The Engineer Squadron deployed since Mid-April 2022 for Disaster Relief continues to make positive changes towards the livelihood of local communities here in KwaZulu-Natal. The men and women in uniform currently are simultaneously busy with two (2) projects whereby they are repairing, clearing and rehabilitating the roads that were coercively damaged by the floods in these villages.
After effects of the floods left the routes uneven and flushed out thus making mobility and accessibility challenging for commuters to reach their various destinations.
The road repairs and rehabilitation of these projects required extensive assessment. Prior to the commencement, the pre-assessment was done by the Construction Troop Commander accompanied by Construction Machine operators, the Reconnaissance Commander together with his Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) crew. Their purpose was to determine the extent of the damages, the strength of the workforce needed, what type of equipment and materials will be required to complete the task and aerial photography required to supplement the reconnaissance.
The Construction Machine operators and the field troops were then deployed to execute the taskings. The project sometimes takes a few weeks or a month depending on the complexity and extent of the Damages. Different Construction Vehicles such as the dozer, grand roller, and tippers are deployed to serve varied construction duties on the sites. The Construction Machine Operators are from 1 Construction Regiment, Gauteng.
The Squadron is under the Command of Major Lucas Madimetja Masenya.
Article by Captain Tshegofatso Gwai, Aerial Photograph’s UAV Crew: Second Lieutenant Warren Meyers, Sergeant Sithembiso Zwane and Corporal Thato Raleie and Photographs by Corporal Lorraine Choma.
