Ramaphosa in solemn remembrance at Delville Wood, 110 years later
President Ramaphosa led a memorial service at Delville Wood to honor South African soldiers who fought in the First World War. The ceremony emphasized the need to recognize the contributions of all soldiers, regardless of race, in the nation's official history.
Why it matters
The event serves as a significant act of national reconciliation and historical correction regarding South Africa's military past.
We gather in solemn remembrance of the sons of South Africa who served and died during the First World War.
We remember them not merely as names inscribed upon stone, nor as figures recorded in military archives, but as human beings whose lives were interrupted by war.
They were sons, husbands, fathers and brothers.
They came from farms, villages, towns, mines and cities. They spoke different languages, belonged to different communities and lived under vastly unequal conditions.
Yet, when the call came, thousands left their homes and travelled to distant lands to serve in a conflict whose violence and scale the world had never before witnessed.
Today, we remember the South African soldiers who fought at Delville Wood.
We remember the Black South Africans who served in the South African Native Labour Contingent.
We remember the members of the Cape Corps.
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