By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to officiate the homecoming ceremony of freedom fighters at the Freedom Park Heritage Site and Museum in Tshwane on Friday.
The remains of the 42 freedom fighters were received by government officials and family members at Waterkloof Air Force Base near the capital Pretoria.
The heroes and heroines had been buried in the neighboring countries when they died decades ago during apartheid. They will now be reburied in their country of birth.
Some of the remains of prominent people that have been returned include former ANC Secretary General Advocate Duma Nokwe, who died in Zambia many years ago.
Another known figure whose remains were returned was Edwin Letsholo Makoti, one of the founding members of the Pan African Congress (PAC), who passed away in Zimbabwe in the 1980s.
Hundreds of South Africans fled the country during the racial segregation regime of apartheid and joined the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in waging a war against white minority rule.
“Ahead of addressing the homecoming ceremony on Friday… Ramaphosa will lead a wreath-laying procession at the Wall of Names.
“The Wall of Names is inscribed with the names of heroes and heroines, who died fighting for humanity and freedom during the major conflicts in South African history, namely: the Pre-Colonial Wars, Slavery, Genocide, Wars of Resistance, the South African War, the First and Second World War and the Struggle for Liberation,” the Presidency said in a statement on Wednesday.
The repatriation and restitution homecoming ceremony forms part of Heritage Month, observed under the theme: “Celebrating the Lives of Our Heroes and Heroines Who Laid Down Their Lives for Our Freedom”.
The Presidency explained that the repatriation formed 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 Africa’s road to freedom.
“The repatriation initiative is part of a broader effort to bring the remains of freedom fighters, who died in exile, to their final resting places.
“This is not only a gesture of honour to the individuals and their families but also an effort to strengthen the bonds of friendship, solidarity, and development with the host countries through memorialisation,” the statement read.