Cape Town Memorial Honors 1,772 Black South African Servicemen Who Died in WWI

Black South African servicemen in non-combat roles during World War I
AI-generated image via GROK

*A new memorial in Cape Town honors 1,772 Black South African servicemen who died in non-combat roles during World War I and have no known graves. 

According to The Associated Press, these men, members of the Cape Town Labor Corps, supported Allied forces by transporting supplies and building infrastructure in Africa during the war. Due to racial discrimination under British colonialism and apartheid, they were not recognized for their sacrifices until now. 

Opened by Princess Anne, president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the memorial aims to preserve their legacy and correct a long-standing historical injustice. Per The AP, an inscription on a granite block at the memorial says: “Your legacies are preserved here.”

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the British organization responsible for maintaining war graves, stated that the memorial corrects a historical injustice. The new memorial, located in Cape Town’s oldest public garden, was inaugurated on Wednesday by Princess Anne.

“It ensures the names and stories of those who died will echo in history for future generations,” Princess Anne said. “It is important to recognize that those we have come to pay tribute to have gone unacknowledged for too long. We will remember them.”

Black South African servicemen in non-combat roles during World War I
AI-generated image via GROK

For decades, the contributions of Black South African servicemen in the world wars were overlooked, unlike their white counterparts. This history was nearly forgotten until researchers uncovered evidence of their service in army records a decade ago. 

The discovery identified over 1,700 Black servicemen and connected the commission with six of their families, mostly from remote regions. At the memorial’s unveiling, representatives from four of these families attended, laying wreaths and honoring their relatives whose names are now inscribed on the memorial poles.

“It made us very proud. It made us very happy,” said Elliot Malunga Delihlazo, whose great-grandfather, Bhesengile, was among those honored.

According to Delihlazo, Bhesengile went to war and his family never saw him again. 

“Although it pains us … that we can’t find the remains, at last we know that he died in 1917,” Delihlazo said. “Now the family knows. Now, at last, we know.”

READ MORE FROM EURWEB.COM: Flavor Flav Teams with GoFundMe to Support Black Communities Impacted by LA Wildfires

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