Pretoria - “We don’t feel hate for the white man, we are just deeply disappointed at how inhumane they treated to our forefathers.”
This was the heart-warming statement made by Victoria Mangesi, daughter of PAC struggle stalwart, Joseph Mqhitsane, who was hanged at 28 for fighting against the apartheid regime.
The 65-year-old said it was useless to feel hate because it was going to do nothing for them. She and her sibling Ntombizanele Mangesi, 59, were disappointed by the way their father died.
Their father’s body was one of the eight bodies from PAC armed wing, Poqo that were exhumed at Mamelodi West cemetery on Tuesday afternoon.
Picture: Sakhile Ndlazi
After their execution, their bodies became the property of the State and were buried in unmarked graves, which were never revealed to the families.
The families will also be taken on a visit to the Gallows on Wednesday.
Picture: Sakhile Ndlazi
The TRC Unit in the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development together with the Missing Persons Task Team in the National Prosecuting Authority conducted the exhumation. The initiative was started in 2016 and so far 46 bodies out of 120 have been exhumed.
PAC national secretary of the youth, Thapelo Matsena said the exhumations are significant for the liberation movement.
"They are being released from prison, because when you are sentenced to death, you are a prisoner, even in the grave."
"We will never find closure as a liberation movement and as soldiers, there will be no peace without the return of those bodies."