On 10 March 2025, member countries of the Commonwealth will commemorate Commonwealth Day. Commonwealth Day is the annual celebration observed by people all over the Commonwealth in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Americas, as well as the Pacific and Europe.
Commonwealth Day is celebrated to renew our bond with the Organisation, strengthen our commitment to the Commonwealth values and re-energise the union of the member states.
The Commonwealth theme for 2025 is Together We Thrive. This years’ theme underscores the power of partnerships, reaffirming that we are stronger and more resilient together, than when standing alone.
The theme also builds on the outcomes adopted and the vision of transformation discussed during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2024) that was held in Apia, Samoa on 24 and 25 October 2024.
South Africa attaches great importance to the role of the Commonwealth to promote and protect the values and principles set out in the Commonwealth Charter. The ownership of the Commonwealth and directing the activities of the Commonwealth to truly serve all the member states in achieving our development goals remains of utmost importance to South Africa.
As a member of the Organisation since 1994, South Africa believes that the Commonwealth continues to play an important role in a world where there is increasing pushback against the forces promoting multilateralism as well as international solidarity and cooperation. The Organisation, which represents countries from across the development spectrum should use its unique position and membership from around the globe to continue calling for the strengthening of existing multilateral mechanisms and institutions and transform them to suit current global realities. The Commonwealth provides an opportunity to address issues of common interest, including implementation of development goals and the reform of constitutions of global governance, in particular the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and the United Nations.
The Commonwealth must remain at the forefront of the struggle for the advancement and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms, gender equality and women empowerment.
Only through increased solidarity, will the 56 members of the Commonwealth be able to assist each other to address the challenges we are currently facing. This will ensure that the Commonwealth continues to remain relevant and grow.
On Commonwealth Day, South Africa once again renews its pledge to uphold and serve the values and fellowship of the Commonwealth.
Africa Fact: The Songhai Empire of 16th century West Africa had a government position called Minister for Etiquette and Protocol.
Cujo
If God is watching you, at least be entertaining
morbid sugar
Diary of an Englishman after he moves to South Africa….
**August 1**: Just got transferred with work from London, UK to our new home in Phalaborwa, Limpopo, South Africa. Now this is a town that knows how to live! Beautiful, sunny days and warm, balmy evenings. I watched the sunset from a deckchair by our pool yesterday. It was beautiful. I’ve finally found my new home. I love it here.
**September 1:** Really heating up now. It got to 31 today. No problem though. Living in air-conditioned home, driving air-conditioned car. What a pleasure to see the sun every day like this. I’m turning into a sun-worshipper – no blasted rain like back in London! Had the back yard landscaped with tropical plants today. Lots of palms and rocks. No more mowing lawns for me! Another scorcher today, but I love it here. It’s Paradise !
**October 1:** The temperature hasn’t been below 35 all week. How do people get used to this kind of heat? At least today it’s windy though. Keeps the flies off a bit. Acclimatizing is taking longer than we expected. Fell asleep by the pool yesterday. Got third degree burns over 60% of my body. Missed three days off work. What a dumb thing to do. Got to respect the old sun in a climate like this!
**October 25:** This wind is a bastard. It feels like a giant fucking blow dryer. And it’s hot as hell! The home air conditioner is on the blink and the repair man charged R200 just to drive over and tell me he needs to order parts from @#$# Johannesburg. The wife & the kids are complaining.
**October 30:** The temperature’s up around 40 and the parts still haven’t arrived for the fucking air conditioner. House is an oven so we’ve all been sleeping outside by the pool for 3 nights now. Bleeding R4 million house and we can’t even go inside. Why the hell did I ever come here?
**November 4:** Finally got the fucking air-conditioner fixed. It cost R1,500 and gets the temperature down to around 35 degrees. Stupid repairman. Fucking thief. If one more smart bastard says ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I’m going to fucking throttle him. Fucking heat! By the time I get to work, the car radiator is boiling over, my fucking clothes are soaking fucking wet and I smell like baked cat. Fucking place is the end of the Earth.
**November 9:** Tried to run some errands after work, wore shorts, and sat on the black leather upholstery in my car. I thought my fucking backside was on fire. I lost 2 layers of flesh, all the hair on the backs of my legs and off my fucking behind. Now the car smells like burnt hair, fried bum and baked cat. The Weather report might as well be a fucking recording – hot and sunny. Hot and sunny, Hot and fucking sunny. It’s been too hot to do anything for 2 bleeding months and the weatherman says it might really warm up next week. Fuck!!
**November 15:** Doesn’t it ever rain in this darn place? Water restrictions will be next, so my R5,000 worth of palms might just dry up and blow into the fucking pool. The only things that thrive in this hell-hole are the fucking flies. You don’t dare open your mouth for fear of swallowing half a dozen of the little buzzards!
**November 20:** Welcome to HELL! It got to 45 degrees today. Now the air conditioner is gone in my car. The repair man came to fix it and said, ‘Hot enough for you today?’ I wanted to shove the car up his backside. Anyway, had to spend the R2,500 of the mortgage payment to bail me out of jail for assaulting the stupid fool. Fucking PHALABORWA! What kind of sick, demented idiot would want to live here!
**December 1:** WHAT!!!! The FIRST day of Summer!!!!
You are fucking kidding me, right?