President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday paid tribute to Peter Cyril Jones, a liberation struggle activist and leader of the Black People’s Convention of South Africa who died last week.
Jones, aged 72, passed away on February 14 at his home in the Western Cape province.
“PC Jones was a selfless and resolute liberation leader, a Black Consciousness stalwart who put up a good fight against racial oppression,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.
He praised Jones for “devotedly” fighting for black pride and freedom.
Jones was the last black person to see Black Consciousness Movement founding father and icon Steve Biko alive before he was killed in police custody in 1977, the presidency said.
He was arrested, tortured and detained with Biko in the tracks of a liberation mission in 1977 when Biko was ultimately killed.
Jones further served as vice president of the Azanian People’s Organisation, one of South Africa’s liberations movements.