South Africa (Mzansi), my Next Destination

Poem — Mzansi: Come Walk With Us Come walk with us where the ocean remembers the sun,   where Table Mountain keeps its slow, patient watch over the city,   where the wind writes letters in the grass of the Highveld   and the veld answers back in a thousand small green voices.   Come with a suitcase of curiosity and a pocket full of questions;   leave with a map of new stories stitched into your palms. Here the coastline is a long, generous hand—   Cape Town’s bays like open notebooks,   Durban’s warm sea a slow, laughing drum,   the Garden Route a ribbon of emerald and salt.   Drive and stop and listen: the gulls have accents,   the waves recite old names, and every harbour has a welcome. In the north the land opens like a book of light—   the Karoo’s blue distance, the Drakensberg’s cathedral of stone,   where dawn pours gold into t...

Armed Forces Day 2026 in Thohoyandou: Honour, History and a Warm Invitation to Venda History of South Africa’s Armed Forces Day Armed Forces Day in South Africa is more than a parade; it is a national moment of remembrance, pride and civic connection. Its roots lie in the long and complex history of South Africa’s military institutions and the communities they serve. Over the decades the day has evolved from formal military observances into a public-facing commemoration that blends solemn remembrance with celebration of service, capability and national unity. The modern observance of Armed Forces Day is anchored by two complementary purposes. First, it honours the men and women who serve in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) today—soldiers, sailors, aircrew and support personnel who stand ready to protect the nation and assist communities in times of crisis. Second, it remembers those who have fallen in service, including the many lives lost in historic traged...