PAC welcomes cadre Jako’s remains home

THE Pan Africanist Congress of Azania will be welcoming the return of the remains of its former Poqo/APLA commander and combatant, M’Afrika Nkululeko Jako, who died and was buried in England in 1985.

The remains landed at East London Airport yesterday, accompanied by the MEC of Sport, Recreation Arts and Culture in the Eastern Cape, Pemmy Majodina at 4.30pm.

Cde Jako was crucial in establishing Poqo and PAC underground cells in the early 1960s operating in Cape Town, on the border and the then Transkei region.

He evaded arrest and eventually skipped the country to receive military training in 1963. He was among the first group of APLA soldiers to receive military training in the People’s Republic of China.

He subsequently served in the High Command of APLA and in the PAC as head of security.

Poor health caused the PAC to deploy him to diplomatic duties and he was responsible for establishing many PAC diplomatic offices in west Africa and in Europe. He eventually succumbed to poor health and died while based in England, doing PAC work of mobilising against the South African racist, colonial regime of that time.

His wife Mrs Shumikazi Jako gave a moving testimony to the TRC about how she suffered brutal torture at the hands of the Special Branch, being asked about the activities of her husband.

The PAC lauds the efforts that the government through the MEC and other officials had to put up with in order to ensure the successful return of these remains.

May the spirit of Cde Nkululeko Jako continue to inspire this nation towards true freedom that Cde Jako died for. Sandla Goqwana PAC Provincial Secretary