Five soldiers injured when an anti-aircraft gun went "haywire" during a training exercise were in a "satisfactory" condition at the Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein on Sunday.

SA National Defence Force (SANDF) headquarters said another two soldiers seriously hurt in the incident were also in a satisfactory condition at 3 Military Hospital, in Bloemfontein.

Seven troops, who were slightly injured, had been treated at the sickbay at the SA Army Combat Training Centre in Lohatla, said SANDF spokesperson Brigadier-General Kwena Mangope.

Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota and Chief of the SANDF General Godfrey Ngwenya have wished the injured soldiers a speedy recovery.

They have also extended their "sincerest sympathies and condolences" to the families of the nine soldiers who died in the incident involving a 35mm MK5 anti-aircraft gun during the Exercise Seboka.

All of the soldiers were members of 10 Air Defence Artillery Regiment, in Kimberly.

The dead were named by the SANDF on Sunday as:

• Staff Sergeant John Bezuidenhoudt, 30, survived by his mother, Mrs W Bezuidenhoudt, of Upington;

• Bombardier Khangeziwe Lephunah Malaza, 24, survived by her mother Mrs A N Malaza, of Tembisa;

• Gunner Emmah Thembekile Mthimunye, 20, survived by her mother Mrs N L Mthimunye, of Siyabuswa, in Mpumalanga;

• Gunner Rhulani Mihloti Mtileni, 23, survived by Samuel Mtileni, of Limpopo;

• Gunner Sebenzile Veronica Nhlabathi, 20, survived by her sister T T Nhlabathi, of Ladysmith;

• Gunner Thapelo James Nkwana, 21, survived by his mother Anna Nkwana, of Atteridgeville;

• Gunner Sammuel Sphiwe Nyembe, 22, survived by his sister Thabisile Nyembe, of Mabopane;

• Gunner Botse Seipato, 21, survived by his mother, from Mabopane; and

• Gunner Rudzani Christopher Siphuma, 21, survived by his father Simon Siphuma, of Chiawelo.

"The Department of Defence is to begin with the process of liaising with the families of the deceased to discuss funeral arrangments," said Mangope.

Funeral arrangements would be announced once they had been confirmed by the families.

He said the Department had appointed a high-level board of inquiry to investigate the incident.

Source: Independent Online