Youth Day not a full victory for the Makhubu family
“As a family we just want closure, we just want to know what happened to Mbuyisa.”
Forty-two years later, the Makhubu family is still wondering what happened to their brother, Mbuyisa Makhubu, following the Soweto Uprising of 1976.
The City Times spoke to Crystal Park resident Wandile James Makhubu, the cousin of Mbuyisa about the journey of finding his cousin (Mbuyisa).
Mbuyisa was the teenager captured in Sam Nzima’s iconic photo of June 16, 1976, fleeing the bullets of the apartheid police on a street in Soweto, carrying the murdered Hector Peterson in his arms, with Peterson’s sister, Antoinette, running alongside.
Mbuyisa was 18 years old at the time.
Makhubu said after the photograph was published, Mbuyisa became a police target and skipped the country.
“According to reports it said that he disappeared in Nigeria in 1979 and speculation has swirled about whether he’s dead or alive,” said Makhubu.
This week, on the anniversary of the student march, his family is pleading to the government to help them find Mbuyisa.
Makhubu said this time of the year it invokes emotions of wanting him back, the emotions of anger and feeling disservice by the government.
“We feel they’re not doing enough,” said Makhubu.
“As a family we just want closure, we just want to know what happened to Mbuyisa.”
Makhubu said her mother (Nombulelo Makhubu) died crying foul, looking for her son.
“Nombulelo died as a bitter woman and a worried mother as she didn’t know where her son is.
“During this time of the year, the country commemorates June 16 and everyone talks about Hector Peterson but what about the person who tried to save his life,” asked Makhubu.
Makhubu said they don’t want any recognition; they just want people to ask where Mbuyisa is.
The Unity Secondary School principal said he has written letters to the government to help the family locate Mbuyisa.
“We once marched to the Union Building to submit a memorandum, however, we are still waiting for their response.”
In 2013, claims emerged that a man named Victor Vinnetou, imprisoned in Canada for the past eight years on immigration charges, was Makhubu.
Makhubu said genetic tests were conducted to determine whether the man is indeed Mbuyisa, however, the DNA tests did not confirm this.
“We will never know if Victor is Mbuyisa or whether he was killed in exile,” he said.
“All we want is to find him or his bones, so we can have closure.”
Makhubu said they thank Sam Nzima for capturing the iconic photo and showing it to the world.
“As a family, we are proud of Mbuyisa’s bravery for trying to save Hector Peterson’s life,” he said.
Also read: No rest for local principal
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