Motlanthe honours ‘giant among giants’ Mlangeni

FORMER ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe described former Rivonia triallist Andrew Mlangeni and his wife, June, as giants among giants whose legacies should be remembered.

Motlanthe was speaking at the wreath-laying ceremony at the couple’s grave in Roodepoort yesterday. The event was hosted by the ANC in Gauteng.

Mlangeni died in July last year and was buried alongside his wife. June 6 would have marked his birthday.

Mlangeni was one of the last remaining Rivonia triallists when he died last year. He was known as a frank and honest person.

Motlanthe said Mlangeni was deeply committed to a better life for everyone.

“Comrade Andrew personified a higher calling that went beyond the petty notion of being selfish. He was committed to a better life for all as enshrined in the supreme law of our land, the Constitution,” the former president said.

“As we pay respect, we reflect on his life as the last of the leaders who stood trial in the Rivonia Trial. He died in the year 2020 – in a time where our country and the rest of the world was ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Remembered as a giant among giants, he was a leader who embodied the very core of what our Struggle represented and stood for. He was an elder whose counsel one could rely on as he was honest and dependable. He generously gave us his knowledge and skills. His upright nature shone throughout his life,” Motlanthe recalled in his short address.

Motlanthe also honoured June, who had spent time in prison in the 1950s because of protests over passports.

“Comrade June was a symbol of leadership in the Struggle and a leader in her own right, and lived her life in service of others. She contributed to the cause of justice with many other women leaders of her generation.

“We must pledge that we will always remember their contribution and that we live up to their example,” he said.

In a separate event held at the University of South Africa campus in Pretoria on Sunday, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola gave a keynote address remembering Mlangeni for his dedication to ethics and integrity.

He said Mlangeni’s death chipped away at the few elders in the ANC who made it their job to speak truth to power.

“He had an ability to speak truth to power without fear, whether you were his friend. If you are wrong, you are wrong and he would call it out. He remains a towering figure whose legacy looms large,” Lamola said.

He said the young generation that followed Mlangeni should ask itself whether the revolution was in safe hands. He added that in remembering Mlangeni, a commitment to ensuring a full reach of constitutional democracy should be achieved.