Ramaphosa lashes those who ‘demonised’ Madikizela-Mandela
President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned those who criticise Winnie Madikizela-Mandela “even in death”.
“There are some within our borders and beyond who have sought to demonise her character even in death by referring to what they deem to be massive excesses on her praxis of the revolutionary struggle against apartheid,” he said on Tuesday.
Ramaphosa, who was speaking at a memorial service at the Mphuthumi Mafumbatha Stadium in Mbizana in the Eastern Cape, said the struggle stalwart “hated” corruption.
“If there was anything Winnie hated‚ [it] was corruption and this demon that has come into our midst now called state corruption … and state capture.
“As Winnie served our people‚ she did not serve her own family. She did not serve any other interests. She only knew to serve the people of SA and that is what she was committed to,” said the president.
Ramaphosa said the governing party would continue with its land reform programme to “correct the original sin of the violent dispossession of our people’s land and its wealth”.
“Winnie will only rest in peace if we restore the dignity of our people by ensuring that they have an equal claim to the land of their forebears and their birth. I want to assure all that this we will not retreat from.”
Ramaphosa hailed the activist as a symbol of female emancipation. “Throughout her life as a political activist‚ she did not conform to the politics of respectability and sexist gender roles. She did not see women as being inferior to men… She emerged out of every situation meant to break her even stronger and more powerful‚ more courageous and much more determined‚” he said.
Ramaphosa said MadikizelaMandela earned the title “mother of the nation” during the struggle against apartheid.
He said she related to the impetuousness of the youth. “She identified more with the radicalism and impetuousness of the youth than with the conservatism associated with many of her age,” the president said.
The memorial service was attended by, among others, leaders of the DA‚ UDM‚ IFP‚ EFF‚ Cope and the African Independent Congress.
THERE ARE SOME WITHIN OUR BORDERS AND BEYOND WHO HAVE SOUGHT TO DEMONISE HER CHARACTER IN DEATH