Chalked on the blackboard was "Mam-07/001 (5910) 01-03-2007", for the forensic anthropology team's photographic record of the exhumation on Thursday in the cemetery near Pretoria.

The gravesite — one of thousands lying under an unmarked grassy area in the middle of the cemetery — was cordoned off with red and white plastic tape and, behind the tape, dozens of people stood watching. Some sang. Others prayed.

On the site, a team led by Argentine forensic anthropologist Luis Fondebrider spent the day exhuming the grave, searching for the remains of the man, for decades famous, as SA's first recorded death in detention.

Ngudle died in September 1963, aged 41. He had been the Western Cape commander of the African National Congress' armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and a trade unionist.

Although his family knew more or less what had happened to him, his grave had been hidden and they want his remains taken to the family home in Middledrift in the Eastern Cape for proper burial.

Returning remains to families 'hugely important'

It's 44 years later, but the head of the National Prosecuting Authority missing persons task team, Madeleine Fullard, said the return of remains was hugely important to families.

"It's like finding the most precious treasure, the most precious thing you can imagine," said Fullard.

"Even though it's terribly sad for the families it can be strangely happy."

There are dozens of similar cases in South Africa.

Fullard's small team was set up two years ago in the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to continue the search for the missing.

"We've done 32 exhumations so far. Some we are still waiting for the DNA results (for final identification)," said Fullard.

"We're ready to move on a number of other cases when the department of justice has finalised their exhumation policy."

Searching for years for the remains of people who disappeared in wars or political unrest is an international phenomenon.

For Fondebrider, it's a lifetime's work.

"Twenty-three years ago I started looking for people who disappeared in our country."

He helped set up the Argentine forensic anthropology team he now heads, which "applies science to the recovery of bodies of missing people".

That team works around the world in forensic investigations of human rights violations and trying to identify victims.

Fondebrider can't remember how many exhumations he's done.

"I've worked in 40 countries around the world, so hundreds and hundreds."

Exhuming Che Guevara

In 1997, he helped exhume the remains of South American revolutionary Che Guevara, after a two-year investigation.

Guevara was killed in 1967 and his body buried under an airstrip.

"It was in a mass grave with seven bodies in Vallegrande in Bolivia."

Guevara was reburied in Cuba.

In 1996, Fondebrider helped the TRC with about 50 exhumations. Now he helps the NPA team and trains local scientists.

The searches are a three-phase task.

First is the research to find the grave.

Second is exhumation.

Then it's the laboratory work — assessing the remains for age and sex, injuries and cause of death, distinguishing features to help with identification and DNA testing. DNA testing can take months. It matches samples from bones to blood samples from relatives.

Finding Ngudle's grave

Finding Ngudle's grave meant searching cemetery records.

"He was there as Looksmart Sowayile," said researcher Nicky Rousseau, who helped the team.

Ngudle had been raised by an aunt whose surname was Sowandle, so the police probably knew him by that name.

"The name was very very close. It gave the grave number and date and those matched perfectly."

Then the Tshwane metro's cemetery authorities helped.

Deputy manager for engineering surveying James Naledi and surveyor Derek Olivier searched for grave 5910 in block N indicated in the record, working from a grid of metal marker pegs hammered almost completely into the ground throughout the cemetery.

There are 10 blocks in the graveyard, each holding up to 10 000 unmarked paupers' graves.

"It was very important to show them the correct grave," said Olivier.

The record showed three people buried in 5910, a woman at the bottom, Ngudle in the middle and a man on top.

Digging by hand

At the identified site, a team of diggers in blue overalls took turns to dig a coffin-sized hole with a pick and spades.

Amos Nhlapo used to be a gravedigger in Soshanguve until he joined Fullard's team two years ago. He has helped exhume "maybe 20-something" bodies.

"I enjoy it. It's part of my training — I'm a boxer," said Nhlapo.

"We are doing it by hand, because with a machine we can hurt the bones.

"It's hard for the families to see, but they do understand."

When they hit the frame of the coffin, the anthropologists took over, digging with smaller implements and sifting soil through sieves to find bone fragments.

Symbolic occasion

The occasion was symbolic not only for Ngudle's family, but also for his former comrades, MK veterans who watched the digging.

Major-General Zolile Nqose, and Brigadier-General Teddington Nqapayi, both retired from the SA National Defence Force, both remembered Ngudle as the comrade who recruited them to MK.

"Looksmart organised me and others like Chris Hani," said Nqose.

Brigadier-General Deacon Mathe, head of the SA Air Force Reserve and chairperson of the MK Veterans' Association, was too young to have met Ngudle but learnt about him while jailed on Robben Island.

"I was conscientised about the core group of MK on Robben Island."

By the end of the day, the team had found three sets of remains as the records indicated, with a woman at the bottom.

"It's a good sign," said Fullard.

The remains are now undergoing forensic tests to try to confirm identity.

Ngudle's son, Siyanda, was a small child when his father died and, although he still wishes he knew exactly how he died and who was responsible, is looking forward to taking the remains home.

"I think I'm happy that finally it looks like we will get my father's remains so we can give him a proper burial."

Sapa