[1] Under the SADF, the unit was mainly engaged in area force protection, search and cordones as well as stock theft control assistance to the rural police.

During severe Tropical Storm Domoina in 1984, the unit provided civil protection support through establishing a communication network, by distributing much needed food and emergency supplies, and a range of other civil defence measures.

This included "the role it played in the apartheid era", according to the Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula.

[4] The unit's insignia features a barrel or vat, a design inspired by the town's name, which is derived from the uPhongolo River, itself named after the isiZulu word for barrel, vat, trough, or cask.

This South African military article is a stub.