26 July 2001
The General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP), Blade Nzimande and the Deputy President of the African National Congress (ANC), Jacob Zuma will lead a wreath laying ceremony at the grave of the late Communist Party leader, Johannes Nkosi as detailed below.
This ceremony has been made possible by workers at the Stellawood Cemetery who helped the SACP identify his grave. The grave was not numbered or recorded anywhere in official books. When the SACP enquired about this grave from the workers, the workers led the SACP to a gravestone simply marked Johannes Nkosi working class leader.
This ceremony will be part of the National 80th Anniversary celebrations. The day's programme include the following:
Paying condolences at the home of the late Harry Gwala in Pietermaritzburg Laying of wreaths at the grave of George Naicker in Mobeni Cemetery Messages of support from:
Born in 1905, farm labourer and kitchen boy at different times, Comrade Nkosi ended an illustrious and short political life when he was murdered by the police during Dingaan's Day protests against pass laws on 16 December 1930. This was at the stairs of the Durban City Hall.
At a subsequent inquest, seven witnesses testified that they had seen the chief constable shoot Nkosi, who was arrested and then stabbed and beaten to death by the police. No police officer was ever tried or punished for this bloody crime.
Nkosi was already a seasoned veteran of the trade union movement and the worker's struggle when he joined the Communist Party at the tender age of 21 in 1926. Already, at the age of 19 he had taken part in a strike against pass laws. A thousand Africans must take the place of Nkosi. Let his cowardly murderers know that the African giant is awakening and nothing will stop his progress. Long live the name of Nkosi. Long live a free Africa, declared a Communist Party tribute to Nkosi. Indeed, a thousand African communists replaced Nkosi and took his work forward towards a free Africa.
CONTACT
Smiso Nkwanyana
SACP KwaZulu Natal Provincial Secretary
Cell: 082 468 7184
OR
Mazibuko K. Jara
Department of Media, Information and Publicity
South African Communist Party
Tel: 011 339 3621
Fax: 011 339 4244
Cell: 083 651 0271
Email: sacp1@wn.apc.org