The high profile residents of Westpark Cemetery

Friends of Johannesburg Cemeteries (FOJC) founder Sarah Welham shared with us a few of the high profile residents of Westpark Cemetery, including Nkosi Johnson, Ahmed Kathrada, and Ronald Malindi.

February 10, 2025

Neo Phashe 1 minute read

Pierrie Fourie: As mentioned by Supersport, this boxer was without a doubt one of the best fighters to come out of South Africa. Fourie opened a gym in Mayfair in September 1977 and trained eight professional boxers. In 1980 he was involved in a fatal crash and was buried on what would have been his 37th birthday.

Found lying beneath Westpark Cemetery’s rich soil is the rich history that has laid the foundation of our country’s past. The cemetery serves not only as the final resting place of our beloved families, but also to some of the country’s most notable people, whose activism, talents, sports, and hard work helped make this country what it is today.

Friends of Johannesburg Cemeteries (FOJC) founder Sarah Welham said there is a specific ‘high profile’ area found on the right hand side of the main drive as you enter the cemetery, and it is divided into sections for sportsmen, political activists, entertainers, and politicians. There, one will find many well known names, such as: Aids activist Nkosi Johnson, Ahmed Kathrada, Ronald Malindi, bantamweight champion boxer who was shot in Westbury, and the children of Walter Sisulu, to name a few of the prolific buried there. Welham added that this section is also popularly known for all it’s elaborate and colourful headstones.

Also read: Heartbreak as ash walls desecrated again in Braamfontein Cemetery

Though there are many notable people found at the cemetery, here are a few that Welham shared with us: