Remember our Struggle heroes and heroines
ON SATURDAY,
April 27, we celebrate the historic
Freedom Day.
Importantly, all structures of the
ANC, alliance partners and progressive forces will be celebrating the
130th anniversary of the Natal Indian
Congress (NIC).
As we count down to this important event, we need to remember all Struggle heroes and heroines who served this country with distinction.
We are reminded of the late Comrade Pat Thumbu, who decided to travel more than 400km to Kliptown to witness the signing of the Freedom Charter.
Comrade Pat used to sell the Guardian newspaper at the offices of the Natal Indian Congress in Saville Street. That is where his interest in the fight for freedom started. He was inspired by Dr Monty Naicker.
In 1955, Pat went on to join the NIC in the Pietermaritzburg branch. Importantly, he collected signatures from residents in Edendale from evening to evening, to be presented at the signing of the Freedom Charter.
Comrade Pat, as we all know, was among the 3 000 delegates who proclaimed in Kliptown in 1955 that:
“We, the people of South Africa, declare for all our country and the world to know:
That South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people.
That only a democratic state, based on the will of all the people, can secure to all their birth right without distinction of colour, race, sex or belief.
The best way to honour the departed heroines and heroes of our Struggle like Comrade Pat – is to ensure that in each and every household we create an activist.
All activists must do mass work and locate themselves where our people are, in sports, cultural, religious and other social forums where people are found.
When we celebrate freedom, we celebrate the contribution of everyone, Africans, Indian, coloured and white communities towards making ours a prosperous country.
It is through everyone’s contribution, that we obtained our democracy in 1994.
Duma is the provincial chair of the ANC.
For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. | Nelson Mandela