The National Executive Committee and the entire membership of the African National Congress dip the revolutionary banner of our heroic struggle for national and social liberation, in memory of Comrade Maurice Mavuso, who was affectionately known by his numerous comrades and his close associates as 'Mfundisi'. He met his untimely death on 26th March 1979.
Comrade Mfundisi's record of service as a dedicated and loyal member of the African National Congress, an ardent patriot and true son of his people has left an indelible imprint in the annals of the revolutionary struggle of the oppressed people of South Africa and indeed of the whole Southern African region.
From his early youth to the last moments of his rich revolutionary life, his young heart w as fired with the unquenchable determination of fully dedicating his boundless energies to the all-round intensification of the revolutionary struggle for the national and social liberation of his people. He allowed nothing whatsoever to divert him from the execution of his many and varied tasks which he carried out with unsurpassed devotion.
Comrade Mfundisi is a foundation member of Umkhonto we Sizwe whose over riding pledge binds each individual member of this military wing of the African National Congress to carry through the revolutionary struggle, holding firmly the Spear of the Nation until victory or death. Like many of his compatriots who have already fallen at their duty posts, Mfundisi remained true to this pledge to his last breath. When he met his tragic death he was on duty. The nature of our struggle involves tasks which because of their complexity and delicacy must needs fall on the shoulders of tried and tested cadres in whom our revolutionary movement has trust and faith. He was such a cadre. Comrade Mfundisi met his death while still in the prime of his youth. He still had his whole life ahead of him. He had already won the friendship, comradely affection and respect of all those who had come into contact with him inside and outside our revolutionary movement. He was an embodiment of the militant traditions which have created unbreakable bonds of revolutionary solidarity and friendship uniting our movement with the vanguard organisations of the peoples of Namibia and Zimbabwe and indeed the progressive forces of the whole world.
Comrade Mfundisi has departed from our ranks at a time when our enemies are clearly engaged in a last ditch back-to the wall struggle for survival. The revolutionary forces in the whole region are demolishing, one after another the barriers which are separating our people from attaining their cherished goal of national independence and social regeneration.
The besieged enemy in its desperation is hoping to postpone its destruction by intensifying its reactionary reprisals against the oppressed peoples and their revolutionary organisations. It is in pursuit of this survival strategy that at this time when the whole revolutionary movement in Southern Africa is mourning the untimely death of Comrade Mfundisi, yet another hero of our struggle, Comrade Solomon Mahlangu is meeting his death on the gallows of the fascist Botha/Vorster regime. The regime is perpetrating this heinous crime in total disregard of a crescendo of protests, both inside and outside South Africa, demanding the release of Solomon.
In lasting memory of Comrade Mfundisi, Solomon Mahlangu and all other martyrs of our struggle, we pledge to pursue the revolutionary cause for which they lived and dedicated themselves until final victory.
from: Sechaba vol 13-1979