Justice Minister, Michael Masutha, was in Port Elizabeth on Monday to hand over the mortal remains of 12 United Democratic Front political activists who were hanged in the mid-eighties.
The exhumation of the remains of political prisoners who were hanged at Kgosi Mampuru ll prison, formerly Pretoria Central Prison, forms part of government's Gallows Exhumation Project launched earlier this year.
In a speech prepared for delivery, Minister Masutha said that all 12 UDM members were hanged "for events or incidents that took place during the period of intense political turmoil in the Eastern Cape in 1985 and 1986."
He said they were all buried as paupers in unmarked graves in Mamelodi cemetery in Tshwane within hours of being hanged.
"Today, we are able to fully acknowledge and register our appreciation of their role in the struggle for freedom. The 1980s was a period of detention, death, imprisonment, banning of organizations and a state of emergency," Minister Masutha said.
"Despite those conditions, they decided that their mission was the freedom of their country and its people from apartheid oppression. Generations to come will know the outstanding heroism and bravery they displayed. They will know how their families were harassed and persecuted by the apartheid state by virtue of being related to them as fighters of freedom and justice," he added.
Below are the details of the prisoners who were executed and whose remains were returned to their families in Port Elizabeth:
Lungile Rewu, age 19, and Sipho Mahala, age 21, were among eight persons charged with the murder of a sixteen-year-old teenager on 2 November 1985 in Veeplaas in Port Elizabeth during violent clashes between UDF and AZAPO supporters. The teenager was suspected of being part of an AZAPO group sent to attack UDF supporters. One of the accused absconded and four were discharged at the end of the trial. Another was found guilty of common assault. Lungile Rewu and Sipho Mahala were convicted of murder without extenuating circumstances and sentenced to death on 20 May 1987. They were hanged ten months later on 29 March 1988.
Thobile Lloyd, age 27, and Siphiwo Lande, age 22, were among ten individuals charged with murder. During the trial, eight of the accused escaped of whom two were recaptured. The four remaining accused faced charges regarding the killing of two men on 18 April 1985 and a policeman on 28 April 1985 in KwaZakhele in Port Elizabeth. In the first incident, a large group of UDF supporters decided at a people's court to execute certain individuals suspected of certain murders in the community. In the second incident, a policeman was abducted from his home and also necklaced to death with car tyres. Thobile Lloyd was convicted of the first two murders and Siphiwo Lande of all three. They were sentenced to death on 7 July 1987 and both were hanged nine months later on 14 April 1988.
Kholisile Dyakala, age 33, and Zwelidumile Mjekula, age 36, were charged along with two other individuals with the murder of a security guard at Coega in Port Elizabeth on 9 June 1986 and robbery with aggravating circumstances. The state alleged that the four men set out to rob the security guard of his firearm and shot him dead during the robbery. One of the accused was killed in an unrest related incident prior to the trial and the fourth accused was acquitted. Kholisile Dyakala and Zwelidumile Mjekula were sentenced to death on 14 December 1987 although Mjekula was only convicted on the basis of dolus eventualis. The two were hanged eleven months later on 24 November 1988.
Benjamin Mlondolozi Gxothiwe, age 27, and a member of the Port Elizabeth Youth Congress (PEYCO), was charged with the fatal shooting of a policeman on 25 December 1985 in Swartkops, Port Elizabeth. He was one of six individuals charged with the murder as well as the theft of a firearm and a motor vehicle. Although the court accepted that there was no evidence of premeditation to the killing of the policeman, Benjamin was sentenced to death in September 1987 and was hanged six months later on 25 March 1988.
Tsepo Letsoara, age 25, was one of four individuals charged with the murder of a young woman on 7 October 1985 in Motherwell in Port Elizabeth. The young woman was accused of being a police informer after she was detained under the State of Emergency with a large group of youth but was released a day later while the others were detained for over a month. Tsepo Letsoara was convicted and sentenced to death in September 1987 while his co-accused were discharged. He was refused leave to appeal his conviction and sentence and was hanged six months later on 18 March 1988.
Ndumiso Silo Siphenuka, age 25, and Makhezwene Menze, age 44, were among eight persons charged with the murder of an elderly farmer and his wife on 17 June 1985 at Kirkwood, Eastern Cape. The court charged that members of the Addo Youth Congress met on 16 June 1985 and decided to launch an attack on the farm the following day. All eight accused were convicted of murder on the basis of common purpose, but extenuating circumstances were found in the case of four due to their young ages, and prison sentences were imposed on them. The remaining four were sentenced to death. Two were later commuted to prison terms. Ndumiso Siphenuka and Makhezwene Menze were hanged on 20 April 1989.
Raymond Welile Gwebushe, age 29, from Jansenville in the Eastern Cape, was charged with the murder of a suspected police informant. On 6 April 1985, a meeting of the Jansenville Youth Congress was held attended by several hundred youths at which a decision was taken to execute the alleged informant. Raymond was convicted of murder without extenuating circumstances and was sentenced to death on 6 June 1986. The State President declined to grant mercy and he was hanged on 19 August 1987.
Mangena Jeffrey Boesman, age 37, was one of eight persons charged with the murder of a school teacher on 19 October 1985 in the town of Sterkstroom, Eastern Cape. A large group attacked the teacher's home as she was defying the longstanding school boycott and was believed to be reporting incidents to the police. Mangena Boesman and two fellow accused were sentenced to death on 21 October 1988 for her murder. His two fellow condemned received a reprieve seven days before their execution. Mangena Boesman was hanged on 29 September 1989. He was the last political prisoner to be executed.
(Statement:Supplied)
