SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Commander-in-Chief, President Jacob Zuma, will confer bravery medals on soldiers who “demonstrated heroism” during the Battle for Bangui during this year’s Armed Forced Day parade.
The parade will be held at AFB Bloemspruit in Bloemfontein next Friday and, in addition to the formal parade and flypast, will also see a mechanised column drive through the Free State capital and adjacent communities.
“This will showcase South Africa’s state-of-the-art armament and be the SANDF’s way of thanking communities across the country for their continued support,” spokesman Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga said.
The first Armed Forces Day was held in Thaba Tshwane on December 16, 2010, disappearing from the national calendar for the next two years before coming back on February 21 last year.
Mabanga said there were five main objectives driving the Armed Forces Day commemoration. They are: to unite all South Africans in support of the country’s soldiers; to allow the SANDF to interact with communities; to expand public understanding of the military and its purpose; to showcase equipment and technologies that protect the public; and to demonstrate that the South African military is ready for any threat or challenge.
February 21 is a date with enduring significance to the South African military fraternity as it marks the single biggest loss of life in the country’s naval history. The sinking of the SS Mendi with the loss of 616 lives in the English Channel en route to France in 1917 is regarded as one of South Africa’s worst military disasters.
In addition to the official Armed Forces Day parade, military units across the country have been authorised to mark the day in a fitting manner to remind South Africans of the services provided by the SANDF, Mabanga said.
