ALI MPHAKI
FAMILIES of political prisoners from Soweto who were hanged during the apartheid era are invited to a workshop on Friday.
It is part of a project by the Department of Correctional Services called Gallows Memorialisation, which hopes to recognise the sacrifice of the families and the contribution of those who gave their lives in the struggle for freedom.
On December 15, President Jacob Zuma will unveil a dedicated wall at the C-Max prison gallows in Pretoria with plaques for each of the 132 political prisoners executed there.
Close to 300 family members will visit the gallows on the day, and they will have an opportunity to grieve for their loved ones. A cleansing ceremony will be held and the families will be allowed to take the 52 steps leading to the gallows.
Religious and traditional leaders as well as counsellors and therapists will be present to help families cope with the pain and trauma.
Correctional Services employees and members of various political parties attended a workshop on Monday in East London, where they came face to face with some families of executed political prisoners in the Eastern Cape.
A team from Minister of Correctional Services Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula’s office had spent the past weekend in the Western Cape meeting and interviewing the families.
“It was a highly emotionally charged event, with some of the family members unable to contain themselves, and they broke down,” correctional services spokeswoman Sibongile Khumalo said.
She said most families did not know where their loved ones were buried and that the families would be taken to two cemeteries, in Mamelodi and Rebecca Street in Pretoria.
They will be helped to identify the remains of their loved ones who were dumped in unmarked graves at the Mamelodi cemetery.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s Missing Persons Task Team, headed by Madeleine Fullard, has been busy trying to identify the graves of the freedom fighters. She said they hope to conduct exhumations and DNA verifications before December 15.
Mapisa-Nqakula said recently that the intention of the project was to initiate dialogue among all South Africans in order to bring about healing, unity and social cohesion.
The venue has not been confirmed. Families are requested to contact Sibongile Khumalo on 076-413-4042.
The gallows will be open to the public as a memorial museum.