A black army officer in South Africa army base went on a shooting spree killing six white soldiers and a female South African National Defence Force employee. Lt. Sibusiso Madubela, 28, of the 1st South African Infantry Battalion, moved from building to building at the Tempe military base in Bloemfontein randomly shooting at white soldiers with an R4 semiautomatic rifle. The base is located in Bloemfontein, the largest city in Free State, a sparsely populated farming province 220 miles south of Johannesburg.

Killed in the shooting were Major Jacques Coetzer, 31, Warrant Officer Reg Sieberhagen, 38, Warrant Officer Johan Lombard, 49, Staff Sergeant Doughie Douglas, 30, Sergeant Willie Nell, 27, Sergeant Tertius Lombard, 26, and a female defence force employee, Marita Hamilton, 57. Five more people were wounded, including one in critical condition. Madubela died in a shoot out with one of the wounded soldiers.

South Africa's Defense Minister Patrick Lekota announced a wide-ranging probe into problems in South Africa's defense force following Madubela's shooting rampage. Perhaps in reaction to the killings suspected members of the AWB,the neo-Nazi African Resistance Movement, broke into the army base, stole a minibus and painted the words "We shall be back," on a wall.

Highlighting racial tensions in the post-apartheid military, South African police launched an inquiry into the killings to determine whether they were racially motivated. One soldier at the base, who said he was a close associate of Madubela, said the killings were a result of racial tensions. Allegedly the lieutenant had been angered by news that his pay for the month had been cancelled after he left the base to attend his father's funeral.

"Anybody who thinks these killings are not part and parcel of apartheid is mistaken," said the soldier, who declined to be identified. "This guy went to bury his father and he comes back to be told that he went AWOL. What is that? He had sought permission before he went."

"I think we're going to see the army split into two -- one section for whites and another one for blacks -- if there are still people dragging their feet when it comes to progress. We've fought for this country and we don't need that to happen."

Mayhem.net

Lt. Sibusiso Madubela

September 17, 1999

Highlighting racial tensions in the post-apartheid military, South African police launched an inquiry into the killing of seven whites by Lt. Sibusiso Madubela.

One soldier at the base, who said he was a close associate of Madubela, said the killings were a result of racial tensions. Allegedly the lieutenant had been angered by news that his pay for the month had been cancelled after he left the base to attend his father's funeral.

Army Lieutenant's Funeral Turns Into Violent Melee

Orlando Sentinel

October 3, 1999

MAZIZINI, South Africa - The funeral of a racist army lieutenant turned violent Saturday when mourners insisted on giving the man a 12-gun salute over the orders of police. At least three people were wounded as the crowd of 2,000 screamed and scattered.

Police fired live ammunition and tear gas at the funeral of Lt. Sibusiso Madubela, a black soldier who claimed the lives of seven white military officers and a white civilian in a killing spree last month. Police Superintendent Wayne Hackert said the live shots were fired into the air, not at the crowd, and claimed the three injuries could have happened as the crowd panicked.

Madubela not wanted in unit, inquiry told

Dispatch.co.za

Thursday, May 4, 2000

BLOEMFONTEIN -- The SA National Defence Force appeared to be having difficulty getting rid of underachievers and troublemakers in its midst, an officer yesterday told the judicial inquiry into the killing of nine people in a shooting spree at the Tempe military base.

Lieutenant Wiehan van Noordwyk, one of those injured in the September attack by Lieutenant Sibusiso Madubela, testified that there appeared to be a problem at top management level in this regard. Problematic individuals were often transferred to other sections, "but then they return to the surprise of the entire unit".

Madubela, he said, was not fit to be an officer, and numerous complaints were filed against him.

Asked by Judge Koos Malherbe whether it was difficult to get rid of underachievers, Van Noordwyk replied: "That is how it seems to us on the ground."

Earlier, the court heard that the defence force was apparently in possession of psychiatrists' reports suggesting that Madubela should not have been allowed access to firearms.

Advocate James Gilliland, for the families of the victims, told the court that one of the gunman's colleagues recalled having seen documents to this effect in Madubela's personal file on the day after the shooting.

The reports apparently suggested that a person with Madubela's psychiatric profile should be kept away from firearms.

Witnesses at the hearing have described Madubela as easily provoked, aggressive, undisciplined and arrogant, saying he did not belong in the military.

Madubela shot dead seven whites -- six soldiers and a civilian woman -- at the Tempe military base on September 16, last year. He also wounded five others before being killed in a shootout.

One of those injured later died in hospital.

Captain Johannes Jurgens de Jager, who was also wounded by Madubela, testified that the command structures were informed on several occasions that Madubela was an "undesirable element", and could not adapt to the SANDF.

His aggression under pressure was worrying, yet nothing was done about it.

Major Marthinus Petrus Odendaal, the adjutant of the base at the time, described Madubela as a loner who did not mingle with white or black colleagues.

"He was useless -- you could not use him for anything," he said under cross-examination.

"We did not want him in the unit."

Witnesses yesterday described how they ducked bullets fired by Madubela.

De Jager, a paraplegic, told the inquiry that Madubela stood in the door of an office in the training headquarters building and pointed his rifle at Captain Gert van Tonder.

De Jager, Van Tonder and Sanlam insurance agent Abraham Kleynhans were in the office.

Van Tonder jumped up and kicked shut the office door. Madubela fired several shots through the closed door, hitting De Jager on the side of the head. He was not seriously injured.

Madubela then went to a nearby office, where he shot dead clerk Marita Hamilton.

After shooting Hamilton, Madubela went to the battalion headquarters, where he killed four soldiers.

Van Noordwyk, who was in this building, told the inquiry he was wounded while trying to stop Madubela.

Van Noordwyk spent more than two months in hospital.