During a council meeting on March 31, the City of Ekurhuleni adopted a motion to build a monument at a park in Daveyton in honour of the victims of the Daveyton massacre.

Thirteen people, including a nine-year-old girl, were killed by members of the South African National Defence Force on March 24, 1991, while others were wounded during a political gathering in the fight against the unjust laws of apartheid.

Amabutho, a Xhosa group aligned with the ANC from Daveyton, have been vocal for years in calling on the government to recognise and honour their “fallen soldiers” who died during the massacre.

According to ANC Caucus chief whip Pelisa Nkunjana, they welcome the victory of the motion being carried with the unanimous support of the council.

She said the decision to submit this motion was not in any way meant to understate or undermine the significance of other massacres that may have befallen the people of Ekurhuleni but rather because the Daveyton Massacre remains one of the most painful yet lesser-acknowledged events in South Africa’s struggle history.

“The loss of innocent lives at the hands of a brutal system must never be forgotten, and as this council, we carry the responsibility of ensuring that their memory is honoured with dignity and purpose.