The Department of Military Veterans

Nnoki “Peter Seeiso” Sebothoma has passed on

15 November 2018

The Department of Military Veterans joins the military veterans community as it mourns the passing of Mr Nnoki “Peter Seeiso” Sebothoma, a dedicated & loyal combatant, cadre and Commander of the people’s army uMkhonto we Sizwe. He was a committed Officer and steadfast servant of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, his passing brought sadness to many whose life he touched so fondly and profoundly for many years in exile and at home.

Death has indeed robbed his family that he loved so much, his organization the African National Congress, the people of the South Africa whom he served with such distinction, the South African National Defence (SANDF) and thousands of former combatants of MK; and not least the international community including the Angolan people. Death leaves them poorer and with unbearable agony.

His was truly a story of triumph against adversity. He started his primary schooling in 1964 – 1971 where due to abject conditions of poverty that afflicted scores of African families including his own under Apartheid, was forced to leave school at standard 4 to look for a job that would make the family ends meet. He returned in 1993 after 17 years in exile.

The advent of the 1976 Student Uprisings found him ready and prepared to fight against the obnoxious Apartheid regime. He together with Lungisa Musi were then recruited into the ANC underground by now Major General (Rtd) Keith Mokoape. However they could not operate for long and had to go into exile in Botswana in September 1976 and later proceeded to Tanzania.

After the serious injury he incurred where both his legs were fractured he had to be taken for special treatment in the USSR for 20 months where he had to undergo major operations medically. Noteworthy is that he and thousands of other members of the June 16 Detachment had survived the traumatic scourge of food poisoning by the Apartheid regime in 1977 at Nova Katenge military camp South of Angola..

His passing has indeed robbed the people of South Africa, the ANC, the military veterans community, the SANDF and his family which he loved and served with distinction.