Cradock Four honoured

Four towers stand tall and proud on a hill overlooking Lingelihle township in Cradock – honouring the Cradock Four, who were brutally murdered in 1985.

The towers bear the names of Mathew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkhonto and Sicelo Mhlauli, who were murdered near Bluewater Bay by the security police while they were travelling home from Port Elizabeth.

The Cradock Garden of Remembrance was officially unveiled by tourism minister Derek Hanekom on Thursday to mark Human Rights Day.

Goniwe’s widow, Nyameka, said the garden was long overdue. “We as families even thought that it was not going to be done as the space was identified and left empty for years and ended up being vandalised,” she said.

Nyameka said the garden should be used to create culture and history and distribute knowledge to South Africans.

“This site should be guiding us as the Cradock Four guided the country before they were brutally murdered,” she said.

Mhlauli’s widow, Nombuyiselo, said there were parts of the history of the Cradock Four that needed to be edited.

“We urge those who are writing to consult with the families so that we can write our own history,” she said.

“The families were harassed after the death of our husbands. I can’t even count the times they came to my house kicking down the doors and harassing us,” she said.

Hanekom said the department had spent R28m on building the monument.

“The local economy will be boosted as tourists come to visit the site,” he said.

Economic development, environmental affairs and tourism MEC Oscar Mabuyane said they had committed to send one person from the families of the Cradock Four to school.

“We want to make these families independent,” he said.

He also said Standard Bank had given R20,000 to the Solomon Akona Primary School for uniforms.