T Manuel: Memorial service of Eric Molobi

8 June 2006

“It is love for mankind’s better future,
Desire that we may all be better,
That our mistakes be higher ones, and

That the lowest level in living conditions be
At least one which is adequate,
It is love that drives the seed into becoming the future tree,
It is love that makes people extend their hands across seas,
Across race, across creeds,

Forging links that make the human dream grow into splendid human
realities,
It is love that drives the mother to protect the child against suffering,
It is love that makes the writer weep when a blood tide announces itself just
over the horizon.”
Author - Ben Okri

Ben Okri in writing these words could be describing the life of our comrade
Eric. Eric Molobi gave of himself fully to serve, guide, protect and lead
without asking for anything in return.

When he was arrested, detained, tortured and imprisoned in 1974 it was for
that vision which Okri describes as “that the lowest level of living conditions
be at least one that is adequate.” But by his activism happening as early, when
the risks were so much greater was about the “love that drives the seed into
becoming the future tree” and this month we will celebrate the 30th anniversary
of a great tree planted in Soweto and we will know that the ground was prepared
by Eric.

Eric’s love and engagement was never distant and aloof in relation to
anybody. In the first chat we had in the 80s and in every discussion since to
the last one a few months ago he addressed me simply as “broer”. He used the
term not as a fashion statement but as a form of address so wonderfully warm,
so full of respect and with so much dignity. Eric used the term “broer” to
extend his dreams, to help those dreams grow, through the agency of those whom
he trusted and cared for and there are so many of us, Eric’s ‘broers’ in whom
he identified an extension of himself.

That forging of links was the story of Eric’s life. I have not observed his
business contacts at close quarters but I can imagine that those business
persons whom he engaged with closely people who came from different backgrounds
Ernst Kahle, Bill Lynch, Johan Rupert, Peter Doyle and so many others would
also have been touched by his greatness, warmth and clarity, no need for
secrets or duplicity. Eric’s intentions were clear “love for mankind’s better
future, desire that we may all be better.” This was articulated in strong
contradistinction to those who would say, “What’s in it for me.”

Notwithstanding the harshness of the torture that he’d been through, (this
was not the stuff you spoke about), he was prepared to take responsibility
again after his release. History would not wait, the seed was also growing into
a tree and young trees need to be nurtured that was Eric’s calling and that was
his continuous act of love. So when the idea of the United Democratic Front
(UDF) had come it required ideas, experience and passion, Eric was there and
ready. When the struggle shifted intensively to education and the NECC cried
out for leadership, Eric was there and ready regardless of the depth of risk.
Many of us will recall the NECC meeting at Easter of 1986 in Durban where we
watched Eric’s car set alight from the windows of the Moon Hotel, where we were
staying, when we watched the armed attack on us when decisions were taken that
the conference had to proceed and that the delegates had to be protected. When
we were literally under fire we saw and felt the quality of Eric’s
leadership.

The establishment of the partnership between Kagiso Trust and the European
Union (EU) was probably not designed by either party to have such detail or
longevity. The fact that Eric had the trust of the initiators like Oom Bey and
the counterparties in Brussels, because not trusting Eric was an exceptionally
difficult thing this trust allowed for the partnership and the rise of KTI to
ensure the sustainability of plough back into communities. This transition was
one that required, beyond the necessary trust, an enormous amount of vision and
Eric possessed this in such vast quantities.

Despite the environment that he worked in and the people that he rubbed
shoulders with, Eric’s remarkable strength was his internalisation of the
values that had guided every action through his adult life. The “love that
makes the writer weep when a blood tide announces itself just over the horizon”
was in evidence when he recently explained some of his concerns about what is
going wrong with Black Economic Empowerment (BEE). He related an incident to me
about a particular individual; he explained that when he visited this
entrepreneur he was taken to the garage before being taken into the house for
in the garage was the pride and joy of the owner. “Just over R3 million worth
of motor cars,” Eric’s horror continued when he saw this same person in Soweto
on two occasions on the same day driving different luxury cars. Eric’s concern
was about what we demonstrate to the youth on the one hand and on the other
hand if all we struggled for was for such conspicuous consumption. With the
keen mind of the accountant he added that this guy could not be very smart to
invest so much in an asset that depreciated so rapidly. To boot he said the
person whom he described very colourfully never even lifted a finger in the
struggle but was now appropriating all its fruits.

Values, principles and service the three attributes that made Eric the great
friend and comrade were attributes that he had in great abundance.

But there’s the other private side of his life, his deep love and
partnership with Martha, Lele and Tiisetso this was the area of no compromise
and this was the foundation of Eric’s remarkable strength.

“In his passing, we have lost the best of what defines us go well, broer,
you have been a great teacher, leader and friend. You have served life and the
movement so well because you loved us all so deeply.”

Thank you!

Issued by: Ministry of Finance
8 June 2006