Police officers, along with sniffer dogs, were on site inspecting all cars entering the village. Pella Matlhako village, the ancestral village of struggle stalwart Moses Kotane, lay silent ahead of the reburial of his remains on Saturday.

: A portrait of Moses Kotane during a ceremony for the repatriation of the remains of Moses Kotane and John Beaver (JB) Marks on March 1, 2015 at Waterkloof Airforce Base in Pretoria, South Africa. Pic: Gallo Images / Foto24 / Lisa Hnatowicz

Senior government officials as well as residents from the village outside Rustenburg, in the North West, gathered at the Pella Sports Grounds where the service is expected to take place later this morning. President Jacob Zuma is also expected to speak.

Several residents who spoke to The Citizen sang praises for Kotane. Kebareng Bogopane, 72, said it was a blessing in disguise that the remains of one of the great stalwarts had been brought home.

“I am very happy that this had happened, today is one of the biggest days in North West” Bogopane said.

Mmamothusi Molokwane ,29,also expressed jubilation, saying Kotane will now rest in peace.

The remains of Kotane and another struggle stalwart JB Marks were repatriated to South Africa from Russia two weeks ago. Kotane, the former SA Communist Party (SACP) general secretary and ANC treasurer general died of stroke in 1978. Marks, also the former SACP general secretary and ANC’s treasurer general, died in 1972 of a heart attack.
Both were buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow, Russia. Marks will be reburied in the Tshing township in Ventersdorp, North West next weekend.

President Jacob Zuma granted them both special official funerals.