Slain freedom fighters remembered in Lesotho

[dArKeR]

Maseru - A ceremony to commemorate freedom fighters who died during the 1982 and 1985 raids by the South African Defence Force (SANDF) on Maseru started here on Friday.

Four cows and a bull were slaughtered as part as the ritual of cleansing and healing.

Bile, some parts of the intestines of the animals and a portion of their blood will be mixed with traditional herbs and medicines. After secret rituals have been performed by traditional healers, the mixture and a symbolic stone from Lesotho will be taken to Freedom Park in Pretoria.

The 1982 raid left 40 people dead. They were killed during a cross-border raid described by the then SADF Chief, General Constand Viljoen, as a pre-emptive strike aimed at 12 African National Congress targets in Upper Thamae on the outskirts of Maseru on December 9 1982. Another raid in 1985 left nine people dead.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=68&art_id=qw1082723941284B242&set_id=1