/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

The family of struggle stalwart and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) veteran, Dr. Mark Shinners, is deeply saddened to announce his untimely passing on 27 February 2025.

Dr. Shinners became politically active as a teenager, joining the PAC shortly after the anti-pass campaign, which led to the Sharpeville and Langa massacres.

In 1963, at the age of 18, he was arrested alongside notable figures such as Retired Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke, the late Isaac Mafatshe, and Jeff Masemola. Shinners was convicted and sentenced to 10 years on Robben Island.

While incarcerated, Shinners played a vital role in tutoring fellow prisoners in literacy, a task that brought him immense pride. Through this, he empowered his fellow prisoners with the ability to correspond with their loved ones back home.

Shinners was released from prison in July 1973 after serving his full sentence. His time on Robben Island, witnessing the plight of his fellow Pan Africanists serving life sentences, reinforced his resolve to continue the struggle for liberation.

He worked under the leadership of the late PAC President, Zeph Mothopeng, engaging in various underground operations. One of these led to the mobilisation of students in Soweto to protest the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in African schools, which resulted in the June 1976 Student Uprisings.

This activism led to Shinners' arrest, along with Mothopeng, and their subsequent trial as part of the infamous Bethal Treason Trial, where they were convicted for their role in initiating and promoting the June 1976 uprisings. Shinners was sentenced to a second prison term on Robben Island.

During his second incarceration, Shinners continued to empower fellow prisoners, notably through the establishment of the Makana Football League. He was conferred an Honorary Doctorate at De Montford University in the United Kingdom in recognition of this legacy.

Following his release from prison in 1990 Shinners remained a committed revolutionary, representing the PAC at the Congress for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA). He played a pivotal role in the negotiations that led to South Africa's first democratic constitution.

Dr. Mark Shinners will be laid to rest on Friday, 7 March 2025. His funeral service will be held at Freedom Park in Pretoria from 08:00.

Issued by M-Sports Marketing on behalf of the Shinners Family