France to honour black SA soldiers

A South African delegation has headed to France to commemorate 100 years of South Africa’s participation in World War 1. They will also honour the memory of black South African soldiers who received no recognition at the time.

Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and her deputy Kebby Maphatsoe will take a military delegation to France to honour the lives of South African troops who died and were buried in Arque-la-Bataille, near Dieppe and Delville Wood in Longueval. The bat- tle of Delville Wood began on July 15, 1916. A memorial service will be held in Arque-la-Bataille in remembrance of all those South African troops who for many years have gone unrecognised for their participation of World War 1, also known as the Great War.

This commemoration coincides with the state visit to France by President Jacob Zuma.

Accompanying President Zuma on the state visit, Minister MapisaNqakula will officiate at the memorial service in Arque-la-Bataille, where about 260 black South African soldiers perished and were laid to rest. The other mainly white South African soldiers are buried in Delville Wood.

The black soldiers were enlisted and formed the South African Native Labour Corps (SANLC). This formation hardly received any attention in South African history. Its members did not receive any medals for their participation in the war.

This omission is most evident in the South African Museum in Delville Wood.

The South African National Memorial was inaugurated in 1926 in Deville Wood.

+