Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
Zimbabwe and South Africa have intensified preparations for the second phase of the exhumation and repatriation of the remains of South African anti-apartheid activists who died in Zimbabwe during the liberation struggle.
In a statement, the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services said Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Ambassador Raphael Tayerera Faranisi had underscored the importance of thorough research and documentation ahead of the exercise.
Ambassador Faranisi made the remarks while delivering welcoming remarks at an inter-ministerial meeting with a visiting South African advance team.
“Ambassador Faranisi underscored the importance of completing outstanding research through scientific and cultural approaches to ensure that all relevant information is gathered and documented ahead of the exercise,” said the statement.
The programme forms part of ongoing co-operation between Zimbabwe and South Africa to facilitate the return of the remains of South African liberation fighters who died in exile in Zimbabwe during the struggle against apartheid.
The first phase of the programme saw Zimbabwe hand over the remains of 16 South African liberation stalwarts in September 2024 who had died in the country during the fight against apartheid.
The handover was part of a broader repatriation initiative through which the remains of 42 South African freedom fighters were returned from Zimbabwe and Zambia.
The exercise is intended to ensure that South Africans who died in exile while participating in the liberation struggle are identified and returned home for dignified burial, while providing closure to their families and preserving the history of the anti-apartheid struggle.
In August this year, President Mnangagwa reaffirmed Zimbabwe’s readiness to facilitate the second phase of the programme, emphasising the need for closer collaboration in preserving the shared liberation history of the two countries.
The programme also complements broader efforts by Zimbabwe and South Africa to strengthen co-operation in the fields of arts, culture and heritage.
Source: Zim, SA intensify anti-Apartheid era repatriations – herald
COMMENTS