Commandos units in Uitenhage can be traced back to 1846 when a Town Guard was established.
Operations
With the SADF
The modern Uitenhage Commando was established at Uitenhage on 29 June 1973 and was later renamed to De Mist Commando on 7 November 1984. Uitenhage Commando is not to be confused with Uitenhage Regiment which was an industrial unit.
Reaction Force
In 1955, the unit became a fully counter insurgency battalion with reaction capability.
Under the SADF structure, this commando resorted under Group 6 as part of the Eastern Province Command.
With the SANDF
Disbandment
This unit, along with all other Commando units was disbanded after a decision by South African President Thabo Mbeki to disband all Commando Units.[1][2] The Commando system was phased out between 2003 and 2008 "because of the role it played in the apartheid era", according to the Minister of Safety and SecurityCharles Nqakula.[3]
Unit Insignia
The emblem of this commando was approved in 1973 and soon thereafter it received the freedom of the town of Despatch. The modified emblem was approved in 1986.