Mchunu calls for Commission of Enquiry over mass graves

Speaking at the site where the graves were discovered, Mchunu said the task team established to investigate the matter was still trying to identify the skeletal remains of about 100 people believed to have been Apartheid-era prison labourers who worked on the farm in the 1960s and 1970s.

“At this stage, we do not know the identities of those remains. We do not know their causes of death … even in death, one has a right to identity and to be laid to rest in dignity,” Mchunu said.

The graves were discovered at Glenroy Farm in August last year, while the decision to set up the task team comprising the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the department of home affairs and other institutions was made during an Executive Council meeting held earlier this month.

Mchunu also appealed to those who might have knowledge of the conditions of the workers at the time to openly engage on the matter.

“This will help to shed light on what could have transpired, but also help our nation to move forward and heal as we seek closure to our painful past,” he said.

Mchunu added identifying the remains and locating their next-of-kin would not be easy and appealed for patience and cooperation from the agencies involved.

– Caxton News Service