Cape Town Highlanders Celebrate 125th Birthday with Freedom March

Celebrating 125 years of continuous, dedicated service to the people of Cape Town and South Africa, the Cape Town Highlanders will exercise its right to march through the city centre 'with flags waving, bands playing and bayonets fixed' on Saturday 8 May 2010.

Setting off from the Regimental Headquarters at the Castle of Good Hope and led by the battalion's Drums and Pipes, a kilted company of Highlanders will proceed up Darling Street to the City Hall at midday.

"Here, they will be inspected by Alderman Ian Neilson, Executive Deputy Mayor, who will confirm their right to exercise the Freedom of the City," says Fritz Marx, the City of Cape Town's Manager of Protocol and Mayoral Events.

Thereafter, the Company, led by Officer Commanding of the Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel André van der Bijl and the pipe band, will return to the Castle to collect the rest of the Battalion and a convoy of their famed Ratel armoured vehicles. They will then continue on a route through the city centre.

This two hundred (200) strong column will proceed up Strand Street, left into Adderley and left again into Darling Street to once again march past the City Hall, where a party of civic and military dignitaries will take the salute as the battalion and it's fighting vehicles troop past and return to the Castle.

"Cape Town's rich history is one of its most valuable resources, and the Cape Town Highlanders is an important reminder of our history. Moreover, it is reassuring to know that even in the worst kind of eventuality, we can always turn to this well-established regiment for assistance," says Alderman Dan Plato, Executive Mayor of Cape Town

The Cape Town Highlanders (CTH) was founded in 1885 by a group of volunteer soldiers who felt that the city should rightly have a Scottish regiment.

"Now, 125 years later, it is still what it always was; an active, fighting infantry regiment manned by approximately 350 volunteer officers and other ranks from all communities across Cape Town and the Western Cape," says Leftenant Colonel (Lt Col) van der Bijl.

Today, as one of just a handful of mechanised infantry units in the South African Army, the battalion - with its Ratels equipped with heavy weapons ranging from twenty milimetres (20mm) and ninety milimetres (90mm) turret guns to ZT-3 anti-tank rockets and 81mm mortars - trains and is deployed as part of South Africa's capable peace-keeping operations in Africa and at home.

"Our regiment has fought the battles of both war and peace, - arguably more than any other in the Defence Force - having so far been awarded twenty four (24) battle honours in places as far afield as the Western (North Africa) Desert and northern Italy. Two of these - 'Paliano 1944' and 'Alam el Halfa' - are not held by any other South African unit," says Van der Bijl.

"Regimental records show that the CTH has lost over two hundred and twenty (220) officers and other ranks killed or believe to have been killed in the line of duty over the years in the service of our country.

"We are indelibly part of the history and culture of Cape Town and therefore - with a great deal of pride - celebrate this milestone year and share the event with its peoples," says Van der Bijl.

The CTH will also be staging other private and public events to celebrate its 125th birthday.

Issued by:
Communication Department
City of Cape Town