What drives Ntadimeng Mofokeng to stand tall in defending South Africa's borders is his love for his country.
Mofokeng is one of the soldiers deployed as part of “Operation Corona” in Limpopo.
Operation Corona aims to effect national border control and defend and protect South Africa, its territorial integrity and its people in accordance with the constitution and the principles of international law. This includes curbing all forms of cross-border crimes, such as illegal smuggling of dagga, stolen vehicles and undocumented people.
The deployment, which covers an area of 1,038km from Pafuri to Rooibokkraal, started on September 1 and will last until the end of April 2025.
He joined the military in 2016 and is a father to a 9-year-old boy.
Mofokeng said he has always admired soldiers.
“I actually loved their uniform, it was one of the things that drove me. What drives me is the love I have for my country. I would like my son to follow in my footsteps. There are various things I want to do in life, it is not only about the military. I want to pave a way in terms of my qualifications and business — the foundation I want to build should be an inspiration for my child,” he said.
His deployment means spending Christmas away from his family.
“It doesn't get easy, it doesn't feel great — I don't know if it is programming but I have been programmed to be flexible. I am a soldier at heart. At least we have network in our area sometimes so we can communicate with our families,” Mofokeng said.
He said he misses his son, who he describes as an image of himself.
“He is an imitation of myself and he is book smart, he was in the top three. I have a smart boy,” he said.
Floyd Bridgemohan, who works in Kimberley and is now deployed in Musina, has been in the defence force since 2015. This is his third deployment.
“I love my deployment. Being a soldier was part of my dream. What drives me as a soldier is my passion to keep my country safe,” he said.
He said that besides being a soldier, he would have been a doctor.
“But I would still be in the military, a doctor in the military,” Bridgemohan said.
Bridgemohan and his fellow soldiers are tasked with patrolling and safeguarding the border. This includes pursuing illegal border crossings.
Bridgemohan is a father and a fiancée, and he said he would miss his family.
“I will miss the family at home, but they understand that it is part of our job and they just have to be strong the same way that we have to be strong. At first, it was difficult, but they got used to it and understood that it was my job. At the end of the day you have to put bread on the table,” Bridgemohan said.
Meanwhile, for Dimakatso Mofokeng, being a soldier ensures that her family is protected.
The 36-year-old, also part of Operation Corona, is a mother of two boys, Bokang and Bonolo, and is also a sister and a daughter.
She joined the army in 2009.
“The reason I joined the army is that I saw that our country needs soldiers and I love being a soldier. I would love to stay in a country that is protected. The main reason we are here is to safeguard. We are here to guard our borderline to make sure our people are safe. We are doing vehicle and walking patrols,” she said.
According to Mofokeng, what drives her every day is that she must protect her family and friends.
As soldiers they put on a brave face even in the face of danger, but she has admitted some situations leave her traumatised.
She said though she will miss her family, she is used to spending time away from them.
“My Christmas is going to be fine because I am used to this. Yes, I am going to miss them, but I will be fine,” she said.
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