Defence on hosting Armed Forces Day

Colleagues and Members of the Media 

May I take this opportunity to welcome all of you to this briefing on the segment of the Armed Forces Day (AFD), to be held here in Thohoyandou, Venda, Limpopo on the 21 February 2026. A quick reminder of this important day in the calendar of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), 21 February was proclaimed as the Armed Forces Day to be commemorated every year. 

Armed Forces Day is a dual purpose occasion dedicated to honouring the men and women in uniform currently serving and remembering about 600 soldiers who lost their lives during the sinking of the SS MENDI in1917. It is a deeply sombre yet a prideful occasion, balancing the modern excellence of the SANDF and the profound historical tragedy of the SS MENDI. This day is a celebration of courage of those who wear uniform and we bow our heads in memory of those who never returned from the distant horizon. Since the inception of this important day in our calendar in 2013, we have commemorated the AFD in all the nine provinces of our country, to ensure that our people are exposed to the SANDF and the work we do. Furthermore, to ensure that our people understand and appreciate the work we do as the National Defence Force. 

This event charges the SANDF to showcase itself, heighten sense of patriotism and service to all South Africans. It is not by default that we will be commemoration the AFD here in Vhembe District municipality, Thulamela Local municipality but is part of the ongoing effort to expose our people to the SANDF even in most rural and outlying parts of our country. There are several activities that we shall be engaged in the next week culminating the AFD on 21 February. The activities include the Career Expo at the Fan Park, Interfaith Church Service, Sport Clinics, a Wreath Laying ceremony by the President – in honour of our members who gave their lives in the course of service for their country to mention but a few. 

Not only that our people will witness the military hardware, albeit not all of it. The AFD is not only about showcasing our hardware and its people but is also used as a real time simulation of how quick we can get to every part of the country should we be required. Simply put, practicing our mobilization to get every men, women and their equipment to a specific part of our country the day such arise. As we always say we train, as we fight to be prepared for any eventuality should such arise. 

So the AFD is part and parcel of our training, particular the movement of personnel and equipment around the country. The SANDF subscribes to the approach to security where the being the people. The approach that saw the RSA accepting human security as our preferred option as opposed to the state centre approach. In this context, human security as we have learnt is a people centred approach, focusing on protecting individuals from a broad range of non-military threats, rather than depending of the state’s borders. 

It emphasises freedom from fear (violence), freedom from want (poverty and hunger) and freedom from indignity to ensure survival, livelihood and dignity. Ladies and gentlemen, we are all aware of the devastating floods caused by more than a week long heavy rain and the damage to infrastructure that has been left behind in this region and Mpumalanga. The SANDF has brought with it expertise to assist in the restoration of damaged infrastructure, working in tandem with the local authorities. We have brought with us our engineers and other expertise to support with the disaster management efforts in the aftermath of the heavy rains. We will be contributing to infrastructure repairs, like roads and bridges in particular, the purification of water and putting up temporary structures with lighting for those affected. 

There is a lot of recovery work that the SANDF has done during this period of infrastructure restoration that has be washed away. During this period we also have our medical practitioners under the South African Military Health Service (SAMHS), who have been providing health services to the population in the deep rural parts of the province, namely Sekhukhuni, Waterberg and Vhembe districts. 

Health support services that have been offered are medical, animal health, mental health, ancillary health, social and welfare services together with environmental health. Ophthalmology, oral health, orthopaedics and many others have been conducted. 

It is an honour for us to be here and share with you the activities of the SANDF whilst we are here and we can call on all communities around Thohoyandou and neighbouring towns and villages to join the SA National Defence Force in honour of our fallen soldiers and to build a compact with the People’s National Defence Force. Our activity coordinators will appraise the media and local community of the programme of events planned here, the venues, their timings and level of attendance. I thank you.