South Africa: South African anti-Apartheid hero dead at 92

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) - Tributes are pouring in for South African liberation hero Ben Turok who died here on Monday following a long illness. He was 92.

The party stalwart was tasked with drawing up the Freedom Charter in 1955 which effectively launched the campaign that eventually toppled the Apartheid government.

Turok, who served three years in prison for his anti-apartheid campaign in the 1960s spent more than 20 years in exile and returned to South Africa when Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990.

He served as Member of Parliament in 1995 until his retirement in 2014.

President Cyril Ramaphosa  described Turok as a "humble patriot of our nation" who made enormous personal sacrifices which helped liberate the nation.

“He was a principled freedom fighter, dedicated to non-racialism and the unity of our nation and of our liberation movement,” Ramaphosa said.

ANC secretary general Ace Magashule said Turok dedicated his life to the struggle against racism and oppression.

The official opposition Democratic Alliance said Turok dedicated his life to equality, freedom and liberation “in a time where it may have been easier for him to remain silent”.

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