P Mlambo-Ngcuka: Inaugural Lecture of Solomon Mahlangu

“My blood will nourish the tree that will bear the fruits of freedom. Tell
my people that I love them. They must continue the fight."

Solomon “Kalushi” Mahlangu on his way to the gallows. 6 April 1979.

Chairperson of the Centre for Education Policy Development (CEPD), Dr Blade
Nzimande,
Director of the Centre for Education Policy Development (CEPD), John
Pampallis,
Mum Martha Mahlangu and members of the family of the late Solomon “Kalushi”
Mahlangu,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Friends and comrades,

It is indeed a pleasure and a privilege for me to be here with you today, to
deliver an address on the life and times of Solomon Mahlangu. I am grateful for
this opportunity of having to reflect on the importance of the life of this
great hero of our revolution, and a martyr of our struggle.

It has been 27 years since we laid to rest the remains of this freedom
fighter, a hero of our revolution Comrade Solomon “Kalushi” Mahlangu.

We do not just say Solomon Mahlangu was a hero, a revolutionary freedom
fighter or a martyr for the sake of it nor do we say it in a light hearted and
meaningless manner, we say it in its proper political context and significance,
with its profound political meaning.

According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English:

Hero: means “a man/woman (person) who is admired for doing something
extremely brave”,
Martyr: means “someone who is killed or punished because of his/her religious
or political beliefs”,
Revolutionary: means “completely new and different, especially in a way that
leads to great improvements”. We can not deny that Solomon’s deeds in life and
death gave something gave something new and led to improvements.

Today’s Solomon Mahlangu inaugural lecture is extremely significant,
particularly since this year we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Soweto
16 June Uprisings, an event that more than any other brought young people like
Solomon Mahlangu to the centre stage of our struggle. It is a day that shaped
and changed the course of history in our country. It is also the day that
shaped and changed the life of Solomon Mahlangu and his family.

The name of Solomon Mahlangu has become synonymous with the youth struggles
and courage.

His life was closely connected and intertwined with the struggles of the
youth and students fighting for a better education and a free South Africa and
it is significant therefore that when we remember him we recall that 16 June
the day that propelled youth like Solomon Mahlangu to the forefront of our
struggle, as he joined the struggle soon after the Soweto Uprisings of 16 June
1976.

Solomon “Kalushi” Mahlangu, is perhaps the best embodiment of that courage
and heroism, youth vitality and commitment which was so dramatically portrayed
by the Soweto youth generation.

Solomon “Kalushi” Mahlangu holds a special place in the minds and hearts of
many people, especially amongst the old and young people activists of our
country and in the liberation movement as a whole.
In order to understand comrade Solomon better it is important to look at the
times that shaped him.

At the risk of repeating what many of you already know about comrade Solomon
allow me to take a brief look at his intense enigmatic and short life.

Solomon “Kalushi” Mahlangu was born in Mamelodi a township near Pretoria
(Tshwane) on 10 July in 1956, he grew up in an apartheid South Africa. He was
born just a month before that historic march of 50 000 women to the Union
Buildings in protest against the hated pass laws. The march whose 50th
anniversary we celebrate this year. No wonder he turned out to be a
revolutionary that he was. He was born in a historic year for our struggle.

Solomon “Kalushi” Mahlangu was the second son of the Mahlangu’s, after 1962,
saw his father infrequently. His mother Martha Mahlangu was a domestic worker
and took sole responsibility for his upbringing. He attended Mamelodi High
School up to standard eight, but did not complete his schooling as a result of
the schools closure due to ongoing riots. Like numerous other youths who joined
the struggle against apartheid.

It was a system that comrade “Kalushi” vowed to change by all means
necessary including the armed struggle.

In October 1976 Solomon Mahlangu skipped the country where he joined the
African National Congress (ANC) and its military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK).
He became an armed combatant for the liberation of his country.

On his return he was captured and his trial one devastating episodes in his
life. Solomon had received training from Angola and Mozambique. On 11 June 1977
he returned to South Africa, through Swaziland ready to fight.

On 13 June 1977, Mahlangu and his companion and comrade Monty Johannes
Motloung and George "Lucky" Mahlangu were accosted in Johannesburg after which
they fled to a warehouse.

In the ensuing shooting two civilians were killed and two wounded. Mahlangu
and Motloung were arrested. George Mahlangu escaped. Monty was so brutally
beaten during the course of his capture that he suffered severe brain damage
leaving him unfit to stand trial.

Solomon Mahlangu was tried from 7 November 1977 to 1 March 1978. His charges
arose from the machine pistol and grenade attack in Goch Street, Johannesburg
in June 1977. He was charged with two counts of murder and several charges
under the Terrorism Act.

Mahlangu pleaded not guilty to the charges. His counsel stated that he
entered South Africa in June 1977 as part of a group of 10, bringing arms,
ammunition, explosives and ANC pamphlets into the country. The judge, however,
concluded that Motloung was responsible for the actual killing, he also
accepted that he was unfit to stand trial as a result of mental illness due to
the brutality of the police.

Because common purpose had been established Mahlangu was found guilty on two
counts of murder and three under the Terrorism Act Mahlangu was sentenced to
death on 2 March 1978.

On 15 June 1978 Solomon Mahlangu was refused leave to appeal his sentence by
the Rand Supreme Court and on 24 July 1978 he was refused again by the
Bloemfontein Appeal Court.

Although various governments, the United Nations (UN), international
organisations, groups and prominent individuals attempted to intercede on his
behalf Mahlangu awaited his execution in the Pretoria Central Prison and was
finally executed on 6 April 1979. That was a dark cloud for all of us. We held
vigils all over the country. I cannot even pretend and understand the pain of
the family.

The execution provoked international protest and condemnation of South
Africa’s policies. But what a brave young man strong disciplined focused until
the end.

On 6 April 1993 he was reburied at the Mamelodi Cemetery where a plaque
shows what his last words were. After having been buried in Atteridgeville as
an apartheid court sentenced him to death in 1978, he shouted “Amandla!” His
now famous last words before his jailers took him to the gallows on 6 April
1979, and then only 23 years old were: "My blood will nourish the tree that
will bear the fruits of freedom. Tell my people that I love them. They must
continue the fight."

These words inspired a generation of youth to fight and freedom fighters for
an end to the ruthless apartheid system which martyred Solomon Mahlangu. In his
short and yet brief life he achieved what others spend a lifetime trying to
achieve. This is the proud inspiring story of a gallant soldier, martyr
visionary.

Solomon's generation did continue the fight. In honour of his courage and
dedication to the cause of freedom, the ANC named a new school after him. The
Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College (SOMAFCO). There was another fountain of
knowledge which moulded many of our cadres and all whom were inspired by the
life of Solomon which the school embodied.

When South Africans began to return back to their motherland SOMAFCO was
donated to the Tanzanian people. I had the honour and privilege to visit
SOMAFCO in 1987 and in state of disrepair it still evoked emotions. In one of
the graves of our comrades it was written; “Ours was not a struggle to benefit
and glorify us but to serve the people of SA.”

After 27 years since the brutal slaying of comrade “Kalushi” and 30 years
since that historic and heroic Soweto uprising, we must ask ourselves what
lessons have we learnt from the legacy Solomon Mahlangu left behind. How do we
make sure this life of a son, brother, leader shines for ever? We have not yet
achieved all that he struggled for. We have made a start, we have a good
foundation.

Indeed his blood nourished the tree of freedom. It is a legacy of
commitment, conviction and dedication to the goals of our national democratic
struggle.

These qualities we still need today. Less we snatch defeat in the throes of
victory. Our task is to work hard for a better education system, equal
education for all our schoolchildren. We need a legacy of youth development,
skills development and youth empowerment in all its facets. To achieve that
each one of us in our stations in life must do our best. As students,
educators, workers, politicians we all still need to rise higher and contribute
in the building of a developmental state.

I am confident that Solomon Mahlangu was he alive today would be very proud
of the improvements and achievements that have been scored by the democratic
government 12 years since the eradication of apartheid in the education arena
and would be concerned about the need to achieve even more and quicker.

The government has undertaken many reforms over the past 12 years to begin
overcoming the legacy of the past. These include the following:

* A new non-racial system of educational administration has been put in
place.

* There has been an opening up of opportunities to members of previously
oppressed groups in formerly privileged institutions, such as the former Model
C schools and the historically white universities.

* The school curriculum has been revamped to both democratise and modernise
it and to make it more responsive to the needs of a new and developing South
Africa.

* In the townships and many rural areas there has been a marked improvement
in the ethos of schools which have been trying to overcome the disorganisation
and indiscipline (and indeed chaos) associated with the deterioration in the
culture of learning and teaching in the turbulent 1980s and much of the
1990s.

* The system of school funding has been changed in pursuit of greater
equity.

* Vast sums of money have been spent on upgrading the skills of our
teachers.

* The higher education system has been reorganised and in this way it is
hoped that it will become stronger, more efficient and more responsive to the
needs of both students and the economy.

* The further education system has been rationalised into a smaller number
of larger colleges and is currently undergoing a process of recapitalisation
and curriculum modernisation.

We need to work together to build a formidable community/youth service
(CYS).

* To build amongst our young people a culture of service to community.
* To give them skills.
* To build them as good citizens we need all institutions to support the
CYS.

Perhaps, the most appropriate memorial to Solomon Mahlangu and his heroic
generation would be for us all to commit ourselves to a struggle to raise the
educational standards of the majority of our people in the schools and in the
communities. The CYS offers us a platform to do that.

Let us all agree true liberation through economic, cultural, social and
political will only be achieved through education for the most of our people
and nurtured by discipline and commitment to our country.

If Solomon was not disciplined and did not love the nation as he did the
story of our liberation could have been different. Let us rebuild that calibre
of discipline and ask “what can I do for my country not only what the country
must do for me.” Let us respect ourselves not killing of police, destroying
property, and putting our organisations and leaders into disrepute as that is
not the way to honour our heroes and to be responsible cadres.

Let us commit ourselves to honouring the memory of Solomon Mahlangu by
dedicating ourselves to fighting to raise educational standards for our
children and for our adult population as they struggle to achieve the broad
range of skills required to find and sustained employment and work in a fast
changing economy.

To Mum Martha Mahlangu and the Solomon Mahlangu family, thank you for giving
birth to this noble son and patriot, thank you for giving us this hero this
martyr, this gallant fighter for freedom, this revolutionary freedom fighter.
Let us do something about our veteran’s families of fallen heroes who are
destitute.

Mama Mahlangu may you find strength in the knowledge that he will always be
remembered for the role he played and sacrifices he made, to free his country
and his people.

Thank you for allowing him to be part of the ANC family. May you find
comfort in the knowledge that his name is recorded in the annals of history for
the outstanding contribution he made to the liberation struggle of our country.
His name shall forever be held in great awe among the heroes and heroines of
our struggle. He is the beloved son of our revolution.

I thank you!

Issued by: The Presidency
27 June 2006