The remains of 42 South African freedom fighters who died while exiled in Zimbabwe and Zambia during the apartheid era arrived in the country on Wednesday.
The remains were received by government officials and family members at Waterkloof Air Force Base.
This repatriation is part of a government program to bring closure to families whose loved ones died away from home while serving in underground structures of the African National Congress (ANC) and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC).
Many activists left South Africa to receive military training or avoid arrest by the apartheid regime.
Zimbabwe and Zambia became strongholds for anti-apartheid movements, with the ANC’s headquarters in Lusaka.
The remains returned include those of prominent figures like Duma Nokwe, Florence Mophosho, and Basil February.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile said the repatriation aims to teach future generations about the struggle against apartheid.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to host a homecoming ceremony on Friday, followed by reburials across the country.
The government plans to repatriate remains from other countries like Lesotho, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Angola, Russia, and more.