President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed deep sadness at the sudden passing of veteran photographer and recipient of the National Order of Ikhamanga, Sam Nzima.
Nzima, who took the iconic photograph of a dying Hector Peterson, passed away in Mpumalanga on Saturday.
“Mr Sam Nzima was one of a kind, his camera captured the full brutality of apartheid oppression on the nation’s psyche and history from the defiance campaign through to forced removals and the Soweto student uprisings.
“We will especially remember 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,” said the President on Sunday.
On behalf of government and the people of South Africa, President Ramaphosa conveyed his condolences Nzima’s family.
“We convey our heartfelt condolences to his family and may his soul rest in peace,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
