Phambili Ka Ntloko, national organiser of AZAPO, is born

Phambili Ka Ntloko was born on 18 April 1960 in Queenstown, Eastern Cape. As a high school student, Ntloko became involved in the South African Students’ Movement (SASM), a black consciousness organisation for high school children. He became an organizer for the Queenstown branch. In 1978, Ntloko was one of seven others sentenced to five years in Robben Island for taking part in boycotts and burning of structures following Steve Biko’s death. Ntloko completed his Matric while in prison, and was released in 1983. He joined the Azanian People’s Organisation’s (AZAPO) Queenstown branch and served on its community development secretariat.  In 1984 he was elected Chairperson of the AZAPO Queenstown branch, and two months later its Vice-President. Ntloko, who was also a human rights activist, was later ordained a priest. He died in 2000 when he was gunned down by criminals in Diepsloot.