THE South African National Defence Force has been essential to the country’s national efforts to defeat the coronavirus, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday in Cape Town.
Ramaphosa was speaking during the Armed Forces Day to commemorate the sinking of the SS Mendi in 1917 during the First World War in which 616 black South African troops were killed in the tragedy.
The steamship collided with another ship, the SS Darro on its way to France.
“Through the invaluable work you have done – and continue to do – during this pandemic, you have demonstrated that the SANDF can be relied on in good times and in bad; in times of peace and times of war; in times of stability and prosperity, and in times of crisis,” said Ramaphosa.
“By virtue of your calling and allegiance to the Constitution you acted when your country needed you most.”
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