South African military chaplain calls on President Ramkalawan |14 July 2023
President Ramkalawan in discussion with Reverend Brigadier General Masweu
The military chaplain from the armed forces of South Africa, Reverend Brigadier General Ernest Thabo Masweu, paid a courtesy call on the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Seychelles Defence Forces, Wavel Ramkalawan, yesterday morning at State House.
Reverend Brigadier General Masweu is on a visit to share experiences and to reinforce the collaboration and friendship between the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) Chaplain and the South African Armed Forces Chaplain. He was accompanied at State House by colleague pastor, Colonel Malcom Pillay.
Speaking to the press after meeting President Ramkalawan, Reverend Brigadier General Masweu said that other than talking on the collaboration and friendship between them, the main topic of discussion with President Ramkalawan was centred on ways of expanding the chaplain service in SDF to further support the soldiers in their duties.
“We came to share on our own successes and to share the future plans just to see how we can better share also our own experiences with the defence forces here and the chaplain,” Reverend Brigadier General Masweu said.
He noted that given the work of soldiers defers from other work settings, chaplains are there to support them spiritually, ethically and morally so that they get to focus on their mission assigned to them.
He added that his country’s armed forces chaplain will look at ways of providing assistance including the possibility of sending expert personnel to help the local armed forces’chaplain to grow.
“Those are the things we have discussed, even the courses that we offer in South Africa to develop the chaplains to be very effective in their work,” Reverend Brigadier General Masweu added.
Also present at the meeting at State House were the Chief of Defence Forces, Brigadier Michael Rosette, the Chaplain of SDF, Lieutenant Colonel Deacon Louis Agathine and the elected member for Mont Fleuri in the National Assembly, Hon. Michel Roucou.
Text & photo by Patrick Joubert
