GRAAFF-REINET, August (ANA) - Leaders of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania and members of the security forces had their work cut out as they tried to quell the disruptions at anti-apartheid activist Zondeni Veronica Sobukwe's funeral in Graaff-Reinet in the Eastern Cape on Saturday.
Members of the PAC disrupted the official funeral programme as they disagreed with some of the protocols.
The official programme was cut short due to the continued disruptions. Deputy President David Mabuza left the venue without delivering his eulogy due to chaos inside the venue.
Disruption ensued when Sobukwe's coffin arrived at the Graaff-Reinet Botanical Gardens where the funeral was held. Sobukwe was granted a category two state funeral by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Inside the venue, police took over the official duties, such as carrying Sobukwe's coffin inside. The first disruptions occurred when PAC members, some of them in military gear, sang PAC struggle songs during the police parade. They then forced their way inside the funeral venue and demanded to replace state branding with party branding.
Chaos continued inside the large tent as some PAC members refused to allow programme director Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to conduct proceedings. PAC leaders, including veterans of its armed wing the Azanian People's Liberation Army (APLA), tried in vain to address the crowd and call them to order.
Changes were made to accommodate some of their demands. PAC branding was allowed inside the venue. The leader of a PAC faction, Luthando Mbinda, announced changes made to accommodate some of the demands and asked those present to accept the role of the state.
Narius Moloto, who leads another PAC faction, received a hostile reception and eventually left the venue due to the endless chaos. "This is the work of a cult inside the PAC. The state has granted this funeral category two status, but it appears some want to disrupt that," Moloto said.
The official programme was curtailed and proceedings were handed over to the PAC.
Speaking to the African News Agency (ANA) after the incident, Moloto said this was the work of the hooligans who came to disrupt the funeral.
"In PAC there are hooligans; this incident is the work of the hooligans who came here for the purpose of disrupting the moment where we should be paying our last respects," Moloto said.
Sobukwe, the widow of PAC founder Robert Sobukwe, died at the age of 91 at her home in Graaff-Reinet last Wednesday.
- African News Agency (ANA)
