THE remains of 42 South African freedom fighters who died while exiled in Zimbabwe and Zambia during the struggle against the racist apartheid regime have been brought home.

They were received by government officials and family members at Waterkloof air force base in the capital Pretoria on Wednesday after being exhumed for reburial in the country of their birth.

The repatriation was part of a government programme to bring closure to families whose loved ones died away from home while serving in the underground structures of the African National Congress or the Pan Africanist Congress, according to officials.

Before the end of apartheid in 1994, many activists left South Africa to receive military training elsewhere, with the aim of returning home to wage an armed struggle.

Others went abroad to avoid being arrested by the white supremacist regime for their involvement in anti-apartheid activities, choosing Zimbabwe or Zambia as their destination because the underground structures were the strongest in those countries.

The ANC shifted its headquarters to the Zambian capital Lusaka after being banned in South Africa.

Among the repatriated remains were those of freedom struggle stalwarts Duma Nokwe, Florence Mophosho and Basil February.

Speaking at a Heritage Day event in South Africa on Tuesday, Deputy President Paul Mashatile said the repatriation was part of efforts to teach future generations about the role played by many in the struggle against apartheid.

“As a national memory project, this initiative aims to commemorate, celebrate, educate, promote, preserve, conserve and provide a durable testament to South Africa’s road to freedom,” he said.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to host a homecoming ceremony for the remains tomorrow, before they are handed over to the families for reburials.

The ANC-led government said on Wednesday that it was in the process of bringing home more remains of freedom fighters from Lesotho, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Angola, Russia and other countries.