City honours military veterans

06 November 2015

The City of Johannesburg on Tuesday night (November 3) honoured 16 military veterans for their excellent service in defence of the country at a gala dinner held at the council chambers at Metro Centre in Braamfontein. Hosted by Speaker Councillor Connie Bapela, the veterans were presented with minted gratitude medals.

The medals will be renewed every year with a bar in recognition of the veterans’ attendance of parades and other services hosted by the City. Addressing the gala dinner, Councillor Bapela said it was very important for the veterans to realise that Johannesburg citizens recognised them and the work they did or were still doing for the country.

“Far too often we forget those who have been trained to protect us and carry out operations within and outside our borders for the good of humanity,” she said. The Speaker said Johannesburg citizens should appreciate the dedication of those who spent most of their time preparing for war and fighting on the battlefield, including those who had passed on. She heaped praises on those still serving or volunteering on a part-time basis in the South African National Defence Force for continuing to ensure the security of the country.

“It is the wish of the City of Johannesburg that we, the citizens, do not take you for granted and forget you. We have continuous consultations at various levels to keep ourselves informed and abreast of the issues that you face,” she said. SA Legion President Godfrey Giles thanked the City for its support of military veterans. “The City of Joburg is the only one in the country that makes us military veterans feel at home. Words are not enough to express our gratitude,” he said.