Freedom fighter to the end
Nyathi defeated torture, prison
Born: March 18 1945 Died: February 2 Funeral: Tomorrow at Chief Mogale Hall in Kagiso, West Rand, starting at 7am Burial: Kagiso Cemetery
No amount of violence or torture could dampen the revolutionary zeal of Vusumuzi Johnson Nyathi, who died last Friday at the age of 72.
Nyathi had been in and out of hospital since July and succumbed to his illness at 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria.
Even after apartheid police threw him out of the fourthfloor window at the Krugersdorp police station in 1976, he still preached armed resurrection when he was released from prison 13 years later.
He was hospitalised for more than eight months, and in a wheelchair, as the infamous Bethal Trial started.
“The Hanging Judge”, as Judge David Curlewis was known, made it clear to accused number one Zephania “The Lion of Azania” Mothopeng that he masterminded and executed the June 1976 student uprising in Soweto.
All arms of the state were ruthless, leading to brutal death in detention of Nyathi’s co-accused Naboth Ntshuntsha, Samuel Makunga, Aaron Khoza and Sipho Bonaventure Malaza.
In solitary confinement and the first political trial to be held behind closed doors, Curlewis sentenced a severely injured Nyathi to 10 years, plus a year for attempting to escape from police custody.
He served the sentence on Robben Island.
His sin was politicising the youth and communities, especially in Kagiso on the West Rand, where he was based. He helped to form the Young African Religious Movement, a smokescreen for Pan Africanist teachings.
Yet, he dived back into revolutionary activity immediately on release in 1989.
This was Nyathi’s second stint behind bars for taking up arms against the apartheid regime.
It all started in 1960 when the government killed marchers protesting against the dompas – the ID book for blacks – in Sharpeville and Vereeniging in the Vaal, and in Langa, Cape Town.
Planned and executed by the PAC under Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe, the marches became a turning point for Nyathi.
He immediately joined Poqo, forerunner to the Azanian Peoples’ Liberation Army (Apla), in the first armed resurrection in SA.
A member of one of Poqo cells on the West Rand, he was arrested in the nationwide swoop on members of this underground structure in 1963.
Nyathi was sentenced to three years at Kroonstad prison after being tortured while in detention.
Communities were brutalised and cowed by the state, thus the political lull.
Nyathi was born in 1945 in Kagiso 1. He was the second child of Joseph and Jane Thokozile Nyathi.
He attended Munsieville High School in Krugersdorp and Chiawelo High in Soweto where he completed his matric. He studied bookkeeping while on Robben Island.
He is survived by his sons Mziwakhe and Sibusiso, four grandchildren and sister Nomathemba Moretsele.
Nyathi served, suffered and sacrificed. May God give you eternal rest.