Congratulate Bay struggle veteran as he receives national award
We congratulate one of our veterans of the struggle, Moyisile Douglas Tyutyu, who is a recipient of the Order of Luthuli in Silver, bestowed on him by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday.
Tyutyu, 83, joined the ANC in the ‘50s and started his activism during the Defiance Campaign, attending mass meetings of the ANC in Korsten.
Tyutyu became deeply involved in ANC work and was detained on a number of occasions.
He joined Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1963.
By 1964 he was arrested, tried and sentenced to nine years, with a three-year suscommander pended sentence.
He ended up serving six years and was released by 1970.
On his release, Tyutyu again became active in Port Elizabeth and was involved in the underground activities of the revival of Umkhonto we Sizwe in the region.
Tyutyu was the regional of the movement.
In 1984 Tyutyu was arrested and sentenced to 25 years, spending them on Robben Island.
Tyutyu has lived a long life of struggle, commitment, dedication and discipline.
When political prisoners were being released after 1990 Tyutyu remained incarcerated and was eventually released in 1991.
Tyutyu is a member of the ANC Veterans League, and has remained active in ANC activities and programmes throughout the years.
In particular Tyutyu is a political historian and at many ANC events is able to convey the struggle history without any reference to speaker’s notes or written speeches.
From the period of non-violent mass mobilisation from 1912 to 1952 and the move to the armed struggle in 1960, Tyutyu speaks eloquently of the phases of our struggle.
We are proud and honoured to have a leader of the calibre of Tyutyu.
Quiet, confident, stubborn, unwavering in his commitment to the struggle for a better life for all South Africans.
We hail Tyutyu, whose life is one of long struggle, commitment, dedication and discipline.