Pretoria - Rebecca Kotane sat small and resolute in her wheelchair in the front row of the hangar at Waterkloof Airbase on Sunday morning, surrounded by her children, grandchildren and family as she listened to tributes to her late husband Moses, whose remains had arrived from Russia 36 years after he was buried there.
The 103-year-old widow listened as President Jacob Zuma spoke of the role her husband had played in the formation of international mechanisms to fight oppression in South Africa, and how he, with activist John Marks, had helped to mould other heroes and produce the likes of Nelson Mandela.
Zuma said: “They played a fundamental role and shaped the political thinking of many cadres and leaders of the struggle and the alliance. They also shaped the thinking of policies and the revolution, and Mandela is a product of these two,” the president said.
At the airbase on Sunday were cabinet ministers, ambassadors and others from the diplomatic corps, supporters and a large number of members of the SACP, an organisation of which the two were leaders.
Kotane and her three surviving children joined the Marks families to receive the remains of the men who both died and were buried in Moscow, in what was then the USSR.
Marks died in 1972, aged 69, after a year-long illness, while Kotane died in 1978 while undergoing treatment for a stroke. He was 73.
Their bodies were repatriated from Russia after intense discussions with both families and the Russian government.
“Our discussions with Mam’ Rebecca were long, and satisfaction came on the day she agreed to have him brought back home.” Zuma said on Sunday.
According to her son Sam, his mother had initially refused to allow his remains to be brought back to South Africa because her husband had told her he wanted to be buried in the land where he died, because that land would be part of the cause for which he fought.
It had taken many discussions to convince her that bringing him home was right, he said, adding that when his mother and the rest of the family received the remains at the airbase on Sunday morning, it had been an emotional moment.
Zuma paid tribute to the Russian government for their treatment of both men, and their hand in fighting oppression in South Africa.
He said they had become friends of the country when they took up the fight and had provided support.
They had given academic training, producing doctors, and provided food.
“They cared for our people in life, and buried them on their land after death. And all for free, with no strings attached.”
The two men were buried in Moscow’s Novodevichy cemetery, which Minister for Arts and Culture Nathi Mthetwa said was reserved for high-profile people.
Zuma thanked both families for being part of the process of repatriating the remains of heroes who had died outside the country.
“We say to our heroes: you are welcome home. You will now rest in peace in the land of your fore-fathers,” he said to loud applause.
Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe explained that the two would be given state funerals in their respective hometowns in the North West; Kotane being buried on March 14 and Marks on March 22.
Pretoria News