The annual Armed Forces Day aimed at commemorating the sinking of the SS Mendi on 21 February 1917 is expected to take place today in Thohoyandou Limpopo. The SS Mendi is deemed one of South Africa's worst tragedies of the First World War, with the death of 646 troops, all belonging to the SA Native Labour Corps. The last Armed Forces Day was held in 2023 in Richards Bay while the 2024 edition was cancelled due to budget constraints. No formal event was held last year following the deaths of 14 South African soldier in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) while deployed on a southern African regional bloc peacekeeping mission. For more on what to expect and the controversy over the parade bugdet, Bongiwe Zwane spoke to SA Navy Captain, Theo Mabina and Professor Abel Esterhuyse from the Faculty of Military Science at Stellenbosch University