Prominent Johannesburgers buried at West Park
MONTGOMERY PARK - Many notable people laid to rest at West Park Cemetery.
West Park cemetery is the final resting place of many notable people of South African and Johannesburg history. Since December boxer Baby Jake Mtlala, Dr Issy Rudolph and journalist Sydney Matlhaku have been buried there. Here are a few other prominent Johannesburger’s buried there in the past few years:
Amina Cachalia– Freedom fighter and ANC stalwart, Cachalia was a women’s rights and anti-apartheid activist. She was elected as an MP to the National Assembly in 1994. Nelson Mandela reportedly asked for her hand in marriage in 1995 but she did not accept. She was buried at Westpark at January 2013.
Benny Goldberg– A popular figure in the South African Jewish community, Goldberg was known as the doyen of the South African liquor industry. He was laid to rest in 2007.
Irving Lissoos– Urologist and Wits benefactor was buried at Westpark Cemetery in 2011. A stalwart of the Jewish community, he was a founding member of the Victory Park Synagogue and served the King David Schools and Jewish Board of Education. Dr Lissoos pioneered kidney transplants in South Africa
Vuyo Mbuli– South African Broadcasting Corporation television and radio presenter was laid to rest at the Westpark Cemetery in May. He died of a pulmonary embolism.
Michael Miller– Co-founder of OK Bazaar is buried in the Jewish section at Westpark.
Phillip Tobias– One of South Africa’s most decorated anthropologists from the University of Witwatersrand. Dr Tobias played an important role in getting the remains of Saartjie Baartman back to South Africa. He was buried at Westpark Cemetery in June 2012.
