The South African Air Force Association (SAAFA) of Port Alfred celebrated its 80th anniversary with a commemorative lunch at Summer Pine Ranch on Friday, October 17. Members and guests were captivated by a dramatic war story shared by SAAFA Vice Chairman and 43 Air School’s Chief Ground School Instructor, Anton Knoetze.
The event was opened by Koos van Rensburg, Chairperson of the Port Alfred branch and Deputy Chief Ground School Instructor at 43 Air School, who reflected on the significance of the milestone. A lucky draw added to the festivities, with new member Yolandi van Rensburg winning a bottle of wine.
The highlight of the afternoon was Knoetze’s gripping account of a near-death encounter during the Angolan Bush War, as featured in the 2023 book Mig Diaries by Eduardo González Sarría and Lionel Reid. The book offers a rare dual perspective on the aerial conflict over Angola in the 1980s, combining the insights of a former MiG-23 Squadron Commander of the Cuban Air Force with those of an ex-SAAF pilot. Knoetze, pictured in the book alongside the author, served at the time as a Captain and navigator with 28 Squadron.
He recounted a harrowing night mission flying in a two-ship C130 formation at just 1,000 feet (about 300m) over hostile Angolan territory.
“It was a dark moon night, the kind where the sky offers no comfort and the terrain below is a black void. Our mission: to deliver ammunition to South African ground forces,” Knoetze said.
Suddenly, the silence of the night was shattered. A MiG-23 had locked on to their aircraft. The first missile — radar-guided — streaked toward them with lethal intent. Knoetze and his co-pilot reacted instantly, executing a rapid descent and evasive manoeuvres. As they dropped altitude, a second missile — a heat-seeking one — followed, hunting the aircraft’s exhaust signature. The crew pushed the aircraft to its limits, diving low and hugging the terrain to break the missile’s lock.
The tension in the room was palpable as Knoetze described the technical precision and raw instinct required to survive such an encounter. Against all odds, both aircraft made it through, completing their mission and returning safely.
Years later, Knoetze met the Cuban pilot who had fired those missiles — not as enemies,This article was first published in Talk of the Town, xxxxxx xx, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays but as fellow aviators. Their conversation was not one of bitterness, but of mutual respect and shared experience.
“We do not hate each other – it is not about politics or hate when we meet fellow military pilots who were once enemies. Instead we celebrate the shared experience,” said Van Rensburg, echoing the spirit of reconciliation that defined the day.
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This article was first published in Talk of the Town, October 23, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays
