Better late than ever

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” this saying truly resonates with the Heritage Day celebration the SAPS clusters had at Florida Lake on 10 October.

Heritage Day may have come and gone but the men and women in service gathered to celebrate the day later than most South Africans because of special operations that had taken place on the day.

Officials from Honeydew, Roodepoort, Florida, Douglasdale and Diepsloot dorned their colourful traditional attire to showcase their heritage and culture against the scenic backdrop of the lake.

Cluster Commander Brigadier General Oswald Reddy said the aim of the day was to encourage unity and team spirit among the workers and for each person to get to know each other. “So often, we are always on the firing line. This is a 24-hour job and generally we do not get to know each other when we are at work. [We have] this whole day to celebrate our culture and heritage, which we missed out on on the 24th, and it is to motivate each other.”

With each person wearing their traditional attire, naturally, a competition was in order. Individuals showed off traditional dances and dishes for the ultimate prize of the best cluster. From Sotho dances, Zulu song and dance and traditional dishes which included a braai – the judges were certainly not the envy of anyone in attendance.

“We judged everyone on the best stall, station, food and the best dressed female and male. Needless to say it has not been an easy decision but it has been a lot of fun for everyone that pulled through” Genl Reddy added.

A relaxing and entertaining day continued at the lake for the heroes that often go unnoticed in the country.