Battle stations for Blaauwberg as SANDF orders in artillery

More than two centuries after artillery fire shook the west coast suburbs of Cape Town, on Thursday it will happen again.

The SA National Defence Force will start firing shells from Table View beach at noon, and expects “high noise” to continue for up to 30 minutes.

The test firing is in preparation for 2019’s Armed Forces Day celebration, which will also mark the 101st anniversary of the sinking of the SS Mendi with the loss of 646 lives, mostly black South African troops.

The department of defence said Thursday’s test-firing would evaluate the noise caused by equipment due to be used during “capability demonstrations” in February.

“By virtue of being the military, planned demonstrations will inevitably include high levels of noise,” said a statement.

“Members of the public in and around the Blouberg area are … urged to employ precautionary measures ensuring the safety of their animals.”

The hills inland of Table View were the scene of the 1806 Battle of Blaauwberg between British and French troops, which claimed 565 lives. The battle is regarded as the event that led to the British Empire becoming the new “owners” of SA.

The SS Mendi, which sailed from Cape Town carrying 823 men of the 5th Battalion of the South African Native Labour Corps to serve in France, sank in the English Channel on February 21, 1917, after a collision with a cargo ship.

The wreck was found in 1945. In 2017, the ship's bell was handed anonymously to a BBC journalist, and UK prime minister Theresa May returned it to President Cyril Ramaphosa when she visited SA in August.