31 December 2013, City Hall, Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality
Members of the family present;
Government and alliance leaders present,
Let me on behalf of the South African Communist Party (SACP) express our sincere condolences to the entire family, relatives, friends and comrades of Lieutenant-General Lehlonono Moloi, former Chief of Service Corps in the South African Defence Force, and who within the ranks of the people`s liberation army, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), was also known as Comrade A.
As the SACP we are proud to announce here for all to know that comrade A was not only a member of the ANC, but also a seasoned member of the labour movement and the SACP, which is why we worked together with comrade A in the liberation struggle in general as well as within the ranks of the MK. Some among us were fortunate to have worked with him directly. The memories we have of especially working with him in the liberation struggle, which we achieved a breakthrough in 1994 and therefore still have a lot to do both nationally and internationally in order to realise complete freedom of our people, remind us of the most difficult of times that humanity has ever experienced.
Our people were faced with the most brutal system of national oppression and gender domination, both based fundamentally on capitalist class exploitation. It was in response to this oppressive and exploitative regime that, coming from amongst the oppressed people, comrade A joined our liberation struggle. This he did, as has already been mentioned above, through the primary political formations of our revolutionary alliance, namely the African National Congress (ANC), progressive labour movement and the SACP. He developed to the highest level of revolutionary consciousness, in terms of which he was prepared to lay down his own life for the freedom of our people. It was thus he joined the MK after the armed struggle became one of our main pillars of struggle.
Comrade A had to leave the country for exile in pursuit of the South African freedom. He left the country at the same time with among others comrade Eric `Stalin` Mtshali, and was the first trained MK combatant to arrive in Lesotho in the early 1970s. He worked very closely with our revered former General Secretary and martyr, comrade Chris Hani, together with whom and other revolutionary combatants constituted the Luthuli Detachment, one of the finest MK detachments.
One had the honour to serve under the political leadership and military command of comrade A and Chris Hani. Comrades A and Chris served almost as military Siamese twins, highly loyal to the struggle, disciplined to the core, and they never sought by any means to betray the course of freedom. They both served with distinction.
Cde A subsequently became Chief of Operations at MK headquarters in Lusaka, Zambia where he was involved in polico-military combat missions and deployment of cadres in the whole of Southern Africa against the apartheid regime both internally and externally. He planned the execution of some of the most daring military operations against the regime.
Deepen our democratic transition
In honour of General Moloi we must deepen our 1994 democratic transition, advance and defend our revolutionary gains since `no revolution is worth anything unless it can defend itself`.
There are some among our people who suggest that South Africa is now worse than it was in 1994. Others within some sections of the representatives of the trade union organisation have gone beyond, by suggesting that the 1994 democratic breakthrough was a sell-out. All of these elements are out of touch with reality, or they know nothing about where we come from if they are not the beneficiaries of the system of national oppression, gender domination and super-class exploitation based on racism and sexism.
One common thread about these elements is that they want to be noticed in the interest of their narrow oppositional agendas which they seek to boost. They also do this by launching attacks against the ANC, SACP and our alliance as whole, including COSATU. Their narrow oppositional agenda prevents them from acknowledging the many advances our revolution has achieved since 1994. One of their main intensions is to weaken our liberation movement and dislodge it. In particular it is now obvious for all to see that those who are engaged in this agenda within the trade union movement are a manifestation of a workerist tendency.
Defeat the workerism.
Workerism turns trade unions into a party political platform for some of its leaders, not the working class. It constitutes an attempt at weakening the broad unity of revolutionary forces in its pursuit of a politics of sectarianism. In our case, it also seeks to weaken the national liberation movement and progressive trade unions with focus on our revolutionary alliance. An old trick of the enemy, this agenda seeks to alienate workers from the Communist Party. In addition, it is now seeking to alienate workers from, by calling on COSATU to leave, our revolutionary alliance.
The workerist tendency is a dangerous political experiment by reckless trade union representatives. As seen in history, the tendency can destroy workers` livelihoods by dividing and weakening unions, and dumping workers after attaining power.
In memory of comrade A and in the interest of the workers and the broader working class let us strengthen our alliance and confront workerism in the trade union movement and everywhere it rears its ugly head. Our ANC-SACP cadres must go all out in an offensive against this tendency, and workers must expose it for what it is, namely a political deviation from our national democratic revolution.
The individual trade union representatives who want to leave our alliance must walk away alone and leave, but not with the workers, and not in the name of our programme the Freedom Charter. These political charlatans of today want to steal and leave with our document, accusing us of not being committed to our property. Let them draw their own document and leave our Freedom Charter alone. Some in the past walked away from the ANC because of the Freedom Charter.
The primary organ of our movement is the branch, which one joins voluntarily and as an individual. If one wants to leave then they follow the same route, going out voluntarily and as an individual. Don`t stir factions with an intention of leaving with others. Our movement doesn`t have members who own other members including through unions.
These individuals who, use the trade union organisation to claim that they are the most committed to the Freedom Charter; that they are the so-called practising revolutionary communists; call on workers to abandon the alliance and not to endorse the ANC but vote for ANY political party, represent a regression of the worst type. The fact is that of all political parties that are to be found on the ballot, the ANC is the only hope of our people which knows indeed where the Freedom Charter comes from.
In memory of comrade A we must go all out and campaign shamelessly for an overwhelming electoral victory of the ANC.
Today South Africa is a better place and society than it was in 1994 and before. The ANC in alliance with the Communist Party, the progressive trade union and civic movements has played a significant role as the leader of government in changing the quality of life of the majority of our people for the better.
Because of the ANC-led alliance, millions of our people and the workers, now have access to fundamental human and labour rights which they were denied under colonial and apartheid regime. Millions of houses than before have been built, millions of our people than before have access to electricity, social security and education at all levels. Since 2009 with President Jacob Zuma led administration we discarded HIV denialism and saved many lives that would otherwise continue to have been lost. Because of this decisive intervention we turned the tide against falling life expectancy. We increased life expectancy by four years, and we are continuing to make further progress.
To General Moloi we say: "Be assured that the revolution is intact. The alliance is intact. The ANC will win elections without support from the workerist renegades".
Hamba Kahle Mkhonto, Qhawe!