Ingquza Hill tragedy resonates down decades

This weekend’s 60th commemoration of the 1960 Pondo Revolt — now known as the Ingquza Hill Massacre — was a sombre affair, involving only the 13 members of the commemoration committee at a gathering at Flagstaff, due to Covid-19.

On June 6 1960, the apartheid government’s police opened fired on hundreds of AmaMpondo men holding a Bantu system resistance meeting. Eleven men were killed on the spot and 58 injured. Twentythree activists were arrested.

On Saturday, the commemoration committee’s secretary Vangiwe Maqhashalala said despite the size of the crowd, the message communicated through the commemoration was loud and clear.

“It encouraged us not to forsake the legacy but develop it further for the next generations, and to avoid diminishing the treasure of this legacy and the sacrifices that were made by all our heroes who died, were injured or arrested,” said Maqhashalala.

The committee held a prayer service, evoking the spirit of the heroes, and burst into iqubulo

— an Mpondo war song and dance — which echoed across the hills and throughout the valley surrounding the spot where people died.

“It was a sacred moment. “We will guard their legacy for our great-grandchildren and our inheritance as AmaMpondo,” said Maqhashalala.

She has been secretary of the committee since 1988. Her husband, Benny Stoffels, was one of the activists arrested but not hanged.

The committee members laid wreaths on a two-metre-long memorial stone where the names are inscribed of the 11 men who were shot dead and 13 who were hanged.

Ten others were executed in Mbizana, where there is another monument in their honour.

Activist Nombuyiselo Tshumane-Nyoka said this year they honoured those who were shot dead, executed in Pretoria, died in different prisons including Mqanduli, East London and Bloemfontein.

They also honoured those who died in exile and on Robben Island, as well as those who were arrested and later released.

“Others died in exile. We want the remains of all our heroes to be brought home,” said Tshumane-Nyoka.

Picture: LULAMILE FENI SITE OF SORROW: Mkhalazo Ventes, 70, and Lisiwe Vukile , 77, of Ngquza village near Flagstaff were young children during the 1960 Pondo Revolt. In June 6 1960, at Ingquza Hill, apartheid police fired on hundreds of AmaMpondo men, killing 11 and injuring 58.