Deputy mayor pays tribute to fallen heroes during Remembrance Day ceremony

THE 25,000 South Africans who lost their lives in WWI, as well as all those who have died in wars for peace and freedom were remembered during the annual Remembrance Day (Armistice Day) Memorial Service and Wreath Laying Ceremony in the city on Sunday.

Deputy Mayor, Alderman Eddie Andrews, was joined by diplomats, religious leaders, members of the South African National Defence Force and other dignitaries to lay wreaths in tribute to fallen heroes .

Remembrance Day is commemorated globally to mark the moment World War I ended; at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.

In South Africa, commemorations are held to honour the memory of the 25,000 citizens of all races and creeds who lost their lives in WWI, as well as all those who have died in wars for peace and freedom.

Not only was a solemn two-minute silence observed in their honour, but officials also placed wreaths in front of the Cenotaph on the corner of Hertzog Boulevard and Adderley Street, Cape Town.

“Today, as we gather in solemn reflection in front of the Cenotaph, the stone of remembrance, to honour those who gave their lives in the pursuit of peace. We pause, not only to remember the dead, but to listen to what their silence still asks of the living.

“More than a century has passed since the guns of the First World War fell silent, and yet the world still echoes with conflict. From the plains of Europe to the deserts of Africa, from the Middle East to South America, innocent lives are again caught between power and pride.

“It reminds us of a truth that is both humbling and urgent; peace is not a permanent condition, it is a daily choice. It must be renewed through dialogue when differences harden, through strength when anger rises, and through justice when inequality breeds despair,” Andrews said.

“History shows that peace cannot survive on sentiment; it requires systems, it requires leadership, and most importantly, it requires a moral consistency, and when those fail, even briefly, the distance between stability and tragedy narrows with alarming speed.”

 He said the South Africans who lost their lives  belong to an era that believed service could transcend self-interest, that duty could outlive ambition, and that courage meant protecting, not only one’s country, but also one’s convictions.

Chairman of the Naval Heritage Trust, Michael Bosazza, said while he was lucky that several family members didn’t die in the war, “my father, my uncles, my aunts all fought in the war in North Africa”.

“We need to honour them. In fact, I have a diary that my father wrote, in which he poignantly said that he took a picture of the El Alamein Cemetery (Egypt), saying, ‘one of my men lies there’.

“For the Navy, we have to honour the people of the HMSAS Parktown (one of the boats lost during WWII) which was a brave ship. There were also other ships that went down, and South Africans fought in the Second World War,” Bosazza said.

“We fought against fascism, and we fought against horrifying abuse of human rights, so, for me, this is all about human rights.”

Cape Times