Sun May 19 20:19:24 SAST 2013
Sun May 19 20:19:24 SAST 2013

Family's shock to find brother's remains

Jul 16, 2012 | Boitumelo Tshehle North West Correspondent | 123 comments

THE family of ANC Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) cadres who died in a combat with apartheid forces in 1978 said they still cannot believe that they lived for 34 years not knowing that their brother's remains were buried "just next to them".

HEARTBROKEN: Family members of MK cadres are comforted as bodies of their relatives are exhumed at the Old Mmabatho Cemetery in Mahikeng on Friday.

Bheki Hlatshwayo, alias MK Bismarch of Mahikeng, and another combatant, Vuyani Goniwe, alias MK Jorrissen of Alice in Eastern Cape, formed part of a unit that skipped the country to join MK.

In October 1978 they left Lusaka and crossed into South Africa over the Botswana border.

They entered Masutlhe village outside Mahikeng, North West. They were camped on a farm under an acacia tree when they suddenly heard helicopters hovering above them. They were fatally shot.

A fellow unit member, Tladitsaga Molefe, alias MK Ncosi, was shot in the leg and captured the following day.

He was later charged in the Pietermaritzburg treason trial and imprisoned on Robben Island.

The skeletal remains of Hlatshwayo and Goniwe were squeezed into one coffin and buried in an unmarked grave at the old Mmabatho Cemetery.

Their remains were exhumed on Friday in Mahikeng after a long search.

Hlatshwayo's sister, Sarafina Hlatshwayo of Tloung village in Mahikeng, said she could not believe that for the past 34 years her brother was buried where she lived.

She said the search for her brother was painful but now she was relieved.

She said in 1994 she went to Luthuli House (known as Shell House) and was told that his brother died in South Africa. In March 2011 she received the shocking news that her brother was buried in Mahikeng.

The family, with the help of the police and National Prosecuting Authority, found the grave in April this year. About 10 graves had to be excavated in search of the two.

North West provincial spokesman Lesiba Kgwele said forensic experts had conducted DNA tests to determine the identities of the two as their remains were fragmented by an explosion.

Comments

Sun May 19 20:19:24 SAST 2013 ::
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Jul 16, 2012

Mdala

And some people want us to forget about the horrible things apartheid regime did during their evil reign, please pass me for that never ver.
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Jul 16, 2012

Mdala

ver = ever
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Jul 16, 2012

maneater

LEST WE FORGET!!!
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Jul 16, 2012

Flemza

I truely believe they shouldn`y have been reconcilation with these racist I have a strong feeling that someone in the leadership of ANC sold the souls of majority of Black Africans in this country for the sake of getting famous on the expense of our survoring souls , how can after 34 years the family just knew about the remains of there beloved one just now , and yet we have reconciled with the people who knoew all along where the remains are , I feel someone in the ANC leadership during 1994 sold our innocent souls to the devil
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Jul 16, 2012

Sgandy

Sad they died for that freedom that only a few corrupt are enjoying now..many of their colleagues are jobless and forgotten..to add to that I believe such should have been some of the reasons the ANC shouldn't have agreed to the NNP merger but votes are more important..this is not what these people and may more died for.
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Jul 16, 2012

Mdala

Yep! the day Nelson Rholihlahla Mandela signed that dirty Codesa sh!t is the day he sold many souls of poor South Africans, look now the majority of whites (and few dark!z) are still eating cheese while many dark souls are dying of hunger.
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Jul 16, 2012

MGEEZ

@Mdala
And some people want us to forget about the horrible things apartheid regime did during their evil reign, please pass me for that never ver.
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My brother; if we do not forgive; we will be consumed by hatred, which will degenerate into bitterness and this can easily cause cancer. Whilst I agree with you that we may never forget our past as long as we live (those of us who went through Apartheid); however I think it is important for our sakes and for that of our children; otherwise as I said; this type of information can easily ignite war in this country; hence forgiveness is important!!!
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Jul 16, 2012

WakeUpSouthAfrica

Mdala - The alternative would have been fullscale war. And at the time SADF was considered the best in the world. Its 1st tier special unit was considered the most elite in the world.

Anyways, you are blaming CODESA, when you should be blaming ANC. Doesnt matter if CODESA went any other way. The end results would have been the same. With the corrupt and incompetent ANC cadres munching while the people struggle.
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Jul 16, 2012

Mellow

@Mdala you either choose to forgive and move on or dont and you wont be doing anyone a favor truth is those who fought so hard for the freedom in that era are long gone and as much as they fought for the freedom we so claim we have today they died with it thanks to your anc they are making sure of it so much corruption so if you wanna feed your soul on apartheid oohh brother go ahead knock yourself out


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Jul 16, 2012

malemaforpresident

Another reason why i hate white people
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