A tribute to seaman Pooventharan Thangavalu on the Wall of Remembrance

IT WAS a bitter-sweet moment for the family of the late Seaman Pooventharan Thangavalu of the then-South African Marine Corps, whose name was recently added to the Wall of Remembrance.

- NADIA KHAN [e-mail]

The wall, which is situated at the Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, carries the names of those who served in the South African military and died during the Angolan bush war.

Thangavalu, who hailed from Merebank, was shot and killed by a fellow marine on January 23, 1989. He was 19 years old at the time.

Perseelan Thangavalu, his elder brother, said the family were left feeling overwhelmed by his acknowledgement.

“We feel a deep sense of pride and honour that my brother has been acknowledged for his service. Although it has been over 30 years since his passing, our family, especially our mother, still feel the pain of our loss. But it has definitely brought us some joy to see his name on the wall, alongside the others who are part of our country’s military history,” he said.