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Sam Nzima’s family speaks of his suffering

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The Nzima family has spoken out on how the late veteran photographer Sam Nzima suffered in the hands of some community members.

Speaking to SABC News, Sam Nzima’s elder son Thulani recalled how his father lived in fear after his home was petrol-bombed and his precious belongings stolen during a break-in at his home.

The Order of Ikhamanga chain and Nzima’s ANC veterans league green jacket are some of the things that were stolen. The family says Nzima collapsed three times after these incidents, and he never fully recovered until his death.

Sam Nzima captured the iconic picture of Hector Pieterson that exposed the brutality of the Apartheid system. His work was recognised not only in South Africa, but even beyond our borders.

The family has just revealed how the veteran lens-man suffered in the hands of people of his home village.

“Despite the good, we think he was and that we think he represented this community he has gone through some bad spell here. There was a time when there was a protracted protest against something that had nothing to do with us as a family, and something that had nothing to do with him. They used him as canon fodders to besiege his businesses for a period of three months. He was not operating;  they made sure he was confined to his place. So three months an old man like that his blood pressure must have shot up and down all the time,” Thulani Nzima.

Nzima’s home was also petrol bombed during one of the protests. It’s believed he was targeted because he was a member of the advisory council at the local tribal authority. Community members were not happy about the way the tribal authority was running it’s affairs.

“They broke into his house and stole everything they possibly can, the only thing that they could not steal is the house itself, but everything including his award which was given by the president of the country, the order of Ikhamanga stolen that chain which is meaningless in the hands of any other person unless it’s officially given to you. The jacket of ANC Veterans League was stolen, the jacket that the president gave him when he honoured him as his guest in parliament was stolen, all those things stolen. That must have exacerbated his health a little bit because when he collapsed all that we could point to was high blood pressure, and after that incident, my dad collapsed three times because his health was deteriorating because he had gone through some very trying times,” said Thulani Nzima.

The family has however hailed government and some ANC members for providing support whilst Nzima was still alive. The former premier of Mpumalanga and now deputy president of the country David Mabuza built Nzima a house.

But he never lived to stay in that house.

“This has brought him a lot of dignity, unfortunately on the day that he received the keys, not directly from David Mabuza, I wanted him to receive the keys from David Mabuza, the man who built this house and gave my dad a dream. On the day that my dad received the keys and was trying to sort them out as to which one opens which door, he collapsed that morning, on Thursday last week. He collapsed at a time when the family was preparing to move him to this house,” said Thulani Nzima.

The family is now working on ensuring that Sam Nzima’s wishes are realised. They include the establishment of a museum and a school of photography at his home village.

Nzima will be laid to rest next week Saturday.

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