JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- South Africa will receive the remains of 49 former liberation fighters who opposed Apartheid and passed away in exile in Zimbabwe and Zambia on Wednesday, the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) announced on Monday.
The GCIS said the government will host an official homecoming ceremony on Friday at Freedom Park in Pretoria, the administrative capital, to mark the return of the liberation fighters to their homeland.
Reburial ceremonies will be held in the provinces of their birth, ensuring they are laid to rest with the dignity and respect they deserve, according to a statement from the GCIS.
"South Africa remains forever indebted to the heroes of its liberation struggle, and this initiative represents a significant milestone in honoring their legacy and contribution to 30 years of freedom and democracy," the statement read.
Apartheid (1948 to 1994) in South Africa was a system of racial segregation enforced by the all-white government, which required the non-white majority to live in separate areas, use separate public facilities, and have limited contact with the white population. Liberation fighters who opposed the regime faced brutal crackdowns, with many fleeing into exile in various African countries to escape persecution during the Apartheid era. ■