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A FEW REMARKS BY MAJOR GENERAL ASHTON MLINDENI SIBANGO ON AN ORGANISED RETIREMENT FAREWELL PARADE AT DEFENCE SPORTS GROUNDS, THABA TSHWANE: 31 JANUARY 2020 Programme Director, allow me to acknowledge the Members of National, Provincial and Local Legislatures, respectively, their Excellencies, Foreign and Local Ambassadors here present; the Chief South African National Defence Force, Secretary for Defence, Chief of Staff at Corporate Level, Chiefs of Services and Divisions, Members of the Plenary Defence Staff Council, all of whom are recognised in their absentia, Retired Chiefs of Services and Divisions, General Staff and Flag Officers, distinguished Members of the Military Attaché Corps, All Officers, Captains of the Industries, our Honoured and distinguished Guests, Warrant Officers of all categories, Non Commissioned Officers, Women and Men on parade, Ladies and Gentlemen and my beloved Family, Good Morning, Happy New Year and welcome all of you. Let me congratulate the South African Air Force on its celebrations marking its twenty odd years of existence and one hundred years of flying experience. Before, I can deliver what I consider it as the state of my retirement and farewell address, I think it is proper to introduce myself, first, for the sake of a few individuals here present. Standing in front of you, is a Major General Ashton Mlindeni Sibango, a grandson of Prince Zwelakhe Sibango, who was a Military War Veteran of the 2nd World War, together with his brother, Chief Bazindlovu Holomisa. In 2019, the world had witnessed well-coordinated ceremonies across Europe, Americas, Asia, not certain about Africa and Middle East, commemorating the fallen heroes on the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landing in France, one of the longest days during that specific World War. Prince Zwelakhe, among others in the Republic, heeded to the call to serve in defence of the country and the world at the most challenging period of peace and security in the history of this planet. Amongst the volunteers to fight the damning security threat imposed by Hiltlerism, Prince Zwelakhe actively played his part to secure the freedom of the World and ours in the country. On his footsteps, his grand-son followed suit, in 1981, but joining the military of the Transkei Administration, on the widely considered wrong side of the political divide in the history of the Africans in South Africa due to a variety of reasons. Our heroes and heroines fell down with their blood flooding the streams and rivers of the universe and of our country during the colonial wars, the WW I&II, respectively, the protracted armed struggle fought against the white settlers and colonisers of our land, ever since. We also had the resumption of the armed struggle in the early 1960s following the establishment of uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK), Poqo, later known as Azania People’s Liberation Army (APLA), Azanian National Liberation Army (AZANLA) in response to and against the continuous total onslaught in the form of repression and unprecedented slaughter and massacres of the Africans by the Apartheid Regime, the chapter of which was closed with the peaceful engagements during CODESA in the early 1990s due to insurmountable political pressure brought to bear to the regime by revolutionary forces and political upheavals, on the one hand, and the irrevocable roadmap to the political freedom in the country, on the other hand. The sons and daughters, men and women who integrated into the security sector after 1994 were confronted with new forms of skirmishes under the umbrella agenda programmes of integration and transformation, respectively, and which ensued to date. During all these summarised generational wars of conquest and liberation struggles, so many unaccounted numbers of sons and daughters of the soil fell down in the country and beyond our borders. In this respect, may I request all of us to bow down our heads to observe a moment of silence in honour of those fallen in search of peace, security and stability in our land and in the universe, ever since, including the current era of Peace Support Operations. 2 MOMENT OF SILENCE May All the Souls of the Fallen Rest in Eternal Peace. We will always remember them. I would have loved to break the sky together with my instructors as a symbol befitting the honourable salute to all my fallen colleagues during their active service in the military. Secondly, to serve as a source of encouragement to all members of the airborne forces during their force preparation training and, invariably, that would also be of inspiration to the young serving non paratroopers of the Pride of Lions, and the associate Services and Divisions to joint this specialised formation. If I were to consult my better half, a section of my children, my mother and the family at large for that decision, the response would have been a definite BIG NO for most of them were not even aware that we do venture on these crazy activities in the military in search of special elitism in combat character. In an endeavour to reflect in response to you bidding me farewell, one has no idea where to start from, for a number of reasons that include, inter alia, numerous activities, great moments and tough times that we shared together both in business and in social contexts. Perhaps, I should begin by expressing my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Chief of Joint Operations Division, Acting Chief Army and Chief Air Force, Surgeon General, Provost Marshal, firstly, for giving necessary authority for the realisation of this auspicious farewell occasion to honour my retirement from the military service, secondly, for providing material support in the form of women and men on parade, aircraft for sky divers, medical support, policing, and lastly my appreciation also goes to each and every official who made this day what it turned out to be. I am very much grateful and remain indebted to your good selves. Despite all these qualifying excuses given earlier on, one has, equally, every reason to say a word or two, based on the same rational. I would venture to say, Ladies and Gentlemen, it was fascinating to be and working with you. I will always treasure and remember with passion all the excellent and good times that we shared under the military and social settings during my thirty- nine years in military circles, including that of the former Transkei Defence Force and the new South African National Defence Force, respectively. This is most probably one of the few longest records in the history of the entire Hegebe clan to have had such a continuous presence in the military environment. Today is one of the most important days in my career as a soldier for it marks the beginning of the end, in the sense of a complete disengagement in the defence and security sector to be followed by a complete departure in the military in favour of integration with the civilian society in search of other forms of contribution towards socio-economic development of the nation. One is able to conceive of this moment with mixed feelings because parting ways with family colleagues is never a happy feeling after having bonded for such a long time. I also feel great to return and reunite with my family through retirement that was long envisaged. My departure from the South African National Defence Force, with Joint Operations Division as my exiting point, could not have been at any better time and place, other than at this point in time as I aspired. After having been accorded space, got exposed and navigated the security paradigms, nationally and internationally, whilst in the military and especially whilst in the corridors of Joint Operations Division, I have, but two things that preoccupied my mind and, they were, firstly, “Being there in order to continue to be of service to the nation”, and secondly, “Going all out in an effort to shape the lives of the people of this country for the better”. This was a wonderful opportunity that one can always take pride when you look back at the positive developments of such an approach in social life generally. 3 I also, similarly, feel grateful because of a sense of accomplishment under an environment created by you for me to optimally demonstrate my fullest potential both in the defunct Transkei Defence Force and in the South African National Defence Force, respectively. I sincerely appreciate each and every one of you for without the calibre of the officers, men and women to whom I was entrusted with privilege and honour to exercise leadership and authority over, such a potential would not have come into fruition. It is you, who created such a favourable climate for one’s star to shine. It is not always the case in the work place and it is very unusual too. You may agree or disagree with the assertion that words like “bad times” fortunately had never featured in our midst, hence, they could not find any resonance in our vocabulary with the exception of “hard and tough times, difficult moments and hard choices”, “hard, tough and “unpopular decisions”. It is worth tracing one’s comings and goings as a mere reflection on ones standing within the organisation and community that one has been associated with. Without going that far backwards, I will choose to leave out interesting moments covered by a period of active service with the then Transkei Defence Force. But suffice to say that I can only summarise, for the sake of time, that an officer in front of you today is one that typifies and exemplifies a proudly and uncompromising Military Practitioner conceived, given birth to, brought up, developed, nurtured, moulded and exposed to international military institutions by the former Transkei Defence Force.
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