South Africa war memorial: Black World War One servicemen finally honoured

In 2021, the UK apologised after a report blamed “pervasive racism” for the failure to properly honour at least 100,000 black and Asian troops who died fighting on its side.

Relatives said they were “proud” and “happy” to see the contributions of the servicemen being finally recognised at the Cape Town Labour Corps Memorial.

The men worked as porters, wagon drivers and on the railways.

One of those honoured was Bhesengile Delihlazo, a driver who died on 21 January 1917.

His great-nephew Elliot Malunga Delihlazo said the family was happy to finally discover when Delihlazo died, even though the question of exactly where remained unanswered.

And while the serviceman has already been privately honoured with a memorial stone at the Delihlazo homestead, his relative said: “It makes us proud really, that at last, we can be one of the families that people can talk about in the due course of history”.