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Atteridgeville learners honour Mendi heroes

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Edward Phatudi Secondary School learners paid tribute on Sunday to the courage and heroism of the men of the South African Native Labour Corps (SANLC) at the annual memorial service at the Ga-Mothakga Recreation Resort in Atteridgeville in Pretoria.

The learners joined diplomats and members of military veterans’ organization in laying poppies and wreaths at the memorial to mark the 103rd anniversary of the sinking of the troopship, SS Mendi, during the First World War. On 21 February 1917, the cargo ship SS Daro collided with the Mendi off the Isle of Wight in the English Channel, killing over 600 men, most of whom were black South African troops.

The courage, resilience and sacrifice of the men is recorded in oral tradition with the stirring words of the Reverend Isaac Wauchope Dyobha as the men from different areas and cultures including Xhosas, Pondos and Zulus performed the death drill on the deck of the sinking ship.

“Be quiet and calm, my countrymen, we are all going to die, let us die like warriors”, says Dyobha.

An enthusiastic Regina Sombane, a teacher at the school, said this had been an empowering experience for them and an incentive to learn more about a part of their community’s resort, that many had only associated with fun and entertainment. She said now they would know the deeper significance of the resort.

“We felt very honoured to be part of the ceremony especially since this is in our location, Atteridgeville, and most of the time we would see the celebration on television and not be part of it. I think this is the starting point for us celebrating the Mendi, but we also want to be involved in many ceremonies like this, especially if they are around Atteridgeville,” says Sombane.

Grade 12 learner Lesego Berverly Tlhabadira said she had not been aware of the significance of the statue in the resort until her teacher mentioned they would be attending the event. She said she would definitely be sharing her new-found knowledge with others in the community.

Another grade 12 learner Nosibusiso Szikolo said although she had been to the resort before, it had been for fun but when her teacher said they would be attending the memorial, she did some research to learn more about the event.

Besides events in Cape Town, Soweto and Durban the sacrifice of the SANLC is also commemorated at services in Portsmouth and Richmond in the UK, and Noordwijk in the Netherlands. Nine of the Mendi soldiers are buried at the Milton Cemetery in Portsmouth and five in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission section of the General Cemetery in Noordwijk.

The Three Ships parade at the Richmond Cenotaph in London, organized by the England Branch of the South African Legion UK and Europe commemorates three of South Africa’s worst military disasters at sea the sinking of the SS Mendi, the HMSAS Southern Floe in World War ll and the SAS President Kruger which all occurred in the month of February.

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