For the first time since Armed Forces Day was officiated in South Africa in 2012, it was held in the City of Mbombela.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said that on Armed Forces Day, the country remembers the servicemen of the South African Native Labour Corps who perished during the sinking of the SS Mendi in the English Channel on February 21, 1917.
The day sees the showcasing of the weaponry, machinery, military hardware, a fly-past of various South African Air Force planes and personnel of the various corps that make up SANDF. The community was invited to witness this celebration and they went out in their numbers. Several streets in Barberton and Mbombela were closed as SANDF held various activities and rehearsed for the annual celebration.
As the SANDF’s commander-in-chief, the president went to the Barberton World War Memorial to lay a wreath in commemoration of the victims of the naval tragedy, before he gave his speech in Mbombela, reminding the public about the role the SANDF plays in the country and surrounding countries.
He said over the past year, under difficult, demanding and unprecedented conditions in the country’s democratic history, the men and women of SANDF have served the country with the utmost distinction. “SANDF has more than lived up to this task, particularly over the past year when our country endured great tribulations.
“It is now two years since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. They were there assisting with the implementation and maintenance of the National State of Disaster in the early weeks and months of the pandemic. “It is seven months since parts of South Africa experienced the worst unrest in our democracy’s history, leading to loss of life, destruction of infrastructure and devastation of businesses.
They were there assisting law enforcement agencies to restore order and protect key economic infrastructure.
“When our parliament was engulfed in fire at the beginning of this year, it was our personnel from Air Force Base Ysterplaat Military Aviation Rescue and Firefighting Services who were part of the first responders to douse the flames.
“In neighbouring Mozambique, a cyclone caused flooding and devastation. SANDF was there, assisting with the evacuation of flooded areas and distributing humanitarian relief. The government of Mozambique continues to battle a deadly insurgency in the north that poses a threat to the security and stability of the entire region. They were there, deployed as part of the SADC mission in Mozambique.”
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When asked about the budget of the 2022 celebration during the media launch held on Saturday February 19, the main coordinator of Armed Forces Day 2022 and officer of the air force command post, Brig Gen Ronnie King, said, “I do not have a fixed figure at this point in time in terms of the overall budget. It must be remembered that Armed Forces Day is part of the celebration; it is an annual event. The parade itself contributes to the programme of SANDF in terms of commemorating the armed forces, so the cost involving that obviously is in terms of a budget for parades, etc.
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“The focus in terms of the expenditure wherever the Armed Forces Parade is held, and specifically in this event, is to contribute to the economy of the local environment, in terms of our purchases and expenditure.”
