From 1966 - 1989 the South African Defence Force (SADF) fought a war on the border between Angola & South West Africa (today known as Namibia). The Kaplyn (Cutline) was a thin strip of land cleared of any growth. This was the border.
National service was compulsory. Young boys just out of school were sent off to the army for their basic training and then to The Border. I knew many young men that experienced this and I saw how lives and families were changed forever. This is a subject very close to my heart. My current work in progress is on this topic and the research has been both captivating and debilitating.
I think this moving song by Bok Van Blerk captures the essence of that period so well and I cannot watch this video clip without getting a lump in my throat and an ache in my heart for the devastation that another forgotten war caused. The song is in Afrikaans, with English subtitles. As with most things - there is a bit lost in translation, but I'm sure you will still be able to feel the emotion of it all.
A lifetime ago, and yet, watching this leaves me speechless with emotion
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