President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a Special Provincial Official Funeral for respected photographer, struggle activist and recipient of the Order of Ikhamanga Sam Nzima.
In a statement on Wednesday, President Ramaphosa said the legendary photographer who took the world renowned Hector Peterson photo has been bestowed with a Special Provincial Official Funeral Category 2.
“Mr Nzima will be remembered for his significant contribution he made through photojournalism during the struggle against the vicious racist regime. Through his lens, he placed the brutality of the apartheid police in the international spotlight.”
“Mr Nzima will further be remembered for his iconic photograph of a dying young Hector Peterson which became a symbol of resistance against the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in the black schools. We wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to Nzima family and his relatives. May his soul rest in peace,” said President Ramaphosa.
Nzima, who was born in 1934 in the rural village of Lilydale in Mpumalanga near Bushbuckridge, passed away on Saturday at hospital in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, following a short illness.
President Ramaphosa has ordered that the National Flag be flown at half-mast at every flag station in the Mpumalanga province on Saturday, 26 May 2018, the day of the funeral.
In addition, the Mpumalanga provincial government will communicate details of the funeral. – SAnews.gov.za
