Special Provincial funeral to be held for struggle stalwart Bethuel Tamana

On Sunday, 8 December 2024, the Western Cape Government, through the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, will facilitate a Special Provincial Funeral to lay the mortal remains of struggle stalwart Bethuel Tamana to rest. 

Bethuel was born in Retreat, Cape Town, in 1937. In 1962, he left South Africa and joined Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), operating under the alias Joseph Zame during his time in exile. 

A member of the Luthuli Detachment, Bethuel and some of his fellow combatants were captured and subsequently sentenced to death. The sentences were subsequently commuted to imprisonment. Bethuel spent over ten years in Khami prison in Bulawayo. In 1980 he was released with other political prisoners as Zimbabwe became independent following the fall of Ian Smith’s oppressive regime. Sadly, due to the prevailing political conditions at the time, those who were freed could not return to South Africa. His courage and dedication to the liberation struggle, however, stand as a testament to his commitment to the cause of freedom.

On 29 November 2024, the mortal remains of Bethuel Tamana were handed over to his family by the provincial government at a private ceremony at the St Georges Cathedral. This followed the successful repatriation of his remains from Lusaka, Zambia, as part of a national initiative to return the mortal remains of South African liberation stalwarts to their families and communities. As part of the Repatriation and Reburial Project for Liberation Stalwarts, his family can now lay him to rest on home soil. 

This is a collaborative initiative involving The Presidency, the National Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), the Department of Home Affairs, the National Prosecuting Authority's Missing Persons Task Team, the Department of Defence and Military Veterans, and various provinces. The project works in close partnership with families, historical experts, and governments at multiple levels to ensure a dignified process.
 

Event details:
Date: Sunday, 8 December 2024
Venues and times:
06:30 – At the family home: 58 Galela street, Makhaza, Khayelitsha  
08:00 – Gugulethu Sport Complex, 373 Steve Biko Drive, Gugulethu, Cape Town
After formal programme – depart to gravesite: Welmoed Cemetery, Van Riebeeck Road, Eerste River

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