Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi said on Friday the reburial of Apartheid-era activists Benjamin Malesella Moloise and Abram Zakhele Mngomezulu marked an important milestone in South Africa’s journey towards healing, justice, and reconciliation.

Kubayi will, on Saturday, at the Orlando Communal Hall in Soweto preside over the handover and reburial ceremony of the exhumed remains of the political activists who were hanged on death row.

Spokesperson to the Minister Terrence Manase explained that between 1960 and 1990, at least 130 individuals were executed on death row for politically motivated offences.

Moloise, an African National Congress (ANC) activist, was convicted in 1983 and executed in 1985 for the alleged assassination of a security policeman in 1982. Moloise denied any involvement, claiming his confession was made under duress. The ANC consistently maintained his innocence.

Mngomezulu, also an ANC activist, was executed on May 25, 1989 after being convicted for the 1987 murder of Mandla Khoza during a rent boycott protest in Soweto. He was sentenced to death, while four teenage co-accused received prison terms ranging from eight to fifteen years.

Manase said, at the time, the State withheld their remains, denying families the opportunity to mourn and bury their loved ones.

“…these individuals were interred as paupers in cemeteries around Tshwane, without the knowledge or consent of their families,” he said.

He said the upcoming ceremony will formally return the remains to their families, offering “long-overdue closure and recognition of the ultimate sacrifices made in the struggle for freedom”.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development said it was committed to advancing justice, fostering national healing, and preserving the dignity of those who died in the fight against Apartheid.