Re-naming Stanger Hospital to honour struggle hero

In the spirit of honouring the memory of a struggle stalwart from Groutville, Stanger Hospital is set to be renamed.

The plan, which was on the cards for a few years, was announced last week by KwaDukuza mayor Ricardo Mthembu, where he confirmed that Stanger Hospital will soon be called General Gizenga Mpanza Hospital.

The official renaming is set to take place on April 25, following a visit from the Health MEC on April 5 to carry out the final stages of the public participation process.

“A delegation from the municipality and the hospital board will visit the Mpanza family to inform them of the processes that have been undertaken by council. A public hearing will then take place on April 5 at the KwaDukuza Town Hall, which will be presided over by the MEC of health who wishes to hear for himself that the community is in agreement with the renaming of the hospital.

“On April 25, we will hold the renaming event at Shakaville sports field, in a KwaDukuza township,” said Mthembu.

Justice “Gizenga” Mpanza was born on 5 September 1937 at Groutville Mission Reserve. His father was one of Chief Luthuli’s indunas (advisors). Mpanza went to school at Groutville until Standard six.

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He joined the ANC in 1952 during the defiance campaign and was in the first group to be trained as Umkhonto weSizwe combatants in Russia.

Mthembu said it was important that Mpanza’s sacrifices were acknowledged.

“Our comrade was captured and taken to Botswana during apartheid and was detained for 13 months for supplying a false name. He was released to Zambia in 1968. Mpanza was again arrested in 1972 and was sentenced to serve 15 years on Robben Island after he was charged with terrorism.

“He was released in June 1988 and returned to carry out activities for the ANC under the banner of the United Democratic Front. Mpanza served in the ANC as a KwaDukuza councillor in 1995 and was reelected in the year 2000 to serve in the Ilembe district council as well as the regional executive committee in KwaDukuza. The struggle hero died in July 2002.

“Through pivotal steps of the name change, I am confident that we are passing on an important piece of history to our children and preserving the legacy of an undisputed stalwart,” said Mthembu.

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