F Company of 1 SA Infantry Battalion had completed their training in February 1982 and arrived at 61 Mechanised Battalion Group at the beginning of March 1982. The Company Commander (CC) was Captain J.P. Malan, the Second-in-Command (2iC) was Lieutenant H. van Dalsen and the Company Sergeant-Major (CSM) was Staff-Sergeant E. Koen. The company barely finished drawing their vehicles at the first indications that SWAPO’s annual infiltration into the white farming area around Tsumeb, Grootfontein, and Otavi were about to start.

Because it was apparent from previous infiltrations that SWAPO would be using traditional infiltration routes, the Battalion Commanding Officer (CO), Commandant R. de Vries, decided to deploy A Company in the area north of Tsintsabis between the A and B cut lines in order to continue with their initial orientation training and also establish a presence in the area.