Ex-Cosas activist fought for quality education for all
‘Pilo’ was humility personified
Last weekend was one of the most devastating for me personally and for the ANC generally. It was a period of mixed feelings.
While our country and the rest of the world were celebrating 108 years of the existence of the ANC, three sons of the soil, namely Patrick Lipudi, Gomolemo Lucas and Eric Nkomo, passed on.
May their revolutionary souls rest in eternal peace
I did not have as much interaction and did not do as much political work with the other two comrades like I did with Nkomo, who was affectionately known to his fellow Congress of South African Students (Cosas) Soweto comrades as “Pilo”.
The sudden passing of Comrade Pilo brings back both fond and depressing memories.
One is forced to look back at the road we travelled together as young student and youth activists in the early 1980s.
This was a period when young women and men dared to dream.
Repression, torture, killings and detention on the part of the apartheid regime notwithstanding, these youth dreamed of free quality education for all.
Defying the odds stacked against them and their people, these young women and men not only believed in but also strove for people’s education, that liberates and empowers.
People’s education was a vision for development that comrade Pilo uncompromisingly pursued. He believed in that dream.
Hence at a tender age he joined Cosas as he understood and appreciated the critical role that this instrument of students played in advancing their cause for not only quality education but also the total liberation of our country.
Pilo was humility personified. While humble and unassuming, he was forthright and stood his ground on matters of principle.
I remember when we first met. This was in 1983 when Cosas had only a single branch in Soweto. He came from Dlamini and studied at Ibhongo Secondary School.
When other students went for school sports every Wednesday, Pilo and the rest of the student activists will hold clandestine meetings to plot ways of mobilising and conscientising students to join the fight for people’s education.
Comrade Pilo was a member of Cosas, civic movement and MK while also moonlighting as a trade unionist.
An organic intellectual who never shied away from robust but decent political engagements, comrade Pilo enjoyed umrhabulo (political education) sessions conducted by our political seniors like comrades Dan Montsitsi and Amos Masondo.
When the repression escalated with the bannings of Cosas, Azaso and other progressive mass organisations, Comrade Pilo was neither moved nor was unwavering.
I and countless others of our generation will miss Comrade Pilo’s congeniality, honesty and leadership.
He led with distinction and honour and his superior political acumen was a well of wisdom that we always drew inspiration from.
Lala ngoxolo Qabani! You will be sorely missed!
■ Mogodiri is former chairperson of Cosas Soweto and former MK combatant.