Origin of 7 Division from existing and new Brigades
7 Division and 17, 18 and 19 Brigades were established on 1 April 1965. Difficulties with manning levels saw the disestablishment of 7 Division on 1 November 1967 and its replacement by the Army Task Force and 16 Brigade.
Re-designated Headquarters
On 2 April 1971, a small band of officers were summoned to meet with Major General Stapelberg to inaugurate the establishment of 7 Division, South African Army. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the Transvaal Irish Regiment in Johannesburg. From 1 September 1972 Army Task Force Headquarters was redesignated HQ 7 Division.
Sister Divisions
Two years later, it was decided to organise the Army's conventional force into two divisions, 7th and 8th South African Armoured Divisions, under a Corps Headquarters. Both were primarily reserve formations, though the division and brigade HQs were Permanent Force. The headquarters of these two divisions were established on 1 August 1974. 1 South African Corps itself was established in August 1974 and was active until 30 January 1994.
Brigadier General Gerrie Moolman, originally assigned to the Division in 1971, as a Major, to assist with the establishment of the Division's headquarters.
It appears from Colonel Lionel Crook's book on 71 Brigade that two of 7 Division's three brigades were redesignations of 17th and 18th Brigades. 71 Motorised Brigade was the former 17 Brigade, 72 Brigade was the former 18 Brigade, and 73 Brigade was a new formation.
Divisional Level Attached Units
Artillery, maintenance, engineers, signals and provost (Military Police)
was established in Pretoria.73 Motorised Brigade may have also had its headquarters at Kensington for some time.
Mobilisation and Exercises
7 Division had its own Mobilisation Centre based at de Brug near Bloemfontein. 7 Division's major training exercises were held at Lohatla Army Battle School in the Northern Cape, called Quick Silver and Thunder Chariot, one of the most notable was the Thunder Chariot of 1984:
Command Theatres
In the early 1980s, the Army was restructured to counter all forms of insurgency while at the same time maintaining a credible conventional force. To meet these requirements, the Army was subdivided into conventional and counterinsurgency forces. The Citizen Force, through the 7th and 8th Divisions, provided the Conventional Defence Force. In 1984 Northern Transvaal Command was subdivided and Far North Command formed. These two new Commands were regarded as theatres and as such also had responsibility for conventional operations within their areas. Far North Command had 73 Motorised Brigade within its area; it is not clear how much influence HQ 7 SA Division then had over that Brigade.
In the latter half of 1991 the official division designation of 7 Division was altered to 7 South African Infantry Division.
Divisional restructuring
Between 1992 until 1 April 1997, the Army reduced each division's size while creating a third divisional headquarters, 9th South African Division. Divisional headquarters remained in the Johannesburg area. These 3 Divisions each now consisted of :
a reconnaissance battalion,
two anti-aircraft defence battalions,
two battalions of artillery,
a battalion of 127mm MRLs,
an engineer battalion,
two battalions of Olifant MBTs,
two infantry battalions mounted in Ratel ICVs, and
finally two infantry battalions mounted in Buffel APCs.
Divisions re-designated as Brigades and returned to 7 South African Infantry Division
74 Brigade
’s Brigades were disbanded in 1992 and the Battalions and Regiments came to answer directly to the Divisional headquarters. The Division itself was effectively disbanded on 1 April 1997, when its former units became part of 7 South African Division as 74 Brigade.
75 Brigade
, was also effectively disbanded on 1 April 1997, when its former units became part of 7 South African Infantry Division again. They were all amalgamated into the 7th South African Infantry Division on 1 April 1997, and became 75 Brigade.
Final Divisional Structure
Disbandment
7 South African Infantry Division itself was disbanded on 1 April 1999 and all army battalions were assigned to 'type' formations, in accordance with the recommendations of the South African Defence Review 1998.
