Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

Wives of generals in the SA National Defence Force have joined together in a project for the spouses of South African soldiers deployed outside the country’s borders over the festive season.

This Christmas, the wives and husbands of South African soldiers on peacekeeping duties in Africa, will receive a hamper with food from the SANDF Spouses Forum.

"I think the idea was to say to them thank you for allowing a member of a family to serve on peacekeeping missions,” Busisiwe Ngwenya, wife of Head of the Defence Force, General Godfrey Ngwenya.

"I think it is a small sign of goodwill from our side," she said.

The hampers would be delivered to 3500 families of South African soldiers currently serving abroad in missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Sudan, Uganda, Eritrea and Ethiopia, Nepal and the Central African Republic (CAR).

Ngwenya said most of the hampers, donated by private companies, would be delivered to the families by Friday, and that she hoped it would become an annual event.

In the meantime top ranking officers wrapped up their goodwill visit to South African troops abroad on Thursday with a stop in Kinshasa.

The group, led by Chief of Defence Corporate Staff, Lieutenant General Rinus van Rensburg, made stopovers in Burundi, CAR and Kinshasa, handing over gifts and assuring troops of the public's support over the festive season.

The Goodwill parcel project started seven years ago when each sergeant-major in the defence force donated a Rand towards buying small packets of sweets for the troops.

This year several large South African companies have donated a total of R3.5 million which was used to buy the soldiers rucksacks with picnic equipment.

The soldiers also received small devotional booklets.

"While they appreciate the gifts, it is the fact that their work is recognised by the South African public," Van Rensburg said.

The fact that large companies were willing to associate themselves with the defence force was something that meant a lot to the troops and their commanders, said Van Rensburg.