Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Jeff Radebe to handover exhumed remains of former MK Members
As part of implementing the recommendations of Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Jeff Radebe, will officially handover the exhumed remains of five former Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) members to their respective families on Saturday, 8 March 2014 at East London City Hall, Eastern Cape province.
All these MK cadres died in combat during their operations in Botswana, Bophutatswana, Venda and around Limpopo. They had been assigned to carry out various operations in these areas via Zimbabwe after receiving military training in Angola and Cuba.
While many MK cadres including some from Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA) and Azanla died in combat, many would be abducted by apartheid security police, tortured and turned into agents (Askaris) who would work for the then apartheid police and help identity other cadres.
Those who refused to turn against their comrades would be killed in brutal and inhumane manner with some blown up with explosives while some would be shot and burnt to death while their police killers enjoyed braai and drinks in remote farms. They would then be buried in unidentified graves as paupers with their families denied an opportunity to give them dignified burial.
They are from Alice, East London, Grahamstown and Port Elizabeth. One of these five former MK operatives is Mlungiseleli Velaphi who was born in Mdantsane in 1967 and left the country in 1985 and joined the ANC and MK. After receiving his basic military training in Angola, he spent a year in Cuba undergoing Special Forces training with specialisation in rural guerrilla warfare.
He was selected to form part of a nine-person MK unit tasked with infiltrating the rural areas of the then-Venda homeland. The unit crossed from Zimbabwe into South Africa on 25 March 1988. On the morning of 28 March 1988 while on a small island on the Mutale River, they were spotted by members of the Venda Defence Force (VDF).
A battle ensued that lasted the whole day. The VDF called for reinforcements from South African Defence Force (SADF) and helicopter gunships were deployed. Ultimately four MK members were shot dead, including Velaphi and his comrades.
This will be the fourth handover ceremony of the exhumed remains taking place in the Eastern Cape Province since 2009. Remains already handed over in this province are those of the PEBCO Three and COSAS Two in Port Elizabeth, Langa Six at Cofimvaba and MK Valdez in Port Elizabeth.
Media is invited to the event as follows:
Date: Saturday, 8 March 2014
Time: 8h00 - 14h00
Venue: East London City Hall, East London
Summary profiles of the deceased victims
These activists who died under different circumstances, were reported missing to the TRC and were exhumed by the MPTT in line with the TRC recommendations. Their remains have been positively identified and are ready for handover to the families for subsequent reburial.
They are:
Vuyani Goniwe
Vuyani Goniwe, from Ntselamanzi Location in Alice in the Eastern Cape, left South Africa in 1977 together with Bandile Ketelo and Mgcini Mali and joined the ANC and MK. He underwent military training in Angola. The unit infiltrated South Africa from Botswana on foot near the Ramatlabama border post and walked through the night.
On the morning of 27 October 1978 they were spotted by a helicopter and confronted by members of the Bophutatswana National Guard at Masutle village. Goniwe and his comrades were attacked by members of Bophuthatswana National Guard and he died from gunshots wounds and grenade explosions. His body was discovered in Mahikeng.
Sipho Kolisi
He was born in Grahamstown and left the country via Lesotho in September 1984 to a military training in Angola. On 10 July 1986 he and his comrades were in a kombi to South Africa on to find out that the driver of the kombi was a South African policeman and he drove them into a pre-arranged spot near Allday in Limpopo where they were shot and killed. They were buried as unidentified paupers in Tshikota cemetery in Louis Trichardt/Makhado.
Fuzile Patrick Zigoxo and Sizakele Buza
These two cadres, both from Port Elizabeth, went into exile in 1985 and received military training in Angola and underwent subsequent specialisation. The two were both selected to join an MK unit that was to infiltrate South Africa via Zimbabwe. On 2 August 1988, the group of five were taken to the border of Zimbabwe and Botswana from where they crossed into the north of South Africa, the area in which they were to conduct operations.
Within 24 hours, the group had been engaged by members of the security forces in the area around Alldays. On 3 August 1988 all five MK members were killed either by gunshot or explosives. All five were buried as unidentified paupers in Tshikota cemetery in Louis Trichardt/Makhado.
For media confirmations contact Andile Tshona on 082 407 1143 or ATshona@justice.gov.za and Solomon Mahlangu on 072 520 5530 or SoMahlangu@justice.gov.za.
For media enquiries:
Advocate Mthunzi Mhaga
Spokesperson for the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development
Cell: 083 641 8141
Email: Mediaenquiries@justice.gov.za
