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RED ALERT |
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SACP EC PEC Information bulletin
30 May 2012
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Eastern Cape Province deeps its red banners down in mourning the life of one of its finest veterans Cde Mabulala Charlton Ntuli (Tata Ntuli), whom succumbed to death on the 26th May 2012 after a period of illness. We convey our heartfelt condolences to the Ntuli Family and the movement at large.
Cde Mabulala Ntuli was born in the year 1914 at Mount Fletcher Magisterial District, two years after the formation of the African National Congress (ANC). His parents Nelly and Joel were forcedly removed by the brutal Apartheid regime after the passing of the brutal Land Act of 1913 to Ngqayi Administrative Area at Qumbu Magisterial District. He did his primary and higher primary education at Khophohlolong Primary School. Upon completion of his primary schooling he was forced to go and work in the mines as the migrant worker in Johannesburg.
Due to appalling working conditions that mine workers were subjected to he decided to join the mineworkers union. In the early thirties he became a representative of the workers (shop steward). Tata Ntuli was recruited to the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA). He later joined the African national Congress Youth League and African National Congress in the forties and actively participated in the campaigns of the movement.
He was very instrumental in organizing and maintaining the popular 1946 great mine workers strike, wherein he was tasked with a task of moving from mine to mine in the Johannesburg area organizing workers against the brutal exploitation of mine workers as led by Yusuf Dadoo. He was a volunteer in the Defiance Campaign of 1952 aimed at fighting the unjust apartheid laws that were imposed to the South Africans.
In 1961 he was amongst the first recruits of the people`s army, Umkhonto Wesizwe to do acts of sabotage against the brutal apartheid regime strategic installations. In 1964 he was incarcerated at Robben Island serving five years and released in 1969 under heavy restrictions of not seating with more than two peoples amongst others. Under those difficult conditions he continued to work tirelessly for the liberation of African majority with other Robben Islanders such as James Kati, Tizer Tonjeni, Makhohliso and many more.
In 1974 his restrictions were lifted and he started where he left off in organizing the people against the brutal apartheid capitalism. He organised tirelessly at the Qumbu District servicing the whole Transkei recruiting for Umkhonto Wesizwe and harbouring abazala/cousins his children those were MK combatants. In 1979 Cde Mabulala played an imperative role in assisting the Late Abathembu in joining the ANC and skip to exile.
In 1981 he was again arrested for obvious reasons of furthering the aims of the then banned formations. He was found guilty of terrorist acts and was sentenced to five years at Mt Fletcher and later transferred to wellington Maximum Prison, Mthatha by the Mathanzima regime.
After the unbanning of the progressive formation including our party in the early 90`s, Cde Ntuli was central in organizing the SACP structures, working with comrades such as Cde Ntonjeni, Cde Nancy Xathula and many more. He worked very hard in establishing party political schools helping in taking comrades through the fundamentals of Marxism-Leninism in a simpler way and always provided direction and guidance in each epoch in the revolution.
We are mourning the life and times of a true communist who never joined the movement with the intention to self enrichment nor personal gains. He remained committed to the aims and objectives of our movement; he remained committed in building a united and non-racial society.
The funeral service will be on the 16 June 2012.
Issued by the SACP Eastern Cape.
For more information contact:
Siyabonga Mdodi
SACP Provincial Spokesperson
083 3588 070
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