Remains of 49 anti-Apartheid fighters returned to South Africa

Vusumuzi Dube, Online News Editor

THE South African government will today receive the remains of 49 of former liberation fighters who passed away in exile in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

In May a delegation of the South African government recently visited the country to identify the graves of African National Congress (ANC)’s Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) liberation heroes who died in Zimbabwe.

MK was the military wing of ANC during the armed struggle against the apartheid South African government and in the 1960s they held several operations in Zimbabwe (then Southern Rhodesia) with the Zapu’s military arm, ZPRA.

The visit was meant to open the process of repatriating the remains of the ex-fighters.

The delegation reportedly identified three graves in Bulawayo- one grave for a fighter buried at Athlone Cemetery and two graves for fighters who died at Khami Maximum Prison and were buried at Hyde Park Cemetery.

One of the graves identified belonged to Cde Basil Paul Petersen February who was buried at Athlone cemetery in 1967.

In a statement issued by the SA Government Communication and Information System, it was revealed that the repatriated remains are expected in South Africa’s Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria today.

“Following their arrival, the government will host an official homecoming ceremony on the 27th of September 2024 at Freedom Park, also in Pretoria, to mark the return of these liberation fighters to the country of their birth. Thereafter, reburial ceremonies will be held in the provinces of their origin, ensuring they are laid to rest with the dignity and respect they deserve.

“The Exile Repatriation Programme is guided by the National Policy of Repatriation and Restitution of Human Remains and Heritage Objects of 2021. This policy was adopted as part of South Africa’s broader commitment to ensuring that former liberation fighters who died in exile are returned home and buried with dignity,” reads the press statement.