President Cyril Ramaphosa will as Commander-in Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) officiate the annual Armed Forces Day at Barberton and Mbombela in Mpumalanga on Monday, 21 February 2022.
Armed Forces Day commemorates the worst naval tragedy in the country’s history – the sinking of the troopship SS Mendi in the English Channel on 21 February 1917. More than 600 SA Native Labour Corps troops drowned when the ill-fated troopship was struck by the SS Darro.
Mpumalanga will be the host in the current provincial rotation of Armed Forces Day.
The programme for the day will commence with the President laying a wreath at the World War Memorial in Barberton.
This will be followed by a parade in Mbombela along Samora Machel drive next to Rob Ferreira Hospital.
This event will feature a flypast of multiple SA Air Force (SAAF) aircraft.
The South African Army, the South African Military Health Service (SAMHS) and the Navy will form part of the parade.
Following the military parade, President Ramaphosa will deliver the keynote address.