The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is today celebrating youth day, with events at the Pretoria Military Sport Club, which will attended by Chief of the SANDF General Solly Shoke
The SANDF said in a statement that “In acknowledgement of the 41st anniversary of Youth Day, the Department of Defence (DOD) has aligned itself with government imperatives, policies and programmes on Youth matters.”
The Department of Defence’s central theme for this year’s Youth Month is ‘Entrenching our democracy in salute of our heroes and recognition of the 100 year anniversary off the sinking of the SS Mendi by celebrating youth cohesion, endurance and productivity’.
The programme for 23 June will include an opening parade, aerobics, cycling, dance, golf, Jukskei, marathon, rugby, soccer and the drill competition by the 2017 Military Skills Development January intake from all services. “This will be a platform on which the department of Defence can measure the amount of work each service has already put on their newly recruited troops. The idea is to have a balance of services and to ensure that training is facilitated at the same pace,” the SANDF said.
The floating trophy for the drill competition, which is currently held by the South African Army, will be up for grabs. The Precision Drill Squads from the South African Army, South African Air Force, South African Navy and the South African Medical Health Services will entertain the crowd with drill movements, the SANDF said.
Youth Day is celebrated in South Africa on 16 June to commemorate the Soweto uprising, which began on the morning of 16 June 1976.
