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EXILE REPATRIATION PROJECT

In his State of the Nation Address in February 2020, the President of South Africa, His Excellency Mr. Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, made a significant commitment to the nation, particularly to the families of those who lost loved ones in exile, by pledging to exhume and repatriate the mortal remains of prominent liberation struggle figures. These figures include, Advocate Duma Nokwe and Florence Mophosho from Zambia, as well as Basil February from Zimbabwe. This presidential commitment highlighted a comprehensive and inclusive approach to repatriation, aligned with the National Policy on the Repatriation and Restitution of Human Remains and Heritage Objects.

The Repatriation and Restitution Programme has been developed by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA). The adoption and subsequent Cabinet endorsement of the National Policy in 2021 has created an enabling environment for the allocation of necessary resources and the implementation of structured processes. These processes include the identification and exhumation of graves, and the dignified repatriation of the remains of liberation struggle veterans and other individuals who died in exile, both in neighbouring countries and further abroad.

The Implementation Plan adopts a phased, country-to-country approach, beginning with stakeholder consultations at the individual, family, and community levels, and extending to national and international coordination. Each phase culminates in the formal handover, reburial, and memorialisation of the repatriated individuals.

To optimise time and resources, the Plan proposes group repatriations by country rather than individual repatriations. Consequently, the repatriation of Nokwe, Mophosho, and February has been integrated into the first group repatriation efforts from Zambia and Zimbabwe under the Exile Repatriation Project, which marks the official launch of this initiative.

This repatriation programme forms part of a broader national commitment to honour those who sacrificed their lives in the fight for freedom, ensuring that they are returned to their homeland with the dignity and respect they so rightfully deserve. The initiative is being undertaken in close collaboration with regional governments, historians, and affected communities to ensure a respectful and culturally appropriate process.

As South Africa commemorates 30 years of freedom and democracy, the government continues to make significant strides in advancing the Resistance and Liberation Heritage Route project. Central to this initiative is the repatriation of the human remains of liberation heroes and heroines who perished in exile an endeavour firmly grounded in the principles and guidelines of the 2021 National Policy on Repatriation and Restitution of Human Remains and Heritage Objects.