ANC, govt intensify Angola repatriation drive to bring late freedom fighters home
The government and the African National Congress (ANC) have intensified efforts to repatriate the remains of South African freedom fighters who died in exile in Angola, in what has been described as both a historic and deeply emotional programme aimed at restoring dignity and closure to affected families.
Today, on behalf of the ANC, the Secretary General Fikile Mbalula participated in a media briefing on the Angola Repatriation process undertaken by the Government of South Africa. This briefing reaffirms government’s collective commitment to ensuring that the repatriation process… pic.twitter.com/ZbJ1hbKCf5
— ANC - African National Congress (@MYANC) July 31, 2026
The update was delivered during a high-level media briefing at Freedom Park in Pretoria, where ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula and Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Andries Nel outlined the scope, challenges and significance of the Angola phase of the Exile Repatriation Programme.
'UNFINISHED WORK' OF THE LIBERATION STRUGGLE
Mbalula framed the initiative as part of the ANC’s ongoing responsibility to those who left South Africa to fight apartheid but never returned.
"Today we continue, in earnest, the work of bringing home the sons and daughters of South Africa who marched into exile and who never returned."
He said the programme is not only about the physical return of remains, but also about restoring dignity and acknowledging the sacrifices made during the struggle.
"Did our combatants die in vain? We answer, without hesitation, that they did not. Their blood nourished the tree that bore the fruits of our freedom."
GROUNDED IN TRC RECOMMENDATIONS
Nel emphasised that the programme stems directly from the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which called on government to trace and account for those who disappeared between 1960 and 1994.
The Commission recommended that government continue tracing people who disappeared in political circumstances between 1960 and 1994, including those who died in exile.
He said the work is part of a broader constitutional obligation to “honour those who suffered for justice and freedom” and to help heal the divisions of the past.
The programme is coordinated across several institutions, including the National Prosecuting Authority’s Missing Persons Task Team, which conducts forensic investigations, and the TRC Unit, which works directly with families.
HUNDREDS BELIEVED BURIED IN ANGOLA
The Angola phase focuses on South Africans who died in exile between 1976 and 1992, many of them members of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the ANC’s former armed wing.
Officials estimate that between 300 and 400 MK combatants died in Angola during this period, with burial sites spread across multiple regions, including Luanda, Malanje, Quibaxe and Benguela.
A preliminary mission in 2025 identified at least 89 potential grave sites for excavation, though authorities believe there may be many more.
DIFFICULT AND SENTATIVE RECOVERY PROCESS
The process of locating and recovering remains is expected to be complex and, in some cases, impossible.
Burial sites vary widely—from formal cemeteries to abandoned camps and unmarked graves in remote areas. Some sites have become overgrown, while others may still contain landmines.
Burial sites include municipal and village cemeteries, former ANC training camps, battle sites and informal field graves.
Officials warned that incomplete records and the passage of time mean not all remains will be recovered.
Current assessments indicate that between 30% and 50% of the deceased may be recoverable.
In cases where remains cannot be located, symbolic or spiritual repatriations will be conducted to provide families with a sense of closure.
FAMILIES AT THE CENTR EOF THE PROGRAMME
Both Mbalula and Nel stressed that families are central to the success of the initiative. Authorities are currently tracing relatives and collecting DNA samples to assist in identifying remains.
"We appeal today to every family who lost a relative in Angola… to come forward through the platforms government has put in place. Nothing in this process can proceed without you," Mbalula said.
Families will also be given opportunities to travel to Angola to participate in pre-exhumation visits and perform cultural or spiritual rituals at key sites linked to their loved ones.
STRUCTURED, MULTI-PHASE APPROACH
The repatriation programme follows a six-phase process: compiling lists of the deceased, mapping graves, exhumation, forensic identification, repatriation and reburial, and finally memorialisation.
DNA analysis is expected to play a critical role, particularly in cases where records are incomplete or remains are difficult to identify.
The Angola phase builds on earlier successes of the Exile Repatriation Programme. To date, the Missing Persons Task Team has recovered the remains of more than 230 people linked to apartheid-era political conflict.
In addition, 49 remains have been repatriated from countries such as Zambia and Zimbabwe, while more than 200 individuals have already been reburied in South Africa.
NEXT STEPS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Exhumations in Angola are expected to begin between September and October 2026, pending final approvals from Angolan authorities.
The process will be carried out in partnership with the Angolan government, reflecting long-standing ties between the two countries dating back to the liberation struggle.
Nel emphasised that the work will be conducted with sensitivity and respect.
"Repatriation will take place only after South African status and, wherever possible, individual identity have been confirmed."
A step toward healing.
