NEPHAWE OPERATED ABOVE GROUND
Activists knew they were safe in his hands
NDIVHUDZANNYI Freddy Nephawe was a born activist and freedom fighter.
There was not a structure formed in the now Limpopo region for advancing the struggle against apartheid that Nephawe was not a part of.
Humble and truly committed, he served in various organisations including the ANC, Umkhonto weSizwe, SACP, Sanco, Cosatu, the National Education Crisis Committee (NECC), the Azanian Students Organisation, United Democratic Front, and the SA Youth Congress – the forerunner of the re-establishment of the ANC Youth League.
Nephawe also helped to establish both the Congress of SA Students and the Congress of Traditional Leaders of SA.
At the time when the seemingly all-powerful SA Defence Force and its Bantustan appendage, the Venda Defence Force, believed they had the north of the country sealed from freedom fighters to operate in, Nephawe was one of the main organisers of logistics to bring in trained guerrillas on missions, and take out recruits headed for training. His MK name was Bashy. As part of his activities with the NECC, he once volunteered to distribute supplementary learning materials that had ANC information in them at schools in the region.
He was at the time a teacher.
Soft-spoken, Nephawe never wavered in his belief that the struggle for freedom would be victorious, and that the system of apartheid and capitalism would have to be replaced by a democratic, socialist economic programme.
As a committed communist, he served in the SACP structures and was elected to the provincial executive.
He was particularly active on the Doreen farms near the Limpopo River bordering Zimbabwe where – together with slain SACP leader Chris Hani and former SACP chairman Charles Ngcakula – he helped form cells and operational bases for MK soldiers and the party.
SAPS ’ s General Vele Simon Matshatshe, a for- mer commander of MK, said this week that Nephawe had been a “truly dependable comrade ”.
“Whilst we were underground, he was above ground and organised places for us to stay and transport. When he said to you ‘ this is your sleeping place for tonight ’, you just knew it was safe.”
Nephawe died on Sunday after a short illness, and with his death ended a short but illustrious life dedicated to serving people. He was at the time general manager in the office of the premier in Polokwane.
Born at Lutomboni in Thononda, Venda, on May 15 1962, he matriculated at Mphephu High School and then did a civil engineering teacher ’ s diploma at Technikon Northern Transvaal, now known as TUT.
He believed in ongoing learning and had numerous qualifications from a number of universities including Namibia, Wits, KwaZuluNatal and additional courses from the International Labour Organisation.
Nephawe worked as a teacher, higher learning principal, and held various managerial positions within government. He leaves his wife Kganya, children and two siblings.
He will be buried at Tshituni-tsha-fhasi, Nzhelele, tomorrow after a funeral service at the new Dzanani (Biaba) municipality hall. The service starts at 6am.