A Special Provincial Funeral is held for Struggle stalwart Madoda Myoli. Pic: Supplied
Cape Town - The mortal remains of yet another Struggle stalwart was laid to rest on home soil following repatriation, an act to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice by facilitating a dignified burial and final resting place in their home country.
A Special Provincial Funeral was held for Struggle stalwart Madoda Myoli, on Saturday.
The process was facilitated by the Western Cape Government, through the department of Cultural Affairs and Sport. The special funeral took place at Khwezi Community Hall in Gugulethu, and the burial at the Welmoed Cemetery, in Eerste River.
Myoli was born in the Bo-Kaap in 1953. However, due to the Group Areas Act enforced by the apartheid government, his family was forcibly relocated to Gugulethu during the 1960s.
He joined the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and in 1979, he left South Africa to join its military wing, the Azanian People’s Liberation Army (APLA).
He was 26 years old when he went into exile and underwent military training for the APLA.
“His analytical mind and persuasive arguments inspired many, and he became known as a revolutionary thinker and freedom fighter,” the department said in a statement.
“His leadership and discipline led to his appointment to APLA’s High Command, where he served as Deputy Chief of Security and Intelligence.”
Myoli passed away in Zimbabwe in 1989. As part of the national Repatriation and Reburial Project for Liberation Stalwarts, Myoli’s mortal remains were handed over to his family by the provincial government during a private ceremony at the SA Sendinggestig Museum on December 11.
The remains of over 40 former freedom fighters who died in exile in Zimbabwe and Zambia were repatriated to South Africa on September 25, and an official homecoming ceremony was held on September 27, at Freedom Park, in Pretoria. Department spokesperson, Tania Colyn, said there have been three handovers that have since taken place in the Western Cape.
These are for the remains of Basil February, Bethuel Tamana, and Myoli.
“These were the only three stalwarts who hailed from the Western Cape in this phase of this programme, which is an initiative by the National department (provinces coordinate the handover and reburial for stalwarts who were born in their respective province),” Colyn said.
“This is a very important process as it brings closure and healing to the families of these stalwarts who died while fighting for freedom in our country. The families can now bury the remains of their loved ones in their chosen way, which ensures a dignified reburial which is in line with the family’s traditions.”
The project is a multi-departmental collaboration involving the Presidency, the National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, the South African Heritage Resources Agency, the Department of Home Affairs, the National Prosecuting Authority's Missing Persons Task Team, the Department of Defence and Military Veterans, and various provinces, as well as working closely with the families, historical experts and governments to ensure a smooth and dignified process.
shakirah.thebus@inl.co.za
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