The troops of 6 South African Infantry Battalion (6 SAI) marched through the streets of Grahamstown on Thursday morning in their Freedom of the City parade – a military tradition that allows the army to present themselves to the citizens of the city.
The troops of 6 South African Infantry Battalion (6 SAI) marched through the streets of Grahamstown on Thursday morning in their Freedom of the City parade – a military tradition that allows the army to present themselves to the citizens of the city.
The parade also allowed the men and women of the battalion to bid farewell to Grahamstown, ahead of the deployment to the Democratic Republic of Congo on a peace-enforcement mission at the end of the month.
In this video, we asked a couple of Grahamstown residents what the significance of the parade is for them.
Some 650 men and women will be deployed to Bloemfontein on 1 April. From there, they will go to the DRC for the next seven months, along with troops from Mozambique and Zambia.
“It is dangerous, but we are soldiers and it is part of our duty to go to other countries and uphold its peace,” said Lt. Col. Altin Gysman.
This is Gysman’s fourth deployment, after serving twice in Burundi and once in Sudan.
He now makes the trip as the Officer Commanding (OC).
Gysman said the parade had gone off very well, with the help of Master Warrant Officer Coetzee, who had arranged the logistics with the Makana Council.
"Freedom of the City is important to the battalion because it confirms that the community is behind us,” said Gysman.
At the parade, Mayor Zamuxolo Peter recognised the men and women of the SANDF for their hard work and loyalty in the service they have provided over the years.
“South Africa’s defence force is the pride of our country and the pride of Africa,” Peter said.
He reconfirmed their Freedom of the City, and after bidding the troops farewell, said he looked forward to welcoming them back at the end of the year.
