Lohatla

South African Army Combat Training Centre
South African Army Combat Training Centre
Lohatla, Northern Cape province, South Africa
	Lohatla Upington Kimberley Lohatla (Northern Cape)
Type	Military Training Area
Site information
Owner	Department of Defence
Controlled by	South African Army
Condition	In use
Site history
Built	1978
In use	1978-present
Garrison information
Current; commander	Brigadier General Bhasie Gqoboka

Lohatla is a training area of the South African National Defence Force. It is located in the Northern Cape province of South Africa and is home to the SA Army Combat Training Centre, which is part of the South African Army Training Formation.

History

This military training institution was founded on 15 January 1978. Initially known as the South African Army Battle School, it was later renamed as the South African Army Combat Training Centre on 24 October 2000.

The Battle School originated due to a need by the Department of Defence for a military training facility where conventional and integrated training on divisional level could be executed.

The SA Army Combat Training Centre is unique in the sense that it is one of ten similar institutions in the world that provide exclusive and permanent facilities for landward warfare training. Only two of these institutions are located in the Southern hemisphere, of which the SA Army Combat Training Centre is the largest, 158 000 hectares in total.^[1]

Nature Reserve

The Ga-Thlose Nature Reserve was proclaimed in 1890 and was managed as its domain by Agricultural Credit. Ownership by the local population was denied through proclamation in 1976 and the Reserve was proclaimed a restricted military area. The local population living in the area were to be relocated in the passage of time. In the meantime it was agreed that the specific group of the local community could graze their cattle in the designated grazing areas. The movement to Ga-Thlose from the Sishen Gate was also permitted.

The purchase of farms east and south of the above-mentioned area was completed in 1981 and the area, as a whole, was proclaimed as a restricted military area. The infrastructure taken over from the farmers was in a good condition.

Leadership

Leadership
From	Commanding Officer	To
1 March 2005	Brigadier General J.D. Magasela	1 December 2007
1 December 2007	Brigadier General Nontobeko Mpaxa	1 March 2013
1 March 2013	Brigadier General Bhasie Gqoboka	31 December 2014
1 January 2015	Brigadier General Mawethu Mdlulwa	current