The grave of anti-apartheid icon and Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) founder Robert Sobukwe has once again been desecrated, marking the second incident of vandalism this year.
The latest attack has prompted concern from the PAC, which believes those responsible attempted to dig up Sobukwe’s coffin. The motive behind the repeated vandalism remains unknown.
Robert Sobukwe’s Grave Desecrated For A Second Time
Robert Sobukwe’s grave has again become the target of vandals, with visible damage raising fresh concerns over the protection of one of South Africa’s most respected liberation figures.
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According to the PAC, the latest incident appears to have gone beyond ordinary vandalism, with signs suggesting the perpetrators were trying to exhume the coffin. Authorities have not yet established a motive for the attack.
PAC Condemns Attack On Robert Sobukwe’s Final Resting Place
The PAC has strongly condemned the desecration of its founder’s grave, describing the incident as deeply disturbing.
The party said this is the second time in 2026 that Sobukwe’s burial site has been vandalised, raising questions about the repeated targeting of the historic grave.
Robert Sobukwe is widely recognised as one of the country’s leading anti-apartheid activists and the founding president of the Pan Africanist Congress.
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He spent six years imprisoned on Robben Island before the apartheid government introduced the infamous Sobukwe Clause, legislation that allowed authorities to continue detaining him indefinitely after he had completed his prison sentence.
In recognition of his contribution to South Africa’s liberation struggle, the town of Graaff-Reinet, where he was laid to rest, was recently renamed in his honour.
