Over 100 SANDF soldiers honoured with long service medals

POLOKWANE – The chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Gen Rudzani Maphwanya saluted the 126 military soldiers whom he honoured with medals of long service and bravery, during a medal parade last Friday.

At the event, held in the presence of thousands of military soldiers who converged on the local army support base from across the country, Maphwanya conferred the medals on tenured employees – some of whom had already retired – for 30 and 40 years of selfless service to the force.

“Recognition for dedicating the self in service is one of the biggest values of a soldier, and we gathered here for that special tribute today,” he said.

In the midst of declining budget allocations across government departments, Mampwanya said the force is nevertheless still determined to ensuring that the safety of citizens is prioritised.

“The people of South Africa live with the hope that should anything requiring their help emerge, they are prepared and not deterred by anything. We are prepared to put what is allocated to us in our journey to greatness as a force,” he said.

Meanwhile, under theme, ‘Journey to greatness and steering the SANDF towards self-sustenance and rejuvenation’, the force is exploring options that will help improve their response to current and future challenges. One of these include maintaining their current status quo.

“This entails continuing on the same path that the defence is currently on. This will lead to a situation where the SANDF is an employer of last resort, with no sustained critical equipment, and lacking the ability to contribute to the National Development Plan.

“Defence is an expensive business and the inability to renew our capabilities will bring our prime mission equipment beyond prudent disposal dates.

“This in turn will lead to limited training that will impact negatively on our combat readiness,” he remarked.