Retired South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers have appealed to young South Africans to play a more active role in shaping the future of the country.
The veterans spoke during the wreath laying ceremony at the Polokwane Municipal Gardens.
The ceremony is part of the commemoration of the sinking of the SS Mendi on February the 21st 1917 when 617 black South African troops died.
President Cyril Ramaphosa led the ceremony in his capacity as the Commander-in-Chief of the SANDF.
Below President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the Armed Forces Day commemoration:
Veteran soldiers, Thoy Nthongoa and Pule Matjoa also asked South Africans to make education their priority:
“I left the country when I was 15-years-old and we were not paid. We would go for an entire month without food. So we were struggling and these youngsters must look after the country, they must defend the country.”
“This is a very important day for us, for the young people I would say they must try to read our history so that they can be able to follow the examples of our predecessors.”
In the video below, the SANDF hosts the annual Armed Forces Day:
A historical look at Armed Forces Day:
![[File image] Water being poured into a container.](https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Water-Reuters-120x86.png)
