The IFP would like to extend its deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the soldiers from 10 Anti-Aircraft Regiment who died during a training exercise at Lohatla. We also wish the wounded a speedy recovery and hope they will be able to return to their unit as soon as possible. 

The IFP welcomes the announcement that an official board of enquiry has been convened to investigate the accident. We expect the investigation to be as comprehensive as possible, but want to suggest that it should, among other things, concentrate on the regular maintenance of the weapon system in question and the training level of the MSDS volunteers who manned the weapon. 

We know that the Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun is an older weapon system, and we have to ask whether its age had anything to do with the malfunction.

Also, we would need the assurance that the weapon system had been regularly maintained to the high standards required of a combat weapon. 

Furthermore, a number of the gun crew were volunteers with only a few months' training and we would ask whether it was appropriate for them to have participated in a live-fire exercise at this point of their training.

This should also form part of the board of enquiry and if need be new guidelines might have to be issued for the participation of relatively inexperienced soldiers in live-fire combat exercises.