Together with Reginald ‘Jaja’ Sefatsa, Moses Deniso, Theresa Ramashamola, Duma Khumalo and Don Mohesi, Mokoena was arrested
as part of the Sharpeville six in 1984. They were accused of having killed the then deputy major of Sharpeville, Kuzwayo Jacob Dlamini during the rent boycott protests. On December 10, 1985 they were found guilty and sentenced to death. On December 13 the group starterd serving their sentence at the Pretoria Maximum Prison (now Kgosi Mampuru Maximum), December 13 is also Mokoena’s birthday. On 13 December 1991, Mokoena was released from prison. He feels that the government has neglected them and that history is being distorted.
“You know when this month comes my heart becomes sore because our history seems to have been forgotten. The government seems to have forgotten what we were fighting for. Our history (Sharpeville six) is not told, particularly to the young ones. They need to be taught what we were fighting for, they need to be told their history and they particularly need to know who we are and what we stood for, said Mokoena. Mokoena celebrates his 57th birthday this Friday, December 13. He and Sefatsa are the only surviving members of the group.
“All that we want is for the local, provincial and national governments to recognise us, they need to recognise what we fought for. Our grandchildren and their children must not forget our history.”