B.C.R. to a Selous Scout KIA

[RhodesianMilitaria]

Full Name: Ndlovu Mabaleka Obert
Tribal Name: Mabaleka
Born: 4th June 1952
Unit: Selous Scouts formerly with the Rhodesian African Rifles (RAR)
Joined: Selous Scouts 1973, 1st Intake.
Date of Award: 18th April 1978
KIA: mistakenly by a PATU patrol of the Rhodesian Security Forces on the 2nd October 1978 in the Selous farming area near Hartley which was inside the Grapple operational area. This area had mistakenly not been ‘frozen’ by the Selous Scouts operations’ officer on duty at the time of Obert’s deployment. The other Selous Scout killed with him was 645142 L/CPL L. MURASE. Obert was 25 years old at the time and Murase was 26 years old.
Race: Matabele

CITATION for Acting Corporal Ndlovu Mabaleka Obert

During March 1977, Corporal Obert, a member of the Selous Scouts, was deployed in the north-eastern operational area.
Corporal Obert and his troop Sergeant formed a two-man reconnaissance team tasked to locate a base camp for 15 terrorists. The camp was duly located by this team, which called in a fireforce and guided it over the terrorist base camp. Ten of the 15 were killed.
Knowing that five terrorists from this group had made good their escape the reconnaissance team decided to remain in the area in order to ascertain their whereabouts. As a result of their continuing reconnaissance the team captured two more terrorists, leaving only three terrorists outstanding from the original group of fifteen.
On the 10th March 1977, Corporal Obert was the commander of a reconnaissance group again deployed in the north-eastern operational area. In the course of the patrol, Corporal Obert came across terrorist tracks. These led to a suspicious area, which appeared to be a camp. Leaving his patrol on a vantage point with the radio, Corporal Obert proceeded alone to investigate the suspect area. Moving into the thick bush Corporal Obert suddenly found himself in a terrorist base amongst some 30 terrorists.
Remaining completely calm Corporal Obert answered questions, which were put to him by the terrorists. Stating that he was going to fetch his own group, Corporal Obert effected an exit. The terrorist leader dispatched a local after Corporal Obert to instruct him to return to the base. Corporal Obert captured the local and, returning to the remainder of his patrol, proceeded to interrogate him. An accurate description of the base plus the number of terrorists occupying it was obtained. Corporal Obert radioed this information back to base and requested the fireforce. Upon the arrival of the fireforce Corporal Obert directed it over the target area and a contact took place. Corporal Obert’s coolness and quick thinking resulted in the death of ten terrorists.
Corporal Obert’s leadership, courage and determination to come to grips with the enemy have been an excellent example to the men under his command.

Death of Corporal Obert and Lance Corporal Murase 2nd October 1978.

Corporal Obert, by playing ZIPRA against ZANLA in a sector, which contained elements of both factions, had been able to control a huge area comprising parts of the Rengwe and the Urungwe Tribal Trust Lands and keep them free from insurgents.
For these exploits he was awarded the Bronze Cross of Rhodesia.
After resting for a while, he returned to operations in June, and soon got wind of a ZIPRA group which had slipped through his area and was based up in the Selous farming area near Hartley.
Obert and his men made immediate preparations to move there.
We did not like working within the European farming areas, due to the high risk factors. Not only did we have to contend with the highly aggressive white farmers, who were prepared to shoot on site, but also with the Police Anti-Terrorist Units (PATU) that patrolled the farming areas. Last, but by no means least, was the chance that many of the African labourers on the farms would still be loyal to the employers whom they had served for many years, and immediately report the whereabouts of a pseudo group.
Prior to his deployment, the usual signals freezing the area of operation were sent out.
The freezing system was designed to ensure the safety of the pseudo groups. It required each Joint Operational Centre and Sub-Joint Operational Centre in whose areas they were to operate, to send a return signal to Selous Scouts, Inkomo. The signal would acknowledge the freezing of a particular area, and confirm that it was free of security forces.
Tragically, the Selous Scouts Duty Operations Officer failed to notice that a small slice of the area the Scouts’ main operation centre had requested be frozen, lay outside of the Hurricane operational area, and inside the Grapple operational area. JOC, Grapple, therefore, was not advised.
Late during a Saturday afternoon, I received a message from the Special Branch representative at JOC, Grapple, asking if we had any troops operating within a particular area for which he gave the map reference. I checked the map in the operations room saw Corporal Obert’s sticker indicating his presence there and replied in the affirmative.
The Special Branch officer at JOC, Grapple became very concerned and anxiously asked us to get someone to the Selous police station as quickly as possible, as there had been a contact in which four insurgents had been killed. I sent my acting second-in-command, Major Boet swart, together with the African Regimental Sergeant-Major and a Special Branch officer, to the Selous police station, some 60 kilometres away from Inkomo, to view the corpses.
While they were on their way, I caused a thorough check to be carried out of all the signals relating to the particular freezing.
The operations’ officer, his face ashen, came to make his report. His face told me everything before he spoke. I knew that Corporal Obert and his men were dead, killed by our own forces, because the words “JOC, Grapple” had been omitted from the addressees on the freezing signal.
An hour later Boet Swart phoned from the Selous police station and confirmed the tragedy with one word.
‘Yes.’
A Special Branch officer attached to us took charge of the bodies and their equipment on the pretext of arranging fingerprints and ballistic checks on the weapons captured in the contact.
Boet swart, to maintain security, was forced by the circumstances to smile and congratulate the Police Reservist farmers who had comprised the PATU stick making the kills, although inside he felt like crying.
The Police Reserve PATU stick members, flushed with their success, had a wild party at the local club at which beer flowed freely, while the Selous Scouts party, with heavy hearts, returned to Andre Rabie Barracks with the shattered corpses of their comrades.
It was the only mistake our operations staff made in seven hectic years of war, but it was a mistake which cost the valuable lives of two Selous Scouts, two comrades, two friends.

From “Pamwe Chete – The Legend of the Selous Scouts” written by Lieutenant-Colonel R.F. Reid-Daly, CLM, DMM, MBE., CO Selous Scouts.

[Gerry van Tonder]

Peter, thanks for sharing this one - a great tragedy, with similarities with Andre Rabie's KIA, friendly fire.

Where is Obert actually buried, and one wonders if the gravestone still looks like this. Consecrated ground such as this carries little respect in Zim anymore, as witnessed by the vandalism carried out at the main city cemetery just outside Harare, Warren Hills.

Are you the proud owner of Obert's set?

Gerry

[RhodesianMilitaria]

Hello Gerry,
The photo was taken at Warren Hills Cemetery by Craig Fourie, I think in about 1994.
All the medals I show here are in my collection including Obert's.

[Carl]

Such a sad storey!
Blue-on-blue, repeated too many times throughout wars and battles - goes to show how one persons' smallest actions can have such a big impact, they call it the 'Butterfly Effect'.

Whilst not explained at the time to the 'victors' do you think they ever found out what happened and who they had actually contacted, what a nightmare if they ever did?

[bredies]

What a terrible and tragic error. Thanks for sharing.

[Chingola]

I will be seeing Boet Swart on friday,he was there when they collected the bodies,will try get more details to this story..