President Jacob Zuma and Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane on Saturday used the funeral service of freedom fighter Henry Makgothi to preach the good work of the ANC ahead of the local government elections on May 18.
“Ntate Makgothi never failed to remind us of the need to speed up service delivery to improve the lives of our people,” Zuma said in his oration at the Marks Park sports grounds in Emmarentia.
“Some progress has been made in the past 17 years although much more still needs to be done,” he said.
Zuma said most South Africans had been provided with free basic services and last year alone 400 000 people received water services.
To date, over two and half million houses had been built for the poor, he said.
“In 1994, only 62% of households had access to clean drinking water, today 93% do.
“In 1994, only 50% of households had access to decent sanitation, today 77% do. In 1994, only 36% of South Africans had access to electricity, today 84% do,” Zuma said.
He said the ANC had accomplished a lot since 1994 and doors to learning facilities were now open to all.
“Our students can enrol at any tertiary education institution and we continue to improve our financial resources to enable access of our learners to tertiary education.
“We can count all these achievements because our stalwarts laid the foundation,” said Zuma.
A life of struggle
Mokonyane uttered similar sentiments.
“As the government of the ANC, we commit ourselves to helping South Africans … we want to be more accessible to them and to listen to people’s concerns.”
“A better Gauteng can only be achieved with the ANC.”
She said in the journey of transformation, the ANC government had committed itself to sorting out education in Soweto.
“The African child in Soweto will not be compromised,” said Mokonyane.
Among the dignataries at the funeral were provincial education minister Barbara Creecy, Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Winni-Madikizela Mandela, and Johannesburg mayor Amos Masonda.
Zuma described Makgothi as a “national hero” and one of the “most disciplined” cadres of the ANC who dedicated his life to the struggle for liberation.
“He could have chosen a comfortable life and turned his eyes away from the suffering, but he chose a life of struggle,” he said.
Zuma urged the family to not only grieve but to celebrate “because he [Makgothi] has lived”.
Makgothi was buried at the West Park Cemetery on Saturday.
He died at the age of 82 after a stroke last week.
He joined the ANC youth league in 1944 and was one of the accused in the first Treason Trial, but was acquitted.
Makgothi was actively involved in the Defiance Campaign of 1952 and was later charged for leaving the country without a passport and sentenced to two years in prison. He was also charged for his role in ANC activities and sentenced to eight years. He spent part of the two-year sentence in Leeuwkop Prison and eight years on Robben Island.
On his release, he was restricted to Mabopane outside Pretoria.
He escaped to Swaziland and joined the staff of the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College at Mazimbu in Tanzania.
While in exile, he was elected to the ANC’s national executive committee and served as deputy secretary general until his return home in 1990.
He then worked in the ANC’s finance office and later served as Chief Whip of the National Council of Provinces from 1997 to 1999. – Sapa