Sub-Saharan Africa
Sputnik brings you all the most recent information, major events, heroes and views, including breaking news, images, videos, analyses, and features.

New Memorial Dedicated to South African Military Laborers of WWI Inaugurated in Cape Town

© Photo Commonwealth War Graves Commission The inauguration of our memorial in Cape Town’s Company’s Garden
The inauguration of our memorial in Cape Town’s Company’s Garden - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 23.01.2025
Subscribe
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, an intergovernmental organization of six states, is responsible for marking and maintaining the graves of Commonwealth military members who died in both World Wars, and for commemorating Commonwealth civilians killed by enemy action in WWII.
A new Commonwealth War Graves Commission memorial, dedicated to South African military laborers of the First World War, has been inaugurated in Cape Town.
Located in the city's Company’s Garden, near prominent cultural landmarks, the Cape Town Labor Corps Memorial serves as a site of remembrance, addressing past inequalities in commemoration.
"We are proud to honor, through this Cape Town Labor Corps Memorial, more than 1700 servicemen who made the ultimate contribution in the fight against tyranny more than a century ago. This memorial is a wonderful tribute to black South African servicemen who perished in the First World War, and whose stories were often overlooked in the telling of that history," Geordin Hill-Lewis, Cape Town Mayor, said.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a rally ahead of the 60th Presidential Inauguration, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Washington. - Sputnik Africa, 1920, 20.01.2025
Trump Promises to End Conflict in Ukraine, Prevent World War III
Historically, the Imperial War Graves Commission and colonial administrations failed to properly recognize at least 100,000 African and Indian service personnel, unlike their European counterparts. This memorial now stands as a tribute to South Africa's overlooked WWI laborers, offering a fuller, more inclusive historical perspective and inviting visitors to reflect on and honor these individuals who have finally been rightfully commemorated.
Newsfeed
0