The South African government will receive the human remains of freedom fighters and anti-Apartheid political leaders who died in Zambia and Zimbabwe in a ceremony expected to be held next week.

The ceremony is expected to take place at the Waterkloof Airforce Base in Pretoria.

While briefing the media on the Cabinet meeting held this week, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said the remains are that of Advocate Duma Nokwe, Florence Mophosho and Basil February.

‘Cabinet received an update on the preparations to repatriate the mortal remains of South Africa’s freedom fighters who are buried in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

‘The repatriation of the remains from Zambia and Zimbabwe forms part of the Resistance and Liberation Heritage Route Project [RLHR]. The RLHR is a national memory project aimed at commemorating, celebrating, educating, promoting, preserving, conserving and providing a durable testament of South African’s road to freedom.

‘A Homecoming Ceremony will take place at the Waterkloof Airfo
rce base on 27 September 2024 when the mortal remains arrive in South Africa,’ Ntshavheni said on Friday.

Briefing media earlier this month, Presidential Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the repatriation is in line with the pronouncement by President Cyril Ramaphosa in the statement of the January 8, 2020, and subsequently State of the Nation Address.

‘In that pronouncement, he made a commitment that the repatriation and reburial of liberation stalwarts, namely Dumalisile Nokwe and Florence Maphosho, in both Zambia and Basil February in Zimbabwe, would mark the Road to Freedom and Democracy. The two countries were strategically prioritized for the implementation of the project,’ Mangwenya told a media briefing at the time.

Source: South African Government News Agency