Chairperson, a board of inquiry to determine the cause of the accident is in progress. The South African National Defence Force will be in a position to review measures only after the release of the findings. However, the firing of all 35mm anti-aircraft weapon systems has been put on hold until the cause of the accident has been determined.
All families were assisted by the SA Army in terms of the following: provision of liaison officers who were detached to the families in the week following the accident; pastoral support by army chaplains who met and conferred with the families; financial support, not public funds, to each family has already been provided, namely R6 000 for funeral arrangements and other incidentals and R3 000 to families of the injured to utilise for travel arrangements to Bloemfontein; accommodation in Kimberley and Pretoria, as needed, at no charge to the families; families were flown to Kimberley and Lohatla in order to attend the memorial service and complete their rituals at the site of the accident; support in realising the payout of all insurance-related payments; comprehensive support in terms of finalising the various funerals; and continued support in terms of finalising all administration regarding outstanding payments.
The families will be transported to Kimberley in order to attend the annual SA Army Air Defence Artillery Formation memorial service on 5 December this year. All families are in possession of telephone numbers of the SA Army Formation and personnel. Liaison will continue until all outstanding issues have been resolved.