LUSAKA, Zambia

South Africa has begun the exhumation of 26 bodies of apartheid-era freedom fighters in Zambia, one of its neighbors to the north. 

The 26 died while seeking shelter in Zambia during the apartheid era – which ended in the mid-1990s – and were buried in the capital Lusaka.

​​​​​​​Lusaka Mayor Chilando Chitangala voiced solidarity with the families of the fallen heroes.

"Zambia continues to share cordial bilateral relations with South Africa as a result of the shared struggles to liberate Africa from oppression, injustice, and tyranny," Chitangala told a ceremony on Wednesday.

The exhumation is set to continue for three days.

Kenan Zulu, a representative of the Zambia National Heritage Conservation Commission, stressed the importance of repatriating the remains of South African freedom icons as a "symbol of peace and honour to the affected families," said a statement issued by the Lusaka City Council.

Nomvuyo Nokwe, daughter of one of the freedom fighters, Dumalisile Philemon Nokwe, thanked the Zambian government for giving the families the opportunity to repatriate the remains of their loved ones.

“This gesture shows the importance Zambia attaches to the bilateral relations shared between the two countries,” she added.