Speech by Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Michael Masutha, MP, Adv, on the occasion of the reburial of the remains of former MK soldier Thamsanqa Hector Poto
Reverend Qupe
Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality
Dr Danny Jordan
Members of the Poto Family
Members of MKMVA
Provincial leadership of the ANC and Alliance Partners
Comrades
Ladies and gentlemen
In one of his poems, renowned poet Mzwakhe Mbuli defines death as a doorway to heaven, a frequent visitor, the natural end of a human being, the end of a verse and the beginning of a chapter. The My predecessor, Dr Jeff Radebe handed over the remains of the 3 Port Elizabeth Black Civic Organisation activists (Pebco3) who were cowardly slaughtered by the apartheid security police. Today we are back here in New Brighton in this friendly province of the Eastern Cape to close yet another chapter of this gallant fighter whose commitment helped to dismantle the monster called apartheid. It is heartening to be addressing you the people of a province that has produced a litany of struggle heroes namely President Nelson Mandela, OR Tambo, Govan Mbeki, Chris Hani, Walter Sisulu, Steve Biko and many more, NINABANTU BASE MPUMAKOLONI NIBABALWE NGOZALWA NAMAQHAWE. Indeed this is the Home of the Legends.
Yesterday I had the unenviable task of taking a decision not to appeal judgment that ordered the release of the late Chris Hani murderer Clive Derby Lewis. I took that decision fully alive to the fact that as a nation we can forgive but cannot forget that which we were subjected to in the past.
As you will accordingly know, it was on June 16 that the first victim of what became known as the 1976 Student Uprisings was killed by apartheid security forces and that was 13 year old Hector Peterson. It is therefore by no coincidence that we rebury our cadre during this youth month as he shares the same name Hector as they are both martyrs of our struggle.
Thamsanqa Hector Poto was one of the five MK members shot dead in an ambush by the security forces near Alldays, Limpompo on 3 August 1988 along with Messrs Sechaba Lesimola, Sizakele Buzo ( Fuzile Patrick Zigoxo and Meschak Komsasa Nyathi. The five deceased were buried at the time of death as unidentified paupers at Tshikota cemetery in Louis Trichardt/ Makhado. In essence, they were ambushed by the notorious regime which worked tirelessly to preserve a system that sought to suppress the struggle for freedom. The Missing Person Task Team in the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) excavated the field where the four were buried and recovered their remains, which had multiple bullet wounds. Hector’s identity was confirmed through DNA tests.
We acknowledge that this process is very traumatic to all involved, especially to the Poto family, but take solace in the knowledge that our cadres will now be buried in a dignified manner. I would like to remind all of us that we are here, not only to handover comrade Hector’s remains, but to pay tribute to this gallant cadre of our struggle for freedom and democracy.
This sombre occasion reminds us of the adversity that we had to face during the struggle for political freedom and very importantly, gives us resilience as we now seek to consolidate the socio-economic freedom of our people. Comrade Poto remained resolute in the face of death and died with his boots on. He refused to grovel before a regime that trampled on the rights of the majority. We must all of us in our various areas of responsibility draw inspiration from comrades such as Hector, who paid the highest price for our freedom. Let us pick up their spear, forge ahead and build a truly prosperous South Africa.
Comrades
Our quest has been made much more plausible with the adoption of the Constitution, which guarantees the rights of everyone in South Africa. It was equally important that we recognise our grim past through the testimonies presented during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). A nation that does not acknowledge its past stands a chance to wonder forever without direction.
During the political negotiations that led to the 1994 breakthrough, we were mindful of the various instabilities that visited many former colonies post liberation due to their failure in addressing the demons of the past. Essentially the reasons for such political instabilities in many post-colonial societies were as a result of not fully addressing the legacy of historic oppression, socially, politically and economically. The TRC recommendations in this regard were geared to fulfilling the vision of a non-racial, non-sexist, stable, prosperous and democratic State that is at peace with itself from a point of view of reconciliation.
In this regard, our democratic government continues to embark on comprehensive transformation of the South African society through the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP), our roadmap towards 2030. For the NDP to become a reality, it is through efforts such as those of this departed comrade whose remains lie here in our midst today.
Comrades, Ladies and gentlemen
As we collectively trudge through to move South Africa forward, we have to constantly use the Constitution to assist in dismantling the architect of apartheid. Mainly the notion of apartheid was legitimised by legislation and enforced by biased forums and rule of terror. The apartheid regime passed a number of laws since the National Party took over in 1948, many of which have since been repealed and aligned to the Constitution. The TRC Report alluded to these repressive laws as responsible for the comprehensive oppression of the majority by a minority in our country. These are the laws that Comrade Hector fought against, to ensure the freedom and democracy of all our people.
We know others have told lies that we have not achieved anything since 1994 as an attempt to demobilise our people. On the contrary, President Jacob Zuma has correctly pointed out an undisputed truth that we have a good story to tell. Looking back 20 years, the ANC government has ensured that South Africa has one of the best constitutions in the world which guarantees all our citizens basic human rights. This is evident as many of our people have access to justice and strides have been made to improve their lives to be much better than during the system of apartheid. That system created immense poverty and inequality amongst our people which the ANC government tried to mitigate through such measures as provision of social security grants, provision of black economic empowerment opportunities and land restitution.
As a caring government and in recognition of the suffering that our departed cadres’ families endured, President Zuma passed regulations that paved the way for our department to process provision of medical, housing and education support to the victims who were and are dependants of the cadres.
Ladies and gentlemen;
As I mentioned before, our department has had several handing overs and reburials of our combatants in this province. The TRC list had nearly 500 names of those who died during the conflicts of the past. The TRC unit and Missing Persons Task Team (MPTT) have exhumed, handed to families and facilitated reburials of 96 remains of the activists. This leaves MPTT with around 400 remains of our struggle heroes and heroines whose graves are yet to be located, exhumed and given dignified reburials. There is a lot of work to be done but as government, we shall soldier on fully alive to the fact that these cadres did not die in vain.
Program Director
Allow me to also give an update on what many have raised as a fair concern with regards to some alleged political offenders who are serving time in our correctional centres. You will recall that a Special Dispensation was adopted in 2007 in order to facilitate the granting of Presidential pardon for alleged political offenders in terms of section84(2)(j) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.
After consultation with the office of the President, we have resuscitated this process and it is now at an advanced stage. We shall announce details of this process in due course. In the meantime the Department of Correctional Services is finalising the processing of parole applications for all the remaining offenders who qualify and have reached their minimum detention period for being considered for parole in terms of the Correctional Services Act. It is important to state that those offenders who have been released, and those about who await release, have participated in all the required rehabilitation programmes and will be monitored closely in the community by parole officers.
Ladies and gentlemen
I would like to conclude by assuring you all that comrade Hector’s fighting and fearless spirit shall continue to propel us to greater heights as we seek solutions to the challenges of the struggle for the complete socio-economic freedom of our people.
Allow me to express my gratitude to the family for allowing us to convene in this manner as we do this reburial with the dignity that it deserves. Also allow me to express my profound gratitude to the TRC Unit in my department, the Missing Persons Tasks Team in the NPA, the Provincial Task Team and all those who have been involved in various capacities to make this event a success.
As we proceed to take this comrade to his last home, let me remind you of the memorable words of late Chief of Staff of MK Chris Hani when he said “I’ve never wanted to spare myself because I feel there are people who are no longer around and died for this struggle. What right do I have to hold back, to rest, to preserve my health, to have time with my family, when there are other people who are no longer alive – when they sacrificed what is precious: namely life itself”. He went further and said "I have lived with death most of my life. I want to live in a free South Africa even if I have to lay down my life for it".
Comrades Let us be reminded to constantly be on guard, to defend this democracy, for it did not come cheap.
Lala ngoxolo Dibashe, Sikhapha wena Nyamazana,
Enkosi
