ANC no letters.jpg Katlehong, Johannesburg, 23 April 2016 Eulogy by President JG Zuma at the mass funeral of the Ekurhuleni 10 who died returning from launch of ANC Manifesto ANC National Executive Committee members present Leaders representing various structures of the MDM Families of the deceased Comrades and friends Receive greetings from the African National Congress. It is with sadness that we have gathered here today to bid farewell and lay to rest the mortal remains of the dedicated, selfless volunteers of our movement, the ANC. The horrific tragedy of Sunday the 17th removed from among us our beloved family members, friends and comrades. True to its cowardly character, death struck at us whilst we were in a joyous mood when we were still celebrating the launch of our Elections Manifesto as the ANC. We are now left to remember 10 members of the ANC and who like all of us had left their homes with the purpose of renewing their commitment to serving the people of South Africa. It is fitting to say that these comrades lost their lives while on duty for this movement. The act of taking time out of their daily lives to attend the launch of the Manifesto of our movement was a sign of their commitment to serving the people of South Africa. Comrades and friends, I want to say thank you to the families and friends of the deceased comrades. I thank them for having borrowed us exemplary human beings who chose to live their lives in service of their people. Siyakhala ukuthi silahlekelwd amalunga ethu ekadeeyithanda iANC, ezimisele ukuqhuba imigomo yayo, futhi esebenza kanzima ukuthuthukisaimiphakathi avelakuyo. Sila namhlanje ukuzokhala nani muziwase Ekurhuleni.Silana Futhi ukuzoduduza imindenielahlekelwe.Lamalunga esiwafihlayo namhlanjeashiyeizingane, abazali, nezizihlobozawo. The lives of these comrades are of equal worth to the lives of those who we now regard as ancestors of the ANC. These are all people who shared the valid belief that the ANC is a movement of the people and a true vehicle for meaningful social change. Comrades, the passing on of these 10 members of our movement must serve as a clarion call. Their death must remind us that the ANC is an idea that must live well beyond all of us. We must dedicate our lives to serving and defending the ANC at all times. The upcoming Local Government Elections are a critical platform that must be used as a defence of the ANC. All of us as volunteers of the ANC must honour our fallen comrades by marching together in unity. We must unite as we mobilize our communities to renew their contract with the ANC at the polling stations. ANC representatives must honour their part of the contract by resolving the challenges that are faced by our people. Comrades, Our movement is alive through our service. We keep the ANC alive by dedicating ourselves to serving the people that entrust it with their votes. We are now called upon to return to the homes of our people to remind them of the work that we have done. We must proudly tell the story of the good strides that the ANC government has made. We must also humbly accept that more needs to be done. As a result we are called upon to return to the people to explain our manifesto of commitments as a pledge of our continued service to their demands. Comrades, we are only capable of governing when we are reading from the same script. You cannot lead people when you are not speaking in the same voice. We must close ranks and focus on a common message of service delivery and service to our people. We must march in one line towards these local government elections. There are attempts by opponents of the ANC to force us into a war with ourselves. Members of the ANC are constantly encouraged to stand against their movement for them to be branded as heroes. All of this is done with the intention of weakening the unity and cohesion of the ANC. In memory of our fallen comrades, we have a duty to safeguard the unity of the ANC. We must close ranks and focus on what unites us; which is the consolidation of democracy and building a better life for all through the delivery of quality services to our people. It is also through providing meaningful leadership to society. This is the only way that we can honour the memory of the Ekurhuleni 10 as they go on to join the ancestors of their movement, the ANC. Programme director, Speaking on behalf of the ANC NEC at the Memorial Service held in honour of these comrades on Thursday, The Secretary-General of the ANC advised that when this region observes the Heroes’ Month in April next year and beyond, we must find space to honour the memory of the comrades we are burying here today. I want to reaffirm this point made by Comrade Gwede Mantashe. In the culture of our movement, we honour as heroes the ordinary men and women who, as members of the ANC and other progressive formations, lose their lives while in service of South Africa. The memory of our prominent leaders is celebrated as a representation of all these ordinary members whose lives are equally important. Therefore comrades, when you honour these comrades together with comrade Chris Hani and Comrade Oliver Tambo as a region, you will be doing justice to the values of our movement! Comrades, we now dedicate our local government campaign to the memory of the Ekurhuleni 10. Through our hard work we will pay a victorious election tribute to them and other ancestors of our glorious movement. And that hard work is to ensure that our people live in better communities, with water, sanitation, electricity and functional clinics and police stations. It must be communities where refuse is collected and where streets are clean, where children go to school and are taught by committed teachers and supported by committed parents. It must be communities where women can walk safely without any fear of being attacked, where the economy grows and more people find jobs. We should commit ourselves to working together to building that kind of society – a united, nonracial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa. We will then be taking forward, the vision that drove the Ekurhuleni 10 to travel all the way to Port Elizabeth to launch the ANC Manifesto. They believed in that vision. Comrades and friends, What causes more pain is the fact that the death was caused by a road crash. The numbers of road collisions and crashes on our roads remains high and calls for introspection among all drivers, about what we should do better to protect our lives and those of others. Something is not right and we all have to take responsibility to correct the attitudes on the road and the failure to respect the rules of the road at times. Improved policing by traffic officers alone will not solve the problem. It is every driver’s patriotic duty to use South Africa’s roads wisely and responsibly. Into engiphatha kabi kakhulu uhloboabahambe ngaloemhlabenilabafowethu nodadewethuesizobafihlanamhlanje. Izingozi zasemgwaqeni zithathaimiphemulo eminingikakhulu ezwenilakithi. Baningi abantwana abayizintandanengenxa yezingozizemigwaqo. Siyakhuza futhi siyashwelezakubashayeli ukuthiabashayelengokucophelela. Akuphele ukugijimisa izimotonamabhasi ngesivininiesingaphezukokweqa ngoba lokho kubekaimiphefumuloyabantu engcupheni. Akuphele ukuqhuba izimotonamabhasi kube kudliweamanziamponjwana. Siyabakhuthaza abashayeli ukuthibagweme ukuqhubaizimotonamabhasi noma sebezizwa ukuthibakhathele.Uma sonke silandelaimithetho yemigwaqominingiimiphefumulo esingayiphephisa. Siyakhuza bakwethu, sekwanele. Njengomndeni ka Khongolose, sithiakuhlangalungehlanga. Izinyembezizenu siyazibona. Ukukhalakwenusiyakuzwa. Sithi anisele nedwa. Lalani ngenxebanazi ukuthi sinaningalesi sikhathisezinhlungu. Duduzekani, ngoba amaqhawe lawaabelwela ukuthiiNingizimu Africa ibeindaw engcono, lapho abantubephilakangcono, beholwa uKhongolose. Sithi sonke masiqhubele phambiliumsebenzi wabo. Masikume sakhe leNingizimu Africa abebeyilwela, ukuze sibakhumbulengendlela efanele. Sibafisela ukuphumula okuhle, balalengoxolo.Sikhumbula nalomndeni prodigal eKZN. Sithinabobaduduzeke, sikanye nabokulomsebenzi wokubekaamaqhawe ethu endaweni yokugcina. Comrades, Victory, against poverty, inequality and unemployment in honour of our comrades, is in our hands! We will pick up their spears, and forge ahead towards a better life, which can only come about, through the leadership of the ANC. I thank you. -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. 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