Serving leadership must give way for new blood that is fired up with life-changing ideas! Appreciating, acknowledging and praising Cde Ntate Kgalema ‘Mkhuluwa’ Motlanthe while he is still alive. Like good old red wine that never rots but cocks, Mkhuluwa matured and aged in the cask of the ANC, only to be fully enjoyed in time Kgoshi Maepa 12 March 2014 In his wisdom, Cde Ntate Kgalema ‘Mkhuluwa’ Motlanthe said the following words as he retires from parliament: “Being asked to serve one’s country at any point in history is always an honour. However, the truth is our nation is replete with luminous talent. Not only that, at some point serving leadership must give way, so that new blood, fired up with life-changing ideas, can take society to a higher level of development.” As a starting point, I want to indicate that we need to earn our applause as ANC cadres through hard work. Praises will come if we are honest and hardworking. Today, I would like to praise one of the finest, dedicated and hardworking revolutionary of the ANC, during our lifetime. I really want to appreciate, acknowledge and praise Mkhuluwa [English meaning: the elder one] while he is still alive. I know that Mkhuluwa is a kind of person who will not like to be specially selected among others as the best and peculiar in our revolutionary struggle. However, time and circumstances demand of me to narrate his peculiar political story for the benefit of all concerned - in and outside the ANC – and more importantly, for future generations of ANC activists. I have deep RESPECT for a comrade who remains in the ANC even after losing a leadership position at a Conference. Cde Ntate Kgalema Motlanthe is an excellent EXAMPLE of the kind of comrade I am talking about – true, tried and tested leadership. I was one of Mkhuluwa’s avid supporters and committed lobbyist before Mangaung and at the ANC Conference in December 2012. We lost hands down in terms of our leadership preferences, not even close – we were trounced; but then most of us accepted the results and ANCs democratic processes. We moved forward, because our allegiance is to the ANC and NOT the person. Most of us [the so called people who supported Cde Ntate Kgalema Motlanthe] remain to be disciplined cadres of this glorious movement called the ANC, even to this day. We continued to work for the ANC even in difficult times, participate in structures and help to shape policy direction – regardless of whether we won or lost conference. What we know is that in the ANC there are NO LOSERS OR WINNERS, the ANC is the only VICTOR. It is important to indicate that leadership preferences / lobbyist that operate beyond Conference are in their nature and character ANTI-REVOLUTIONARY and ANTI-ANC from a vantage point of ANC established cultures and traditions. It is something that is frowned upon by all tried and tested cadres of our movement – a foreign tendency. In the ANC we support a democratically elected leadership and rally behind a programme of action [POA] that has been adopted by the newly elected leadership and the entirety of membership. ANC Conferences are NOT about the CULT of PERSONALITY and its leaders - they are in the end, about three main aspects: 1. Measuring ANC performance in the intervening period [especially its performance in governance – since we are the ruling party]; 2. Shaping policy [i.e. reviewing Strategy and Tactics] and 3. Crafting a way forward [i.e. Declaration], including a theme for the future [i.e. The decade of the Cadre] To say that Cde former President and the current Deputy President of South Africa, Ntate Kgalema Motlanthe is one of ANC’s greatest leader - is to tell the truth. He epitomizes true ANC cadreship in my view - FORTITUDE. Indeed Mkhuluwa has served us well as a country and the ANC, with distinction, utmost due skill and care. It is also important to mention that Mkhuluwa is a great man who espouses strong values of courage, humility, integrity, respect and selflessness. I know that Cde Ntate Kgalema Motlanthe is proud to count himself a foot soldier of the ANC. To me he is a colossus because, he is supremely humble, a selfless servant of our people in the South African revolution. In his own writings - Mkhuluwa often quotes Joseph Joubert, the French philosopher, who said: “The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.” Mkuluwa started his participation from the lowest levels of our glorious movement, in the people’s army uMkhonto weSizwe and in the workers struggles - and ultimately became a national leader. He also served time in Robben Island and in prison he was recruited into the South African Communist Party [SACP] – which he later served as a member of its central committee. Herry Gwala, apart from Govan Mbeki and Lawrence Phokanoka, is said to have had the greatest influence on him, during his time on the Island. Mkhuluwa served in many senior positions and in different organisations within the tripartite alliance [ANC; COSATU and the SACP] and hierarchical structures. I also want to mention that, it is part of Cde Ntate Kgalema`s greatness and heroic stature that, having quite early on understood the importance of the unity of the tripartite alliance, he succeeded in ably serving each partner individually and all of them together - as a collective front for national and social emancipation. It is comrades like Ntate Motlanthe and his collective of trade-unionists, who fought against all attempts to turn the trade unions into appendages of the property-owning classes and resisted all efforts to emasculate the working class as a leading social force for political change in our country. His record as General Secretary and leader of NUM [National Union of Mineworkers] bears testimony to my assertion [1987-1997]. At the July 1987 COSATU Congress, NUM chose Mkhuluwa to present its proposal that COSATU adopt the Freedom Charter. This was simply because of his astuteness and ability to articulate the union’s proposal. During his tenure as Secretary General of the ANC between 1997-2007. Cde Ntate Kgalema Motlanthe knew that the durability of the alliance between the ANC, the SACP and the trade union movement [COSATU] lay in strengthening each as an independent formation and in securing their cooperation on an entirely voluntary basis. He therefore always worked to ensure that these formations respected one another and developed among them a deep-seated feeling of revolutionary unity and interdependence. In his last farewell speech to parliament on 11 March 2014; Mkhuluwa said the following: “On the ticket of the ANC I took oath of office, both as Minister in the Presidency and subsequently, the President of our country..... Instinctually, I would affirm that whatever I managed to help our nation do correctly during those trying times, I did so leaning on the ANC as my pillar of strength. For this, I am eternally grateful.” Cde Ntate Kgalema Motlanthe, like a true cadre and patriot he is, never forgot that he came to the echelons of power through the ANC ticket. In his demeanour he always put his country first and the ANC before his selfish interests, which is what true ANC leadership is all about - humility and selflessness – PEOPLE CENTERED. In his wisdom, Dr. AB Xuma [Former President of the ANC, 1940-1949] said: True and genuine leaders serve the cause of the people and do not expect the cause to serve them or become a source of profit and honour for them I have always followed and read speeches, statements and work written by Mkhuluwa and I must say that on many occasions, I have found his intelligent articulation to be the highest form of political education for the masses and ordinary members; in particular how they should unite in struggle. After all, UNITY is a CORNER STONE and an important FONDATION on which the ANC was build. Allow me to reminisce the words of Isithwalandwe/Seaparankwe OR Tambo at the funeral of Joe Gqabi in 1981, when he said: “Joe leaves a record in our struggle which will be surpassed by few. He was certainly a seasoned political leader of outstanding ability. To say that the enemy has struck us a blow is to tell the truth. He is a positive loss because he was the type of leader who knew how to follow. He was the type of operative who yielded results. He was a leader who in his sector produced results. And it is a test of leadership to be able to produce intended results. Joe Gqabi passed this test with great distinction.” I want to say today [while Cde Kgalema Motlanthe is still alive] that his record of struggle will indeed be surpassed by few in our movement. Mkhuluwa is a type of leader who knows how to follow and in all tasks assigned to him by the movement he yielded results. Cde President Jacob Zuma can also bear testimony in this regard - it is also important to acknowledge JZ immense contribution to Cde Motlanthes political career. According to OR Tambo: “it is a test of leadership to be able to produce intended results”. I have come to a seamless and unassailable conclusion that Cde Ntate Kgalema Motlanthe passed this test with great distinction. I think the ANC will benefit immensely if it decides to effectively use Mkhuluwa for the position he was appointed for in Mangaung 2012 as Head: Political School. My comrade and leader Gaba E. D Tabane said the following about Mkhuluwa on his retirement from Parliament on 11 March 2014: Like good old red wine that never rots but cocks, Mkhuluwa matured and aged in the cask of the ANC, only to be fully enjoyed in time. I hope his is like wine resting in a cellar, with much to be seen and enjoyed later. In conclusion, please allow me again to reminisce Cde Ntate Kgalema Motlanthe’s words as he retires from parliament: “Being asked to serve one’s country at any point in history is always an honour. However, the truth is our nation is replete with luminous talent. Not only that, at some point serving leadership must give way, so that new blood, fired up with life-changing ideas, can take society to a higher level of development.”
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 17:01:16 +0000
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