Sparrow Mkhonto was born on 24 December 1951 in Bhongeni Section of Lingelihle Township in Cradock. He was one of The Cradock Four who were murdered during Apartheid by members of the South African Security Police on 27 June 1985. Mkhonto attended Macembe Lower Primary, Akena Primary and Sam Xhali Secondary School. Matthew Goniwe was one of his teachers at Sam Xhali. Due to financial constraints, Mkhonto left school after he passed his junior secondary certificate. After he dropped out of school, he established a soccer club in his community. He also became politically active due to the influence of Goniwe.
Political life
Mkhonto found employment working at a depot in Cradock for the Department of Railways and Harbours. He subsequently joined the railway workers union. His work at the union had attracted the attention of the security police who conspired with his employers to fire him on spurious charges. He was dismissed from work in 1983 as he was accused of being a communist who arranged political meetings during working hours. His wife was also fired from her job at a hair salon on the pretext that her husband was a communist. In 1983, the Cradock Ratepayers Association was formed which advocated for the rights of residents to negotiate against unfair increases in rent. This organisation was affiliated with the United Democratic Front. He became a senior office bearer for CRADORA as well as the chairperson of the Broad Forum which consisted of CRADORA executives and leaders from other organisations in Lingelihle. Mkhonto was detained and assaulted by the security police on several occasions. He would be taken to the Cradock security police headquarters where he was assaulted and beaten, then released. He laid a charge against the police but this was never investigated. During the Freedom Charter celebrations on 26 June 1983 in Lingelihle community hall, Mkhonto spoke on behalf of CRADORA, focusing his speech on the future of the new South Africa which would respect rights to own land and proper compensation of workers for their labour.
Death and honours
On 27 June 1985, Mkhonto left for a UDF meeting with Goniwe, Fort Calata and Sicelo Mhlauli in Port Elizabeth. The four were never seen alive again. Mkhonto’s body was the first to be found in Bluewater Bay near Port Elizabeth. It was found 1 km from the burnt car in which they had been travelling. He was found burnt, handcuffed and tied with a rope with gunshot wounds to his dead and stab wounds to his chest. A two-year inquest started in 1987 under the Inquest Act No 58 of 1959. The Cradock Four were buried in Cradock on the 20th of July 1985 at a mass funeral. Speakers at the funeral included Beyers Naudé, Allan Boesak and Steve Tshwete gave keynote addresses. A message from the then president of the ANC Oliver Tambo was read. In 2006, he was conferred by the Presidency of South Africa with the Order of Luthuli in Silver for “outstanding contribution and dedicating his life to a free, just and democratic South Africa’’. A memorial was erected in honour of the Cradock Four.
