The South African government will brief families of people who died in exile during the liberation struggle ahead of a planned repatriation mission to Angola.
The briefing will take place on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, at Freedom Park Heritage Sites & Museum in Pretoria at 16:00.
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) will host the meeting in partnership with the Department of Defence and Military Veterans, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development and the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA).
The meeting is intended to update affected families on the second phase of the government’s 2026/27 Repatriation and Restitution of Human Remains and Heritage Objects Programme.
Angola has been identified as the immediate focus of the programme under the Resistance and Liberation Heritage Route (RLHR).
The programme aims to trace, recover and repatriate the remains of South Africans who died in exile during the country’s liberation struggle.
The government said the initiative forms part of efforts to address the unresolved legacy of South Africans who died outside the country during the struggle against apartheid.
The Angola project follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between South Africa and Angola in December 2024 under the Roads to Independence: African Liberation Heritage Programme.
The agreement provides a framework for cooperation between the two countries on matters relating to liberation heritage, including the identification and repatriation of human remains.
About 53 affected families are expected to travel to Angola on Thursday, 1 October 2026, as part of the South African delegation participating in the Angola Exile Repatriation Project.
The pre-trip briefing will take place a day before the delegation’s departure.
The government has not provided further details in the advisory on the number of remains expected to be recovered or repatriated during this phase, nor has it disclosed the specific locations in Angola that the delegation will visit.
The programme forms part of broader government efforts to preserve South Africa’s liberation history while assisting families seeking closure over relatives who died in exile.
The involvement of DSAC, Defence, Justice and SAHRA brings together departments and institutions responsible for heritage, military matters, justice and the preservation of heritage resources.
The families’ participation in the Angola mission is expected to form an important part of the process of identifying and returning the remains of those who died away from home.
The government is expected to provide the affected families with further information about the mission during Wednesday’s briefing.
