M Tshabalala-Msimang: Tribute to victims of political violence and
peacemakers

18 January 2008

Programme Director
Minister of Intelligence Mr Dr Siyabonga Cwele
MEC of Social Development Mr Meshack Radebe
MEC of Arts and Culture Ms Weziwe Thusi
Organisers Mr Mdu Gumede, Mrs Stella Khumalo, Mr Lucky Mngwengwe
Councillors, Amakhozi IziNduna
The Community of Mpumalanga
Members of the Media
Ladies and gentlemen

It is my privilege to address you at this important and historic event to
pay tribute to the victims of political violence and their families, and to
acknowledge everyone's contribution towards the advancement of our
democracy.

This is a day when Mpumalanga, the province and the rest of the country say,
thank you to its heroes and heroines, victims and survivors of political
violence. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the heroic efforts of many
sons and daughters of Africa, who ensured a peaceful transition into democracy
in this township.

It is therefore fitting for us to trace the historic journey of this
community, and the nation as well, through a very harrowing period of the late
eighties and the early nineties, so that we can all better understand and
appreciate the road we have travelled.

This era saw hundreds of people being killed and their families displayed.
It saw families being pitted against each other, siblings against siblings. The
unrest in schools, universities and technikons, also converged in many parts of
the country, spreading unevenly, with some areas more acutely affected than
others.

The United Democratic Front (UDF) launched in Cape Town on 20 August 1983,
emerged during this explosive period. It was a national front inspired by the
leadership of the exiled ANC which was by this stage regularly working with
different organisations within the country.

The politics of the time was characterised by political struggles between
supporters of UDF and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) in the eighties and between
the African National Congress (ANC) and IFP in the nineties. But, we can never
forget the work of the third force that fuelled the violence throughout the
country.

Each time I come to Mpumalanga, I can remember with a sense of fondness the
reception I received when I first came here. Coming back from exile after close
to 30 years, I was re-integrated back home by Baba Meyiwa and Baba Gwala. This
was at the height of the violence in this province. It was either you played it
safe or you took part in finding solutions. They helped me to understand the
motive forces on the ground as we moved from Mpumalanga to Pietermaritzburg,
iNdwedwe, KwaMashu, uMlazi, Osizweni, eMsinga and Umgababa.

The community of Mpumalanga emerged into the post-1994 period socially and
economically depleted. It was obvious even then that it was not going to be
easy to reconstruct this township. But here we are today and through our blood
and sweat we have made a difference, but more needs to be done.

It is important to note that Mpumalanga Township bears scars of painful past
like many black townships in South Africa, because of a systematic and
deliberate policy of the apartheid regime to exclude Africans from the economic
and political mainstream. The township was established in 1968 to act as the
reservoir of labour to serve the industries in Hammarsdale. Hammarsdale itself
was established in the early 50's. It was one of the first places to be set as
boarder industries area with 200 to 300 land owners, who were against force
removals.

The owners established an organisation called Camperdown District and Bantu
Land owners to resist removal. Some of the members of that organisation were
ANC and Natal High Command members who included Matthews Meyiwa and Zakhele
Mdlalose. Together with their comrades Eric Mtshali, Curmick Ndlovu and others,
participated in the resistance campaign in the early 60's. Their involvement
led them to prison, together with the current ANC president Jacob Zuma, who was
sentenced to eight years.

As we know, Hammarsdale became a home of the ANC in 1959. Members of the ANC
Women's League led a dompass protest march to Camperdown magistrate court. A
lot still needs to be documented. I commit and challenge the Natal Women's
Resource Centre to compile a report on the role of women of Mpumalanga in the
struggle, to be delivered on the International Women's Day. The involvement of
the youth on the other hand in the struggle for democracy in this township
became evident in 1963-4 when learners at Camperdown Secondary School (now
called Phezulu High School) left the country to join the MK.

This is an important part of your history. It defines who we are as a
community and a nation. It helps to make sense of a time radically different
from our own time. It helps us to understand how we got here, and how the
experiences of those who walked this land before us have shaped our present and
how they are bound to influence our future as well.

In spite of the past violent experiences, Mpumalanga has today risen like a
phoenix from the ashes, to produce great achievers in the fields of politics,
business, sports, music and other creative industry genres such as Soul
Brothers, Macbeth Sibaya, Sibusiso Zuma, Gcina Mhlophe, Fred Khumalo. We are
honoured to have some of these interesting people here with us. They will all
receive their honorary awards.

I would also like to acknowledge and applaud the sterling role that
Mpumalanga and its people played in eliminating political violence and
restoring peace in the community. We also salute the role played by the current
ANC president Mr Jacob Zuma, who, as the ANC Provincial Chairperson then,
together with local leaders Dr Meshack Hadebe, Dr Sipho Mlaba, James Nxumalo,
Willies Mchunu and many others, during negotiations for peace in
Mpumalanga.

This community, in 1993, made history by receiving the inaugural Africa
Peace Award from the African Centre for Constructive Resolutions of Disputes.
President Nelson Mandela became the second recipient of that very important
historical Africa Peace Award.

The residents of Mpumalanga have visibly moved from the violent past to
position themselves for the future, and could do more by:
* implementing programmes to curtail some of the social ills that affect the
youth in the township
* engraving symbols of remembrance in the township, for our current and future
generations
* implementing infrastructural programmes to promote the township as one of the
key tourist destinations in the province.

The participation of the youth in achieving these objectives is crucial.
Young people have made an enormous contribution to the development of their
communities, and continue to be amongst the most active individuals. You must
continue to play a role in designing and shaping your own future. You should
not allow anybody to define for you who you are. You should also heed the
counsel of our great fathers:

President Thabo Mbeki, in his address on June 16, 2008, observed that
whereas the youth of 1976 used stones and barricades against repressive forces,
today's youth should use education and skills to fight poverty and
unemployment…they should use their talents to mobilise and campaign against
crime and against drugs they should go to college and university to acquire
skills for their advancement and the development of the continent must pursue
healthy lifestyles, including safe sex to protect themselves from sexually
transmitted infections and AIDS.

President Nelson Mandela also cautions that "education is the great engine
of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant
can become a doctor, that a son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine
that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation."
Recognising the importance of developing young people, we are establishing the
National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), to create co-ordination in youth
development matters. The National Youth Development Agency Bill has been signed
into law, Act No 54/6/8/ of 2008, to start the process of merging the National
Youth Commission and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund.

The involvement of women in issues of development is equally important.
Women are the majority in terms of numbers and that alone is sufficient to
dictate women's participation in issues concerning their lives being it
economical, social and political, or any development aspect. Through
conferences and workshops, I have re-introduced a debate on 50/50
representation of women in politics and decision making positions. Women can
properly represent and articulate their own needs.

Amandla! Awethu!

Issued by: The Presidency
18 January 2009
Source: The Presidency (http://www.thepresidency.gov.za)