The family of anti-apartheid struggle stalwart and student activist Nokuthula Simelane has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s pledge to stand by them until the truth about the 23-year-old’s disappearance is uncovered, her remains are found and those responsible are held to account.
Ramaphosa delivered the inaugural Nokuthula Simelane Memorial Lecture at the University of Mpumalanga on Thursday afternoon.
Nokuthula was abducted, tortured and forcibly disappeared by members of the Security Branch of the South African Police in 1983.
“To the Simelane family, our pledge remains: we will not abandon the search for the truth and what happened to Nokuthula.
“We will not rest until she can be laid to rest, until those responsible are held to account,” pledged Ramaphosa.
The President’s pledge came as the Simelane family, including Nokuthula’s mother, sister and uncle, gathered for an occasion that sought not only to remember a young woman who gave her life to the liberation struggle, but also to ensure that her disappearance remains a national question.
Ramaphosa also pledged his support to the Khampepe Commission, which he appointed to investigate alleged political interference in apartheid-era Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) cases.
He highlighted that the country owes the Simelane family nothing less than the full truth about what happened to their daughter.
“We will stand by this commission until the truth is told.
“Without justice, there can be no lasting peace.
“We owe the Simelane family and every family still waiting for a grave to visit nothing less than the whole truth,” added Ramaphosa.
Meanwhile, Nokuthula’s younger sister and current Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane told YOU FM Newshour that the family was encouraged and comforted by the President’s commitment.
“It’s a sense of comfort, but what I have emphasised in my message is that Nokuthula was not the only one.
“I made an example about the Ladybrand Four, who were abducted by the Security Branch of the Free State at the border of Lesotho, and they also have never been found and their remains reburied by their loved ones.
“So, I accept the commitment to translate it that it is not solely about Nokuthula, but about many of her comrades whose whereabouts to date remain a mystery,” said Thembi.
She also commended the President for his commitment to supporting the Khampepe Commission.
“We are looking forward to the inquiry concluding, and we are hopeful that it will shed light.
“But remember, the inquiry’s establishment is not about finding a grave for Nokuthula, it is not about finding the real details of what happened to Steve Biko, the Cradock Four, Matthew Mabalane, Caiphus Nyoka and many others,” remarked Thembi.
The memorial lecture also marked the launch of the Nokuthula Simelane Foundation and the Nokuthula Simelane Centre for Gender and Intersectional Studies at the University of Mpumalanga.
The initiatives are intended to ensure that Nokuthula’s name lives on beyond commemoration.
