The South African Communist Party has launched a year-long programme to commemorate Joe Slovo’s life, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) radio news reported on Thursday.
Slovo, the SACP’s former chairperson and South Africa’s first housing minister, died on January 6 1995.
The public broadcaster said the programme was launched at Soweto’s Avalon cemetery.
It will include seminars on Slovo’s political teachings and a campaign to rename a street in Johannesburg after Slovo.
Thursday’s event was attended by President Thabo Mbeki’s wife, Zanele; Slovo’s widow, Helena Dolny; SACP secretary general Blade Nzimande; and Zwelinzima Vavi, the secretary general of the Congress of South African Trade Unions.
Vavi said Slovo would be disappointed to see that the country he fought for all his life has not changed much since his death 10 years ago.
Although political freedom has been attained, Slovo would be saddened to see that the poor people he left behind remain in a similar situation, Vavi said. — Sapa=