Freedom fighter recently ended long years of exile
Mongezi Thokwane Born: Dec 28 1965 Died: February 11 2017
MONGEZI Thokwane, aka James Khumalo, was born on December 28 1965 in Thabong, Welkom, in Free State.
He died on Saturday night at 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria after an illness.
He had only returned home permanently in 2013, after living in Botswana since he fled there on exile in 1987.
Thokwane started primary school at Thembekile Primary and went on to matriculate from Lebogang High.
He got involved in politics as a pupil in the early 80s at Lebogang High where he was a member of the Azanian Students Movement (Azasm). When he skipped the country in 1987, he joined the Black Consciousness Movement of Azania in Botswana.
On arrival he moved to Dukwi refugee settlement where he was trained underground by the Azanian National Liberation Army (Azanla). He was among the few who were selected to undergo six weeks of intensive political training. He completed the course and he was later appointed a member of the Military Affairs Committee.
He was its political commissar and headed the political education of Azanla cadres in Dukwi, Botswana, from 1987 to 1990.
He decided to settle in Botswana and got married there. His underground operational name was James Khumalo, a name he ended up assuming permanently.
At the time of his death he was the elected deputy chair of Azapo Free State and he was also the provincial chair of Azanla Military Veterans Association.
Thokwane will be buried in his home town of Thabong tomorrow.
He leaves behind his wife Francina, two sons Blessed and Andrew, and four siblings.