Sparrow Mkonto (24 December 1951 – 27 June 1985) was a South African

anti-apartheid activist Several independent sectors of South African society opposed apartheid through various means, including social movements, passive resistance, and guerrilla warfare. Mass action against the ruling National Party (NP) government, coupled with So ...

, and one of

The Cradock Four upright=1.35, Funeral of the Cradock Four. Photo taken by Gille de Vlieg The Cradock Four were a group of four anti-Apartheid activists who were abducted and murdered by South African security police in June 1985, named as such as all four were ...

murdered by the South African police in 1985.

Early life and education

Sparrow Mkonto was born on 24 December 1951 in Bhongeni Section of Lingelihle

Township (South Africa) In South Africa, the terms township and location usually refers to an underdevelopment, under-developed, racial segregation, racially segregated urban area, urban area, from the late 19th century until the end of apartheid, were reserved for ...

in Cradock. He was one of

who were murdered during Apartheid by members of the South African Security Police on 27 June 1985. Mkonto attended Macembe Lower Primary, Akena Primary and Sam Xhali Secondary School.

Matthew Goniwe Matthew Goniwe OLS (27 December 1947 – 27 June 1985) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and one of The Cradock Four murdered by the South African Police in 1985. Early years Goniwe was the youngest of eight children. His parents, ...

was one of his teachers at Sam Xhali. Due to financial constraints, Mkonto left school after he passed his junior secondary certificate. After he dropped out of school, he established a soccer club in his community. He also became politically active due to the influence of Goniwe.

Political life

Mkonto found employment working at a depot in Cradock for the Department of Railways and Harbours. He subsequently joined the railway workers union. His work at the union had attracted the attention of the security police who conspired with his employers to fire him on spurious charges. He was dismissed from work in 1983 as he was accused of being a communist who arranged political meetings during working hours. His wife was also fired from her job at a hair salon on the pretext that her husband was a communist. In 1983, the Cradock Ratepayers Association (CRADORA) was formed which advocated for the rights of residents to negotiate against unfair increases in rent. This organisation was affiliated with the

United Democratic Front (South Africa) The United Democratic Front (UDF) was a South Africa, South African popular front that existed from 1983 to 1991. The UDF comprised more than 400 public organizations including Trade union, trade unions, Students' union, students' unions, wom ...

. He became a senior office bearer for CRADORA as well as the chairperson of the Broad Forum which consisted of CRADORA executives and leaders from other organisations in Lingelihle. Mkonto was detained and assaulted by the security police on several occasions. He would be taken to the Cradock security police headquarters where he was assaulted and beaten, then released. He laid a charge against the police but this was never investigated. During the Freedom Charter celebrations on 26 June 1983 in Lingelihle community hall, Mkonto spoke on behalf of CRADORA, focusing his speech on the future of the new South Africa which would respect rights to own land and proper compensation of workers for their labour.

Death and honours

On 27 June 1985, Mkonto left for a UDF meeting with Goniwe,

Fort Calata Fort Calata (5 November 1956 – 27 June 1985) was a South African anti-apartheid activist and one of The Cradock Four murdered by the South African police in 1985. Early life Fort Calata was born on 5 November 1956. He is the grandson of Ja ...

and

Sicelo Mhlauli Sicelo Mhlauli (25 May 1949 – 27 June 1985) was a South African anti-apartheid activist, and one of the Cradock Four murdered by the South African police in 1985. Early life Sicelo Mhlauli was born on 25 May 1949 at Emagqomeni Location in Cr ...

in Port Elizabeth. The four were never seen alive again. Mkonto's body was the first to be found in Bluewater Bay near

Port Elizabeth Gqeberha ( , ), formerly named Port Elizabeth, and colloquially referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipal ...

. It was found 1 km from the burnt car in which they had been travelling. He was found burnt, handcuffed and tied with a rope with gunshot wounds to his head and stab wounds to his chest. A two-year inquest started in 1987 under the Inquest Act No 58 of 1959. The Cradock Four were buried in Cradock on the 20th of July 1985 at a mass funeral. Speakers at the funeral included

Beyers Naudé Christiaan Frederick Beyers Naudé (10 May 1915 – 7 September 2004) was a South African Afrikaner Calvinist Dominee, theologian and the leading Afrikaner anti-apartheid activist. He was known simply as Beyers Naudé, or more colloquially, ...

Allan Boesak Allan Aubrey Boesak (born 23 February 1946) is a South African Dutch Reformed Church cleric, politician and anti-apartheid activist. He was sentenced to prison for fraud in 1999 but was subsequently granted an official pardon and reinstated as ...

and

Steve Tshwete Steve Vukhile Tshwete (12 November 1938 – 26 April 2002) was a South African politician and activist with the African National Congress. Involved in Umkhonto we Sizwe, Tshwete was imprisoned by the apartheid authorities on Robben Island from ...

gave keynote addresses. A message from the then president of the ANC

Oliver Tambo Oliver Reginald Kaizana Tambo (27 October 191724 April 1993) was a South African anti-apartheid politician and activist who served as President of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1967 to 1991. Biography Childhood Oliver Tambo was ...

was read. In 2006, he was conferred by the Presidency of South Africa with the Order of Luthuli in Silver for “outstanding contribution and dedicating his life to a free, just and democratic South Africa’’. A memorial was erected in honour of the Cradock Four.

References

External links

About the Cradock 4

The story behind the Cradock 4 picture

The Cradock 4 28 years later
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mkhonto, Sparrow 1951 births 1985 deaths South African anti-apartheid activists Xhosa people Recipients of the Order of Luthuli