ANC keynote address by the Treasurer General of ANC, Paul Mashatile, on the occasion of Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela celebration

27 September 20221

The leadership of the ANC

The leadership of the ANC Women League, the ANC Veterans Leagues and the ANC Youth League Leaders of our alliance partners, here present

Dear comrades and friends:

We are gathered here today to remember, honour,and celebrate the life and times of the beloved Mother of our Nation: Mama Nomzamo Winnie Madikizela Mandela. Had she still been alive Mama Winnie Mandela would have tumed 86 years yesterday. Comrades, our gathering here today is to reaffirm that; in us Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela has not died. She lives on! She has multiplied! She lives on in her movement: the African National Congress. She lives on in a nation that was proud to call her Mama!

We say she multiplied because many have chosen, correctly so, to walk in her footsteps; to emulate her life. Comrades, our presence here today is also to make a bold statement that: Mama Winnie was one of us. Unashamedly, we claim her as one of our own. We are grateful for her life — a life of selfless service to her movement and to her country, South Africa. We will continue to honour and celebrate her life. We will defend her legacy. Even in death Mama Winne continues to inspireus. She remains our guide.

When loose our way; when fatigue sets in; when we run out of courage; and when the road ahead seems long and winding, we can always draw strength from Mama's exemplary life. Up to this day, Mama Winnie remains an enduring symbol of resistance against oppression. She was also a woman of courage, a great leader, a patriot to the end and a proud African woman. She was a freedom fighter in her own right! Hers was a life of struggle. It was a life of compassion - a life of sacrifice. She joined the struggle in order to alleviate the pain and suffering of others.

She was a pillar of strength to many. She remained a constant threat to the oppressors, while being a source of inspiration to the fighting masses of our people. Loudly, unapologetically, and fearlessly, she spoke truth to power. She fiercely challenged patriarchy, for she firmly believed in the total emancipation of women. She never left the side of the poor, the grieving and the victimised. She wiped their tears. She carried their coffins. She comforted them. She held their hands when they were weak. She lifted their spirits. She cared for them. She made their pain hers. She provided hope in the place of despair.

Mama Winnie spoke when many chose silence.She became the voice of the voiceless. She led the struggle during one of the most difficult periods. She picked up the fallen spears of many who had passed on, who were imprisoned, or who were in exile. She stepped forward when many were fearful. She was perpetually in the trenches, side by side her people. She was never afraid. She was defiant.

In Mama's own words she said the following: "l no longer have the emotion of fear... there is no longer anything I can fear. There is nothing the govemment has not done to me. There isnt any pain I havent known". Even when faced with apartheid harassment and vilification, she remained unshaken. The apartheid brutality she faced emboldened her further, it made her even more resolute, and it endeared her to the oppressed masses.

When our oppressors banished her to Brandford, they thought they would break her spirit. Her spirit was unbreakable! She was embraced by the people of Brandford and became active in the community, helping young people at risk, feeding the hungry, giving books to young people thirsty for knowledge, and supporting women's organizations. In this regard, we recall Mama words when she said: "l am the product of the masses of my country and that of my enemies. "

In all she did Mama Winnie sought no reward for herself, and she never claimed personal glory. Her only motivation was the deep love she had for her movement — the African National Congress —, our country and her people. From herwe learnt the power of standing for principle, even if this means standing alone. In her we saw the power of perseverance, even when faced with brutality and constant harassment.

Comrades, when we say as the current generation of ANC leaders and members, we stand on the shoulders of giants, we are referring to comrades of the highest calibre such as Mama Winnie. These giants on whose shoulders we stand, stared adversity in the eye, and triumphed. It is also these giants that convince us that ours is a just and noble cause; and that whatever difficulties we are currently facing, we shall overcome. As our movement and our country is going through a most difficult period, let us summon the courage of Mama Madikizela and many others like her, as we respond to our challenges.

Like Mama Winnie, we must be bold, fearless and decisive in responding to the challenges of unemployment, poverty, inequality, the energy crisis, the rising cost of living, crime and corruption, gender-based violence, femicide and the abuse of women and children, social cohesion, racism and xenophobia.

If Mama Winnie was still alive, she would urge the ANC in government to undertake extraordinary and urgent measures to accelerate inclusive growth, create employment, alleviate poverty and narrow the inequality gap. She would urge the ANC to implement measures to cushion the poor against the impact of the rising cost of living.

She would call for an end to gender-based violence, femicide and the abuse of women and children. She would oppose and campaign against unequal pay for work of equal value, glass ceilings for women in the workplace and the juniorization of positions held by women. She will insist on the need to expand access to educational and other opportunities for women to enable them to reach their potential and be the best they can be.

She will urge the ANC to pay attention to all social and economic factors that limit women's meaningful participation and inclusion in the economy, and in every part of our national life. She will remind us that our liberation is not complete until women achieve total emancipation.

Comrades, Mama Madikizela loved the ANC. She remained loyal to the movement up to his last days.

Mama and many others who came before us left the ANC in our hands. We must jealously guard and defend it. In particular, we must build a strong ANC that is a tool in the hands of the people to advance and deepen their own liberation. Drawing lessons from Mama's life, the ANC we are building must always be on the side of the people,and never against them. Like Mama as ANC members, we must always show compassion. We must be caring.

We must serve selflessly, without expecting personal gain or glory. Inspired by Mama Winnie, the ANC must live in and among the people. It must be at the forefront of the daily struggles waged by communities.

The ANC of Mama Winnie Madikizela must be responsive to the plight of suffering communities. It must listen to them. It must work with them to find lasting solutions to problems. Like Mama Winnie, as ANC members we must be able to say: "l have ceased a long time ago to exist as an individual.

The ideals, the political goals that I stand for, those are the ideals and goals of the people in this country J My private self doesn't exist. Whatever they do to me, they do to the people in the country." This we must do because the decision and act of joining the ANC is a lifetime commitment and sacrifice to put one's energy, labour, skill, intellect, and talent to the service of the people as a whole.

Indeed, we join the ANC not for our own sake, but to be of selfless service to others! This is the essence of our programme to renew the ANC, which Mama identified fully with. Let the renewal of the ANC be our generational mission. Comrades, the unity of our movement and our country was also close to Mama's heart. She understood that unity is the foundation upon which the ANC was built. She also believed in healing the divisions of the past, and eradicating inequality and injustice. She dedicated all her life to the goal of a just, equitable, caring and more humane South Africa. The challenge for us, therefore, is to work hard towards the unity and cohesion of our movement and of our country.

This includes ensuring that the ANC never loses its non-racial character, and that we become a true Parliament for all the people of our country. In honour of Mama Winnie, let us place the ANC firmly on an irreversible path to renewal and unity, for it is only a renewed and united ANC that can succeed in uniting our country. In honour of Mama Winnie, let us reaffirm and work towards every South African's right to access quality and reliable basic services — decent shelter and health care, water, sanitation, electricity, as well as safe, reliable transport.

Let us also strengthen local government so that it can work better for all the people. This includes ensuring that it is properly resourced, effectively managed and led by honest, capable and committed people. We also need to be firm in dealing with crime, corruption and general lawlessness engulfing our country. In this regard, we must capacitate and instil confidence in our criminal justice system as our last and only line of defence against us descending into anarchy.

Also, in honour of Mama, let us intensify the work to build strong structures of the ANC and the leagues in this province. As we do this work, let us remember that Free Sate is the Home of the ANC. It was in this province in 1912 that our movement was formed. Equally, and as we said earlier, Brandford here in the Free State, was once the home of our mother Mama Winnie.

Comrades, one of the best tributes we can offer to our mother — Mama Winnie — is to start now working towards a decisive ANC victory in the 2024 national and provincial elections. Many have begun writing us off for these elections.Let us disappoint them. Let us maintain dynamic contact with the people.

Where we have made mistakes let us own up and provide credible plans on how to improve the situation. Let us continue to spread the message that the ANC of Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela is a caring ANC, an ANC that is renewing itself and an ANC that can deliver. We must capitalise on the reality that the majority of our voters never voted for opposition parties in recent elections.

Rather, they opted to remain at home. This to us is an indication that opposition parties are not an alternative to the ANC. The ANC still remains the only hope for many South Africans. Our task, therefore, Comrades, is to re-energise our traditional strongholds as well as all South African behind the compelling vision of the ANC.

This is a vision anchored on the Freedom Charter that directs, among others, that the people shall govem, that the people should share in the country's wealth and that the land should be shared amongst those who work it. We must aim to win these elections with a clear majority so that we can continue uninterrupted with our programme of bettering the lives of the people.

We must not even think of coalitions. The ANC must lead! Comrades Mama would want us to win the upcoming elections decisively. Accordingly, let us draw inspiration from her as we undertake this major task. Forward to a decisive ANC victory in 2024

Long live the undying spirit of Mama Winnie Mandela!

Viva ANC!

Amandla!

Thank you!

Issued by Pule Mabe, National Spokesperson, ANC, 27 September 2022