26/11/2021
SA Military Academy Class of 2022 with the support of Class of 2023 takes part in Exercise TRANS ENDURO || Friday, 26 November 2021 @ 07:30 at Nelson Mandela Bay || Gqeberha.
The South African Military Academy students have once again come out of their academic blocks to take part in this year’s Trans Enduro exercise starting at Nelson Mandela Bay (Gqeberha) to Saldanha Bay over period 26 November 2021 to 4 December 2021 with the aim of raising funds for the MASIZA community outreach programme, the Academy’s adopted community project.
Trans Enduro has had its tradition for more than 30 years and is held annually to raise funds for the Military Academy’s adopted community project, while the students are also involved in social impact projects along the way such as cleaning streets and neighbourhoods, painting school buildings, and visiting retirement homes.
The MASIZA programme this year focuses on Senior Citizens and Early Childhood Development. “The entire exercise is planned and executed by the Academy students. This develops their leadership skills and enhances their understanding of the practical issues related to community service. In return, communities get exposed to the high calibre of the young men and women serving in defence of the country,” says Lieutenant Colonel Morné Booÿjens, Chief Military Instructor at the Military Academy and serving as a mentor to participants.
Nine teams, including land, running, log, signal, media, cycling and sea teams – travel from the Eastern Cape to Saldanha over a period of 10 days, staying over in towns along the way. While the cycling team covers a certain distance on bicycles (100Km), the sea team travels along the coast with two rubber dinghies, and the land team drives with vehicles from town to town collecting money, while the log team prepares for the other teams’ arrival. There is also a running team that covers a distance of 10 km each day. At certain points, the teams change.
Also, it is a tradition that the Mayor of each town writes a short letter of goodwill to the Mayor of the next town. The letter is handed to the exercise commander who delivers it to the mayor of the next town. Each morning will see a short opening ceremony as organised in conjunction with the various mayoral committees of municipalities along the way.
Information by Major Herklaas Jantjies || Corporate Communication Officer Military Academy and Photographs by Mr Tsholanang Zwane || Human Resource Division || Corporate Communication.
