Simelane statue vandalised again
The police did not comment at time of going to press.
BETHAL – The Nokuthula Orela Simelane statue in the memorial square has been vandalised many times over the years.
This time, vandals threw paint over it.
It is the third time that this statue has been vandalised.
Residents are furious and want to know why vandals want to break down history.
“Nokuthula Simelane was one of those who had made personal and courageous sacrifices,” a resident said.
Nokuthula was born in 1960 in eMzinoni Township and she graduated on 15 October 1983 at the University of Swaziland with a Bachelor’s Degree in Administration (B.Admin) in Social Sciences majoring in public administration.
While studying at the University of Swaziland, she joined uMKhonto we Sizwe (MK) as a courier server and became an activist in Swaziland for the ANC.
Her parents suspected that she was working underground for the ANC when correspondence was delivered at her uncle’s place in Swaziland.
Concurrent with that, were regular and random visits to her uncle’s place by the special branch, questioning Nokuthula’s whereabouts and linkage with the ANC.
She was called to a meeting on 10 September 1983 that was arranged in the underground parking of the Carlton Centre in Central Johannesburg.
She was there to meet an undercover Special Branch police officer whose real name was Mr Norman Khoza, but commonly known as Scotch.
He was sent on a mission to kidnap her.
Nokuthula was arrested and transported to Norwood where she was tortured and forced to reveal the nature of her relationship with the ANC, including the work she was doing for the ANC and key figures of ANC operatives in Swaziland.
She was later moved to a farm believed to be Vlakplaas in the northern district of the North West Province where she was tortured by numerous police operatives until she died.
After two years in 1985 of tirelessly searching for her or her remains, her family approached the media in search of their daughter.
The family sent her pictures to newspapers and she was identified by a policeman who kept guard of Nokuthula at Vlakplaas Police Station.
The policeman pointed out that the last time he saw Simelane, she was in a poor state as she had been brutally assaulted and as a result she became ill.
Her missing person’s case was re-opened under the investigating officer, Mr Neville Toms.
The case was investigated exhaustively, however nothing came out of the case as Nokuthula’s remains were not found.
The police did not comment after numerous attempts.
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