A visiting South African dignitary spent the weekend bonding with Bermudians and re-discovering local connections.

Franklin Sonn, the South African Ambassador to the United States, was the guest of honour at yesterday's Senior Citizens' Tea at Camden.

Mr. Sonn chatted with seniors and talked about his visit to the "Back-a-town'' area.

"I almost stood up your wonderful Premier because I had such a good time at the Swinging Door...someone offered me a Dark N' Stormy and I thought it was coffee,'' he joked.

Premier Pamela Gordon expressed her enthusiasm over the dignitary's visit, and suggested the Ambassador might appreciate Bermuda's example of integration.

"We all know that Bermuda was once a segregated society, and I think it is very helpful for the Ambassador to see the mix of our people and how successful we've been in such a short period of time,'' said Ms Gordon.

Mr. Sonn told the seniors about his feelings of identification with Bermudians of African descent.

"Many of you are in fact our people...you came here many years ago to work on this Island,'' said Mr. Sonn.

"I greet you on behalf of Nelson Mandela, who also spent a lot of time on an Island, but not under such grand circumstances,'' he added.

During his visit to the Island, Mr. Sonn had the opportunity to visit the grave sites of 35 South African prisoners who died in Bermuda during the Boer War.

The war was fought in South Africa from 1899 to 1902.

About 4,600 prisoners were brought to Bermuda during the war and held in camps on islands in the Great Sound.

The South African National Monuments Trust has financially supported the Boer War prisoners of war cemetery which is cared for by the Bermuda National Trust.

Mr. Sonn paid respects to the deceased patriots and offered remarks at a remembrance ceremony on Saturday morning at Long Island.

And in an interview with The Royal Gazette , Mr. Sonn gave his impressions about the significance of the Boer war of independence waged between the Afrikaaners (South Africans of Dutch descent) and the British.

"It was very much a British/South African thing and we had very little truck with it because it was not important in our world view,'' said Mr. Sonn.

"Now that everything has changed, we are rediscovering our history, reclaiming a whole heritage and recognising people for their heroic war against British imperialism.

"We are reconciling with our ancestors and consider them an important part of the building process of a new South African nation,'' he added.

`Vital links' praised by ambassador Mr. Sonn thanked the National Trust for preserving the graves and noted that a vital link had been established between South Africa and Bermuda.

"One of the great pleasures for me as an African is to reconnect and be welcomed by some of the senior citizens who really are part of our people,'' he said.

"African people all over the world are playing a very important role in building an understanding of a non-racial world of people who will live in peace with one another into the next millennium.''