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- The son of Robert Sobukwe has died.
- Dedanizizwe Sobukwe was found in his room early on Sunday morning.
- Despite suffering from psychological problems, he had been on a journey of change.
Dedanizizwe Sobukwe was found unresponsive in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Dedanizizwe suffered for many years, starting when his father, Robert Sobukwe, was arrested for his political beliefs, the family told News24 on Monday.
The 65-year-old was alone when he died at his home in Graaff-Reinet, in the Eastern Cape.
He was found by his housekeeper, after he had allegedly isolated himself in his room for the entire weekend.
Dedanizizwe, his twin brother, Dalindyebo, their brother, Dinileziwe, and their sister, Miliswa, grew up in exile as the apartheid government sought to isolate their father, Robert, who was a spearhead of the liberation struggle.
Sobukwe senior, the president of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), was arrested in 1960 after launching a campaign against racist pass laws.
In the wake of their father's arrest, the Sobukwe children and their mother fell victim to the harassment of the state, said family spokesperson Thando Sipuye.
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Sipuye recalled how Zondeni, Sobukwe's wife, told of how the police would come into their home between 21:00 and 22:00 every day. This prompted her to move the couple's children to Lesotho, where they continued their studies.
It was these struggles that contributed to Dedanizizwe's slip into substance abuse, Sipuye said.
He added that, during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1997, Zondeni pleaded with the new government to assist Dedanizizwe in his rehabilitation efforts. However, her plea fell on deaf ears.
"Dedanizizwe never received any form of rehabilitation or support from any of the institutions of our government. It was only upon the family, in particular, Mama Sobuko [Zondeni], to take care of her children.
"We are speaking of a very intelligent African man, who was convinced by his mother and father's vision of the return of the land. He was an Africanist at heart.
"But the racist system and the trauma inflicted by the apartheid system deeply affected him, [so] that when he grew up, he was in and out of psychiatric hospitals and prison," said Sipuye.
Brilliant mind
Sipuye described Dedanizizwe as someone with a sweet, loving and gentle soul.
"He had a brilliant mind, with so many development ideas. He was an Africanist, who cared deeply about the African nation," he said.
While Dedanizizwe never followed his father into politics, he remained a staunch Africanist.
"Dedanizizwe was deeply hurt by the PAC decisions and disappointed that such a massive movement and organisation had suffered internal divisions, quarrels and power struggles. But he always knew that he did not need to be inside a political party to live the ideas that his father had set out for him."
Last days
Jaki Seroke, the PAC's spokesperson, said Dedanizizwe had turned his life around following the death of his older brother, Dinileziwe.
"He started changing after his brother passed on in 2019. He stopped drinking and managed to go into sobriety. He was trying very hard to be the elder in the family. He wanted to follow a straight and narrow path towards the end of his life," Seroke said.
The family said they are awaiting the results of a postmortem to confirm the cause of death.
