Pretoria - Even though the unveiling of the Robert Sobukwe Exhibition at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional facility had to be temporarily postponed, Minister Nathi Mthethwa has given his assurances that the unveiling will still go ahead.
The Sports, Arts and Culture Minister said the unveiling of the exhibition which was due to take place today, had to be postponed as they were still having discussions with the leadership of the Pan African Congress (PAC).
Mthethwa said his department was adamant that the political home of the struggle stalwart had to be in attendance of the commemoration event.
"In terms of the plans and programmes, everything is ready but we also want the political home of the late Sobukwe to be part and parcel of the processes.
"It will be postponed by a few days, not even weeks but perhaps by next week we will be coming back here on a very important aspect of the exhibition of Sobukwe," Mthethwa added.
Mthethwa was speaking at the launch of Human Rights Month at the facility earlier today, where he once again took a walkabout of the infamous Kgosi Mampuru gallows.
He added that his department had been working with the Sobukwe trust all along with other parties and added they would also be opening the Sobukwe remembrance garden in the Eastern Cape.
"We keep in touch with the leadership on an ongoing basis but there were other matters we needed to deal with which are very confidential that's why we postponed it. It's a mutually agreed thing that we postpone it."
"It will happen and there are no issues and people will see when the leadership of the PAC comes in there," he added.
PAC President Nerius Moloto however said their party was not even aware or informed of the exhibition due to take place in honour of the party's leader.
"This is the first I am hearing of this from you. We were not informed nor were we invited to the event."
Moloto said if anything the party had just celebrated the 44th anniversary of Sobukwe on Sunday.
He said for the party the most important part was for the story and knowledge of Sobukwe to be told by those who actually knew him and what he stood for.
"The story of Sobukwe must be told first by the PAC and the rest will follow. He needs to be put in the proper context and honoured properly and not through the back doors."
"But it is not just about him but the more than 200 members of the PAC that were hanged at those gallows yet they don't have a single street named after them."
In officially opening Human Rights Month Mthethwa said the theme for this year's commemoration is: "The year of national unity and renewal, protecting and preserving human rights gains."
He said this year the country had to look deeply into issues of health especially public health as a fundamental human right within the context of limited state resources.
Mthethwa took the opportunity to urge South Africans to become more active and engage in activities in order to fight against obesity, heart problems and reduce their hospital bills.
"If we are active we are contributing positively to our vision of seeing an active society. You don't have to go to expensive gyms just a walk or jog instead of waking up and driving to the nearest mall."
Pretoria News