The Petrus Molefe Monument, also known as the Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Monument, is located in the Petrus Molefe Eco-Park on Mtambo Street in Dhlamini Soweto. Molefe was the first operative to be killed during the early operations of MK. Thank you to the City of Johannesburg for giving us permission to publish the details below.
The launch of uMkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the nation) the armed wing of the ANC, was announced on 16 December 1961 by a series of bomb blasts against apartheid structures in Johannesburg, Durban and Port Elizabeth. Petrus Molefe was the first MK operative to be killed during those operations. He lost his life in Dube Soweto, when an explosive device which he was carrying went off. He was accompanied by Ben Ramotsi, who was seriously injured. Molefe is buried in Nancefield Cemetery, Soweto.
The Petrus Molefe Monument was commissioned by Johannesburg City Parks, with guidance and input from Community Development (Arts, Culture and Heritage). The monument was formally unveiled at the opening of the Petrus Molefe Eco-Park on 9 December 2011. The launch of the new park, attended by MK veterans, was held in the run-up to the 50th Anniversary of Mkhonto we Sizwe (16 December 2011).
The Artwork
The artwork is set around four brick columns. In the middle of columns is a wide circle with a floor-mosaic of the MK emblem of a warrior with a spear and shield (see main image). The MK logo is done as a pebble –mosaic in...
