JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday commended the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) for safeguarding the country and their peace-keeping efforts in various parts of the African continent.

Ramaphosa made the remarks in Richards Bay in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal Province while addressing the annual Armed Forces Day in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the SANDF.

"As the Commander-in-Chief, I commend the good work you are doing as men and women in uniform. From North Africa to Southern Africa, from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region, South Africa depends on the SANDF to support peacebuilding on the continent as part of a mandate from the African Union and the United Nations. We extend our appreciation and respect to our forces deployed in various missions across the continent," said Ramaphosa.

He also praised the soldiers for enforcing the COVID-19 regulations and assisting to tackle the pandemic in hospitals.

"The primary function of the SANDF is to protect the territorial integrity of this nation's borders. It is a tough task," said Ramaphosa, noting that the SANDF will always be there to restore order, maintain calm, support the people and defend the territorial integrity of the country.

South Africa's Armed Forces Day is commemorated on Feb. 21 annually, in commemoration of the World War I naval tragedy in which 616 South African troops died when the SS Mendi steamship sank on its way to France. Enditem

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