The programme for the event, to be held at the Apartheid Museum, includes mass military bands, precision drilling and traditional dancing [+VIDEO].
|||THE City of Joburg will, for the first time, host the Johannesburg Military Tattoo at the Apartheid Museum in Gold Reef City, south of the city, from Wednesday.
The programme includes mass military bands, precision drilling, traditional and gumboot dancing, fusing different elements of South Africa’s rich cultural heritage into a single event.
“The event is a welcomed addition to the variety and quality of events hosted in our city every year. It is a unique opportunity to showcase Joburg’s ability to organise and host events of this magnitude and to market our city as a destination for tourism among discerning global audiences,” said executive mayor of Joburg, Herman Mashaba.
The communities of the city are encouraged to attend the military tattoo and explore what the event has to offer, he said.
“The organisers have taken great care to make the venue accessible to families with young children and people with disabilities. The Apartheid Museum is a fitting venue for the city’s first hosting of this tattoo. We trust that this will also shine the spotlight on the quality and diversity of tourism and leisure destinations within our city and encourage visitors to stay longer and explore the best that the city can offer,” said Mashaba.
The city is expecting to welcome participants from various military units, schools and communities across the country.
It is expected that this will become a firm feature on Joburg’s annual calendar and that, together with the organisers and sponsors, the city will be able to build it into a truly international event, worthy of what a great city aspire to become, he said, adding that military tattoos serve an important purpose in creating stronger linkages across a country’s armed forces and its citizens and to create greater social cohesion.
• The Johannesburg Military Tattoo will take place from the September 7-10
anna.cox@inl.co.za
@annacox
The Star