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One of the South African Navy's most impressive warships, the SAS Amatola, will sail into East London on Thursday.
The Valour class frigate, along with another Navy strike craft, will be docking in the city at around 5pm ahead of a starring role in the eagerly anticipated East London Port Festival at the weekend.
Impressive on all fronts, the SAS Amatola generates massive public interest wherever she docks, due in no small measure to the craft's imposing arsenal of weapons. These include a 76mm Otobreda gun, two 35mm dual purpose twin-barreled guns, two 20mm Oerlikon cannons, an Exocet surface-to-surface missile launcher and an impressive array of anti-aircraft missiles, rocket decoys and torpedo launchers.
Visitors will be able to get a close-up of these and some of the vessel's other impressive attributes throughout the two-day festival, with the vessel open to the public from 10am to 5pm on both festival days.
"The ship's captain will host a cocktail function for invited guests on Friday afternoon, and on Saturday morning, the entire SAS Amatola company will participate in the Right of Entry parade down Oxford Street," Navy spokesperson Commander Greyling van den Berg said.
The Navy will conduct a precision drill exercise during the Right of Entry parade, as well as further exercises in the harbour on Friday and Saturday, Van Den Berg said.
"We will also man a static exhibition as well as a recruiting station for the duration of the festival," he said.
The Right of Entry parade will also showcase the impressive SA Navy Band, which will give two not-to-be-missed public concerts at the Port Festival on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.
In addition to a full and varied schedule of national events, the internationally acclaimed band has also performed in Germany, The Netherlands, Russia, England, Scotland and in Burundi.
The SA Navy Band and SAS Amatola are but two of the many highlights of a jam-packed programme of events designed to appeal to the whole family.
In addition to the keenly anticipated return of Formula 1 Powerboat racing, festival organisers have put together a spectacular programme of live entertainment over both days, featuring the best in local, regional and national music, dancing and comedic talent.
Other not-to-be-missed attractions include a spectacular fireworks display on Saturday evening, tug boat and adrenaline rides, bustling food and craft markets and a festive beer garden, complete with big-screen TVs to ensure rugby fans don’t miss a moment of Saturday’s action.
A dedicated kids’ entertainment programme will ensure the smaller members of the family are also kept thoroughly enthralled.
A limited number of tickets are still available for Saturday night’s Charity Jazz Extravaganza at the East London ICC, featuring Sibongile Khumalo and Jimmy Dludlu, among others. To reserve your seat, call 043 722 0771.
Entrance fees for the main festival is only R20 for adults and R10 for children 10 years and younger. Free park and ride shuttles will be available on both days to ferry visitors between the beach front and the main entrance gate.
Visitors can also make use of a dedicated pedestrian entrance at the end of the Orient peer, which can be accessed through the Orient pool complex.
