President to deliver eulogy at funeral of Bra Ike Maphoto

President Cyril Ramaphosa will, on Sunday 21 July 2019, deliver the eulogy at the funeral service of veteran freedom fighter Mr Lesibe Isaac “Bra Ike” Maphoto.
 

The funeral service at the Polokwane Cricket Club will commence at 08h00.
 
President Ramaphosa has declared a Special Official Funeral for this highly regarded liberation fighter who passed away on Saturday, 13 July 2019, at  the age of 88.
 
Bra Ike was a recipient of the National Order of Luthuli in Silver for his contribution to the struggle for freedom and democracy, and received the  Department of Military Veterans’ Order of Gold for bravery in 2012.
 
Bra Ike left South Africa in 1961 and underwent military and political training in Beirut and the former Soviet Union between 1961 and 1963 before joining the senior Luthuli Detachment of uMkhonto weSizwe.
 
He fought in the Wankie Sipolilo campaign against the South Rhodesian Army (now Zimbabwe) from December 1967. This campaign was an alliance between uMkhonto weSizwe and the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army to establish infiltration routes for liberation forces.
 
Bra Ike was captured by South Rhodesian forces in April 1968 and sentenced to death. His imprisonment of more than a decade ended in 1980 when he was released by the government of the newly independent Zimbabwe.
 
Media logistics enquiries: Takalani Mukwevho on 082 227 9308, Ishmael Selemale on 072 637 7665 or Terrence Manase on 082 338 6707

Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria