Durban - Major-General Luvuyo Nobanda is used to organising big events of national and international importance.
He was the commander in charge of handling former president Nelson Mandela’s funeral in the Eastern Cape, which attracted celebrities and politicians from around the world.
Now, Nobanda is the military mastermind behind the logistics involved in the Armed Forces Day celebrations in Durban, which brings together the army, navy, air force and SA military health services.
About 5 000 SANDF members are involved, as well as ships, aircraft, tanks, and convoys of various military hardware and equipment.
The big week has been a year in the planning, and Nobanda concedes: “It is not an easy event to arrange.”
Early Armed Forces Days that had involved one-day ceremonial occasions were “not a worry”, he said.
“But since last year, when celebrations were held in Port Elizabeth, other concepts were added and a whole week of organisation is involved,” said Nobanda, the chief officer commanding the South African Army support formation, which involves all the logistics related to supporting the SANDF around the country.
Nobanda has a team of 25 people working for him.
The celebrations begin on Thursday when the Fan Park opens to the public at the old drive-in site. Four-thousand schoolchildren will be among the visitors, and Nobanda said that their programme would involve getting the chance to fly in a fixed-wing aircraft and to visit ships.
The programme, which also marks the centenary of the sinking of the SS Mendi in the English Channel, also features a golf day, a concert, combat capability demonstrations featuring Special Forces, parades and night combat shooting at Blue Lagoon.
Nobanda is also the co-chairman of the Provincial Joint Operations Centre. He started his military career in the then Transkei Special Forces.
And what will he do when all the Armed Forces Day celebrations are over?
“Catch up on my sleep,” Nobanda said with a smile.