: Computing * Command (computing), a statement in a computer language * COMMAND.COM, the default operating system shell and command-line interpreter for DOS * Command key, a modifier key on Apple Macintosh computer keyboards ...

of the

South African Army 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. ...

. It was active from 1959 to mid 2000 when it was disestablished. Formerly it was named Northern Command from 1946 to 1959.

History

Origins

Union Defence Force Military Districts

The command's origins may date to the formations of Military districts, No 5 and 6 in 1926, which then became Transvaal Command in 1934. Thereafter there were several quick name changes: Roberts Heights & Transvaal Command ; Voortrekkerhoogte & Transvaal Command 1939, and then Transvaal Command . Later the command became Northern Command in 1946; Northern Transvaal Command in 1959. In 1939 Roberts' Heights and Transvaal Command, with its headquarters at Roberts' Heights (now

Thaba Tshwane Thaba Tshwane is a military base (or military area) in Pretoria, South Africa. Units and facilities The oldest building in the complex is the South African Garrison Institute, what is now known as the Army College. Lord Kitchener laid the corne ...

), contained 6th Infantry Brigade, 1 Field Survey Squadron SAEC, the artillery depot, parts of the

Special Service Battalion The Special Service Battalion (SSB) is a South African military unit formed on 1 May 1933 under the patronage of Oswald Pirow, Minister of Defence. The object was to give training to youths, between the ages of 17 and 23, who, in the wake of th ...

, elements of the Permanent Garrison Artillery, and the Artillery School. Its headquarters was in

Pretoria Pretoria () 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. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...

, and within its command boundaries, it contained a number of important

Active Citizen Force 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. ...

field formations, notably 81 Armoured Brigade (part of 8th South African Armoured Division). Depending upon the command boundaries, it may also have included 72 Motorised Brigade with its headquarters at

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

and 73 Motorised Brigade with its headquarters in the Johannesburg suburb of Kensington. SADF era Northern Transvaal Command insignia

Under the SADF

In the early 1980s it became clear that the sheer size of Northern Transvaal Command's territory made command and control as well as logistical functions extremely difficult. These as well as other security considerations led to the decision to subdivide Northern Transvaal Command into three Commands in 1984: Northern Transvaal Command (Pretoria);

Eastern Transvaal Command Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...

, probably covering what later became the

Eastern Transvaal Mpumalanga () is a province of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. It ...

(

Nelspruit Mbombela (also known as Nelspruit) is a city in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province. Located on the Crocodile River, Mbombela lies about by road west of the Mozambique border, east of Johannesburg and north ...

); and Far North Command (

Pietersburg Polokwane (, meaning "Sanctuary" in Northern SothoPolokwane - The Heart of the Limpopo Provinc ...

) (commanded in succession by Charles Lloyd and, from February 1987,

Georg Meiring General Georg Meiring (born 18 October 1939) is a South African military commander. He served as Chief of the Army (1990–93) and Chief of the South African National Defence Force (1993–98). Military career After obtaining a Master of Sc ...

).Hamann, 'Days of the Generals,' p.62, for Meiring assumption-of-command date. For a contemporary view on Far North Command, see discussion in James Roherty, 'State Security in South Africa: Civil-Military Relations Under P.W. Botha,' 1992, 98–100. The two new Commands were regarded as theatres and as such also had responsibility for conventional operations (and units) within their areas. For example, Far North Command had 73 Motorised Brigade within its area.

Amalgamation with Witwatersrand Command into Gauteng Command

Groups and Commandos

SADF era Northern Transvaal Command Commando Structure

Group 15 (Voortrekkerhoogte)

Broederstroom Commando Broederstroom Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Infantry Corps, South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve. History Origin Operati ...

Bronkhorstspruit Commando Bronkhorstspruit Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve. History Origin Operations With the SADF The unit ...

* Hercules Commando *

Hillcrest Commando Hillcrest Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve. Hillcrest was a Commando from 1962 to 1983 and was the first ...

* Irene Commando * Moot Commando * Munitoria Commando *

Pretoria East Commando Pretoria East Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve. History Origin Operations With the SADF The unit r ...

Quaggapoort Commando Quaggapoort Commando was a light infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation as well as the South African Territorial Reserve. History Origin Operations With the SADF During this e ...

* Schanskop Commando * Wonderboom Commando

Leadership

Notes

References

{{SA Army Units Commands of the South African Army Disbanded military units and formations in Pretoria Military units and formations established in 1959 Military units and formations disestablished in 2000