Erika Gibson, Beeld
Pretoria - Thirty years ago, Robbie Ribeiro, a Portuguese member of 32 Battalion, was too black to be decorated with the highest recognition for bravery, the Honoris Crux (HC).
The Pro Patria and Southern Africa medals were awarded to the staff sergeant, but were never presented to him.
His daughter, Carla, had the bittersweet privilege on Wednesday of receiving at least the two medals at the military cemetery in Thaba Tshwane.
She was only 18 months old when her father died in combat 30 years ago in the border war.
Three Portuguese honoured
"It's frustrating and, yes, there was, and still is, a lot of pain about many things.
"I can't say very good things about the defence force, but it's all buried now," she said.
Ribeiro and two more Portuguese comrades from 32 Battalion, staff sergeants Danny Roxo and Silva Soeiro, were honoured on Wednesday with a wreath-laying and the handing over of the medals and their insignia to their families.
The three soldiers had been buried next to each another in the military cemetery, but until two years ago there was not even a tombstone to mark their graves.
Roxo was the first foreign soldier to receive the HC. They all died on the same day in the same battle on August 23 1976 in Angola.
All three helped the commander, Colonel Jan Breytenbach, to found 32 Battalion.
Breytenbach said on Wednesday that even today he still was upset about the discrimination against the Portuguese soldiers.
Fair skin 'more acceptable'
"Robbie was involved in one contact with a South African in extremely difficult circumstances. The other guy got his HC.
"For a second contact, in which he led a platoon under heavy fire, I recommended him for the HC.
"I heard afterwards that he didn't get it because he was black."
Breytenbach said Roxo was presumably more acceptable with his blue eyes and fair skin.
NEWS 24.COM - 30.08.2006
