Officer Commanding Joint Tactical Headquarters Eastern Cape, Colonel Thembinkosi Patrick Ntobela, led a successful and dignified end-of-deployment parade of Operation Corona Maritime, which was held on board SAS Amatola under the command of Captain (SA Navy) Dieter Jones. Operation Corona Maritime started on the 06 of January 2025 and ended on 28 February 2025.
By Captain Yolanda Zukhanye Poswa and image by Lieutenant Taric Caleb Butler
The day started with a Deployment brief when members of the ship were presented with the brief. The brief guided the members on what to expect after deployment and how to integrate when they return home to their family lives.
The parade started with a scripture reading and prayer by the ship’s Chaplain, Chaplain Van De Roos. She encouraged the ship crew to continue their journey with enthusiasm and high morale.
In his speech, Officer Commanding Joint Tactical Headquarters Eastern Cape, Colonel Thembinkosi Patrick Ntobela shared the importance of safeguarding South African sea borders to protect the integrity of the nation. He congratulated the ship crew for the successful execution of Operation Corona Maritime. Thereafter, he handed the members certificates of appreciation.
