Eritrean nationals residing in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Angola, Ghana, Guinea, and Ivory Coast have commemorated Martyrs Day, 20 June, featuring various programs.
Nationals in the South African cities of Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Durban commemorated Martyrs Day with candlelight vigils, experience-sharing programs, as well as cultural and artistic presentations depicting the significance of the day.
Mr. Saleh Omar, Eritrea’s Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa and Southern African countries, said that, owing to the sacrifices of its martyrs, the Eritrean people have ensured their independence and peace, as well as their identity and national sovereignty.
At the commemorative event in Johannesburg, nationals contributed 42 thousand Rand towards augmenting the National Martyrs Trust Fund, while four nationals pledged to assume responsibility for supporting 10 families of martyrs.
At the commemorative events organized by nationals in the Zambian cities of Lusaka and Chingola, Mr. Gebrehiwet Petros, chairman of the Eritrean community, said that martyrs are symbols of the identity and values of the Eritrean people, and called on nationals to live up to the expectations of martyrs and demonstrate commitment by giving priority to the interests of the Eritrean people and country.
Likewise, at the commemorative event organized in Zimbabwe, Mr. Aklilu Gide, chairman of the Eritrean community, called on nationals to strengthen participation in supporting families of martyrs. At the event, 13 nationals pledged to assume responsibility for supporting 15 families of martyrs.
The commemorative event in South Sudan, held on 19 June, featured a candlelight vigil as well as cultural and artistic programs.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Tsegay Mehari, Eritrea’s Consul, called on nationals to fulfil the martyrs’ trust through strengthening participation in national affairs.
Nationals in the Angolan cities of Luanda, Lubango, Benguela, Huambo, and Cabinda; Conakry, Guinea; Accra, Ghana; as well as Abidjan, Ivory Coast, commemorated Martyrs Day under the theme “Reward for Our Martyrs is Transferring a Strong Country to Future Generations.”
At the event in Angola, Mr. Desale Tekleab, Eritrea’s Consul General, called on nationals to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and skills and strengthen participation in national development programs.
Nationals in various cities of Belgium and Luxembourg also commemorated Martyrs Day with various programs reflecting the significance of the day. They also contributed 3 thousand 790 Euros towards augmenting the National Martyrs Trust Fund.
At the commemorative event in Brussels, Mr. Negasi Kasa, Eritrea’s Ambassador to the European Union and Benelux countries, delivered a speech focusing on the deep meaning of the day and the heavy sacrifices the Eritrean people paid for independence and safeguarding national sovereignty.
In the same vein, at the commemorative event organized by nationals in Vienna, Austria, participants contributed 2 thousand Euros and pledged to assume responsibility for supporting two families of martyrs.
Nationals in the US city of Atlanta also commemorated Martyrs Day with patriotic zeal and contributed 28 thousand 955 Dollars in support of families of martyrs.
Africa Fact: Africans carved the world’s first colossal sculpture 7,000 or more years ago. The Great Sphinx of Giza was fashioned with the head of a man combined with the body of a lion. A key and important question raised by this monument was: How old is it? In October 1991 Professor Robert Schoch, a geologist from Boston University, demonstrated that the Sphinx was sculpted between 5000 BC and 7000 BC, dates that he considered conservative.
Lyrz
A boer went to the appliance store sale and found a bargain. \”I would like to buy this TV,\” hetold the salesman. \”Sorry, we don\’t sell to boere,\” the salesman replied. He hurried home, took a shower, changed his clothes and combed his hair, then came back and again told the salesman \”I would like to buy this TV.\” \”Sorry, we don\’t sell to boere,\” the salesman replied. \”Bliksem, he recognized me,\” he thought. So he went for a complete disguise this time, haircut and new color, shaved off the baard, suit and tie, fake glasses, then waited a few days before he again approached the salesman. \”I would like to buy this TV.\” Sorry, we don\’t sell to boere,\” the salesman replied. Frustrated, he exclaimed \”Jislaaik, man! How do you know I\’m a boer?\”\”Because that\’s a microwave,\” the salesman replied.
Scrapple
Van is getting married, but he and his fiancee have never done the deed – in fact he\’s never been with any woman before. He\’s getting more and more nervous as the big day approaches, so he confides in his friend. His friend says \’No worries man. I\’ll come by the honeymoon suite before you guys get there, and I\’ll hide behind the curtain, and I\’ll whisper instructions to you.\’
\’You\’d do that for me?\’
\’Sure thing man!\’
So the wedding day arrives, it was a lovely service (so I was told, I wasn\’t there myself) and Van\’s friend sneaks into the honeymoon suite as promised and hides behind the curtain.
Van and his new wife arrive in the room, get settled on the bed, and things are getting steamy.
But Van is still super nervous and his tummy is bubbling, so he murmers to his wife, \’Listen babe, I\’m just gonna go to the bathroom quick. I think it\’s that wors roll from earlier.\’
\’Sure thing babe.\’
So Van goes into the bathroom, and he\’s taking quite a long time. And his wife is starting to feel the nerves herself. And it\’s getting worse. She can\’t hold it in. But she doesn\’t want to go after he\’s gone and totally ruin the mood. So she looks around and finally finds a shoebox. Quickly, she does her business in the shoebox, and she shoves it under the bed just as Van comes back from the loo.
Van gets back on the bed and they go at it again. But after a minute or so Van smells something not so lekker.
\’What\’s that smell?\’
\’Nothing babe,\’ he wife tries to assure him.
\’No man there\’s definitely something not so lekker in this room!\’VSo Van starts looking around the room, in the corners, in the cupboard, and finally he looks under the bed, and sees the shoebox.
He pull it out, and opens it up, and in horror he shouts \’Sies! Daar\’s kak in hierdie doos!\’
And from behind the curtain his friend yells, \’NEE MAN, DRAAI HAAR OM!\”