SA Exile Repatriation Project moves to Angola phase

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has announced the Angola phase of the Exile Repatriation Project, a significant step towards restoring dignity to South Africans who lost their lives during the liberation struggle. The department, in collaboration with government and heritage partners, recently briefed affected families at the Freedom Park Heritage Site & Museum in Pretoria ahead of their upcoming visit to Angola.

Approximately 53 families are set to travel to Angola on Thursday to assist in the repatriation of the remains of liberation struggle activists who perished in exile, as part of a government-led initiative. Deputy Director at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Thapelo Mokushane, explained that local demands prompted the department to expand its mission over the past two decades.

He stated that while they had been working with the missing persons task team to exhume remains within the country in line with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) recommendations, families also expressed their desire for their loved ones who died in exile to be brought back home. As such, the Department of Justice is assisting in familiarising and mobilising the affected families for the repatriation process.