Executed Poqo members commemorated in four-day celebrations
They were just four of the 3 000 arrested for crimes against the government.
The Pan African Congress (PAC) commemorated four of its legendary freedom fighters on Wednesday, 15 August, nearly 55 years after they were sentenced to death for killing a detective in Munsieville.
The four-day celebrations and commemorations started on Monday, 13 August with their families coming together in Pretoria. On Tuesday the attendees performed family rituals at the Mamelodi Cemetery where the four were buried. They also had a tour of Freedom Park and inspected the Wall of Names. They were given the opportunity to perform their final family rituals at the Gallows Museum at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre. On the last day the families went to the North West, Eastern and Western Cape families to finish their tour.
Photo: Submitted.
• More about the four PAC members
On 1 October 1963 the four members were found guilty of killing a Black Special Branch detective, Johannes Mokoena in Munsieville earlier that year. They had shot him and after the Appellate Division dismissed their appeal for lighter sentences, they were sent to death row. The four who were found guilty were Richard Matsapahae, 23, Josia Mocumi, 40, Thomas Molatblegi, 31, and Petrus Mtshole, 22.
They were hung, side by side on the gallows at Pretoria Prison on 16 June 1964 and were buried the same day. Their families were not permitted to attend their burials.
The four were members of Poqo, the armed wing of the PAC and were among the more than 3 000 members who were arrested and part of the 124 accused of murder. Forty people were sentenced to death in the 60s for crimes against the government and for murder. In a research paper, Madeleine Fullard of the National Prosecuting Authority’s Missing Persons Task Team, said the bulk of Poqo activity that resulted in trials and death sentences took place in the Transkei (24 hangings) and in the Cape (27 hangings) with some overlap between the two, and two unconfirmed incidents in the Transvaal that led to 10 hangings. Most incidents took place in 1962.
Photo: Submitted.
The ANC regarded the Poqo efforts as misguided and doomed, she said.
Aside from a handful of cases that received campaign focus, most of the executions took place in a largely anonymous fashion and most of those executed may never acquire the legendary status of others who suffered other severe forms of state repression in this period, such as the Rivonia triallists.
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