Maseru - A ceremony to commemorate freedom fighters who died during the 1982 and 1985 raids by the South African Defence Force (SANDF) on Maseru started here on Friday.
Four cows and a bull were slaughtered as part as the ritual of cleansing and healing.
Bile, some parts of the intestines of the animals and a portion of their blood will be mixed with traditional herbs and medicines. After secret rituals have been performed by traditional healers, the mixture and a symbolic stone from Lesotho will be taken to Freedom Park in Pretoria.
The 1982 raid left 40 people dead. They were killed during a cross-border raid described by the then SADF Chief, General Constand Viljoen, as a pre-emptive strike aimed at 12 African National Congress targets in Upper Thamae on the outskirts of Maseru on December 9 1982. Another raid in 1985 left nine people dead.
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