The King Shaka Regiment (formerly the Durban Regiment) is a reserve
motorised infantry
Motorized infantry is infantry that is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles, and from light infantry, which ...
battalion 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. ...
.
History
Origin
Established in 1923 as the Durban Volunteer Guides, the unit was disbanded after World War Two but reformed on paper in 1959 as an armoured infantry unit.
Durban Regiment was officially proclaimed in 1959 and the first posting to the unit was on 1 January 1960 with Colonel M.B. Williams as its first officer commanding.
Internal operations
The Regiment's first mobilisations were on 31 March 1960 to combat unrest in Natal's Cato Manor area. They were, in fact, the first regiment mobilised and committed to this action.
On 31 May 1961 the unit was again mobilised for participation in the ceremonies accompanying the Declaration of the Republic of South Africa.
Type conversion
First formed as an
armoured infantry
Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also mechanized force).
As defined by the United States Army, mechanized infantry is d ...
regiment, the Durban Regiment was later converted to
motorised infantry
Motorized infantry is infantry that is transported by trucks or other motor vehicles. It is distinguished from mechanized infantry, which is carried in armoured personnel carriers or infantry fighting vehicles, and from light infantry, which ...
.
The regiment received its Regimental Colours on 10 October 1964.
Language
In 1969, the Durban Regiment was instructed to transfer all Afrikaans speaking unit members to a newly formed unit,
Regiment Port Natal
Regiment Port Natal was a motorised infantry regiment of the South African Army. It formed part of the South African Army Infantry Formation. As a reserve unit, it had a status roughly equivalent to that of a present-day British Army Reserve or Un ...
(RPN).
Band
As from the formal inauguration of the unit, authority was acquired for the formation of a military band that functioned to support the unit at military functions and parades. In 1976 the Montclair Pipe band (a civilian band) affiliated to the military band and over a very short time the pipe
contingent absorbed the bugles and trumpets of the military band. The Durban Regiment Pipe Band now forms the musical component at the unit and effectively supports the unit at military functions and parades.
Training
Annual training camps were completed every year until 1972 when Durban Regiment began duties on either the
South West Africa
South West Africa ( af, Suidwes-Afrika; german: Südwestafrika; nl, Zuidwest-Afrika) was a territory under South African administration from 1915 to 1990, after which it became modern-day Namibia. It bordered Angola (Portuguese colony before 1 ...
(Namibia) or
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
borders during the
South African Border War
The South African Border War, also known as the Namibian War of Independence, and sometimes denoted in South Africa as the Angolan Bush War, was a largely asymmetric conflict that occurred in Namibia (then South West Africa), Zambia, and Angol ...
. In addition to the border duties, from 1982, Durban Regiment also became involved in counter insurgency operations in urban operations in urban areas, mainly in the Kwa-Zulu Natal area.
Freedom of the City
On its 21st birthday in 1981, the Durban Regiment was granted the freedom of the City of Durban.
Garrison
In 1999 the Durban Regiment moved headquarters to the Drill Hall at the
Old Fort Road Military Base in Durban.
Post 1994 and the SANDF
Peacekeeping deployments
The first volunteer camp was held in the Boshoek training area near Ladysmith for two weeks in February 1995. The first member of colour volunteer to do service as guard duties was in August 1995. The same member served as an officer with the first army conventional reserve force company to deploy externally to the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
for peace support operations.
In January 2005, Durban Regiment contributed 20 members (one officer, 6 NCOs and thirteen riflemen) to the Reserve Force company that deployed with
7 South African Infantry Battalion
7 South African Infantry Battalion is a motorised infantry unit of the South African Army.
History Origin
1973: 7 SAI was established on 1 October, at Bourke's Luck, Eastern Transvaal (Mpumalanga) by Commandant Eddie Webb.
1974:The first na ...
to the DRC.
Durban Regiment also supplied 13 members to the Reserve Force company that was deployed with
2 SAI deploying to the DRC in June 2005.
In June 2006, Durban Regiment supplied a Company HQ and a platoon to
5 SAI's contingent deployed to Burundi. In July 2007, Durban Regiment provided a mortar section to
5 SAI for another deployment to Burundi. In July 2008, Durban Regiment supplied a rifle platoon to
121 BN for the UN peace support operation to the DRC,
MONUSCO
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or MONUSCO, an acronym based on its French name , is a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which was estab ...
.
Name change
In August 2019, 52 Reserve Force units had their names changed to reflect the diverse military history of South Africa. The Durban Regiment became the King Shaka Regiment, with three years to design and implement new regimental insignia.
Leadership
Insignia
The Durban Regiment badge consists of a silver fish eagle on a gold sea shell with the motto ''Punga Celeriter'' (Strike swiftly).
Previous dress insignia
Current dress insignia
Motto
* "" ("Strike swiftly")
References
{{SA Army Units
Infantry regiments of South Africa
Military units and formations in Durban
Military units and formations established in 1960