South African expats prepare to celebrate Freedom Day

Thousands are expected to celebrate at a gala rugby match at the Jebel Ali Centre of Excellence this weekend.

JJ Trichardt takes his cooking very seriously and will need to if he wants to retain his title as the maker of the best Potjie in the UAE.

The South African, 31, will be one of thousands celebrating his country's Freedom Day at a gala rugby match at the Jebel Ali Centre of Excellence this weekend.

As the South African Rugby Legends play against their counterparts from Britain and Ireland, Mr Trichardt will make a traditional South African stew in a three-legged pot over a coal fire.

"It takes a lot of planning," he says. "It's more like a potion instead of a recipe."

On Friday, Mr Trichardt will gather his ingredients - potatoes, carrots, baby marrows, corn, lots of mushrooms and pieces of warthog meat. Like last year, he has imported warthog meat from South Africa for the occasion.

"It's a good five-hour operation," the events manager says. The trick, he adds, is not to stir the pot until the stew is fully cooked - it just needs to be left to sit and stew in its own juices.

Last year, he made his winning Potjie with a South African schoolfriend, his wife and his mother-in-law. "It is quite an achievement to take on more than 20 competitors and win," he says. "It is not just about the food but also presentation as well as the team name."

His team are called Vlak Varkies, Afrikaans for "shallow pig". This year he will face 20 other teams for the coveted honour - and a Spinney's hamper.

Like their compatriots back home, the UAE's estimated 40,000 South Africans will celebrate their national day on April 27 - the day the country held its first open, post-apartheid elections in 1994.

"It's one of those days that takes us back to our home. I feel closer to home. It is a date I always look forward to," says Mr Trichardt, who has lived in the UAE for seven years. "It is quite a big day out and a there is lot of catching up with old friends."

Traditional South African fare is just one of the drawcards. The crowd will be there to watch world-class rugby. "They put on a really good game," says Neil Hamp Adams, one of the organisers from South Africa.

"It's like watching a real Lions tour," he says, referring to the event that pits the best of British and Irish rugby players against either South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Both the South African team and the British and Irish Lions Legends are made up of former professionals, with Danie Gerger one of the star names for the South Africans.

"The crowd really gets into it. We want as many expats to come down to support the British and the Irish. They are true legends," adds Mr Adams.

Last year, the disruption cause by the volcanic ash cloud meant the Lions Legends had to field five stand-in players.

In that match the Boks won by 35 points to 24. "This year, we have a full British Irish legends squad to get their revenge for the ash cloud," Mr Adams adds. He is hoping for a bigger crowd, too. "Last year we were just short of 5,000. We would like to hit 7,000."