Issued by: African National Congress
TRIBUTE TO COMRADE ARCHIE GUMEDE DELIVERED BY PATRICK TERROR LEKOTA, ANC NATIONAL CHAIRPERSON AT A MASS FUNERAL ON SATURDAY , 27 JUNE 1998 AT MPHELANDABA STADIUM, CLERMONT, DURBAN
Comrade Chairperson and Comrades
It is not for to tell the life story of Comrade Archie. There are in our midst senior men and women more competent for that part. Mine is the humble task of paying tribute to a very special comrade among comrades. Special because there are very few among us who will live such a glowing life of struggle as Comrade Archie has done.
This funeral is a cold reminder to all of us that a special generation is passing into history. The generation that saw the ANC in its formative years; took part in its non-violent but constitutional campaigns of twenties, thirties and forties; then adopted the Programme of Action in 1949. That generation that out of conviction defied unjust laws and willingly accepted ignoring of imprisonment and very possible punishment and humiliation the then apartheid rulers of our country could mete out. In this gesture it is this contingent that prepared us for the road to exile, Robben Island and other prisons there to pay the price for our emancipation.
In a real sense, it is this generation that prepared us to live through the devastating mayhem that the Truth and Reconciliation process is now laying bare before this nation.
Comrades, I speak of the generation that articulated our expectations of the South Africa we are now struggling now to build.
Yes, the South Africa that belong to all who live in it black and white.
- One which the people shall govern;
- There shall be equality for all;
- There shall be housing, security and comfort;
- There shall be education for all;
- There shall be peace.
The generation of which I speak articulated that vision lived and fought for the opportunity for us to build it. The generation is now passing on into history even as it inspires us on to greater heights of struggle.
That generation, epitomised by Comrade Archie this morning, had a mark of iron determination captured in the simple sentence "Victory or Death". It is the generation that founded Umkhonto Wesizwe. That is the generation which told the old order: "we have cherriesed the ideal of a free and democratic order..... it is and ideal we hope to live for and achieve but, if needs be it is an ideal for which we are ready to die!".
But it was also a generation of tremendous creative ability. For in taking our struggle to ever higher levels it consistently made room for human diversity. Drawing our people into struggle on their own terms.
First, in the Congress Alliance it allowed for mass mobilisation community by community even as it drew all communities towards one centre; later with MK it allowed armed action for the most militant sections but retained the link with the moderate elements of our society to contribute as well. This is the generation that knew that uniformity is not the same as unity. For Unity necessarily is of diversity!.
Secondly and at a critical stage of our struggle it pulled the masses of our people together into an amalgamation of formations called the United Democratic Front led by Comrade Archie, Albertina Sisulu, Oscar Mpetha, Francis Baard, Hele Joseph, Naidoo, Gearge Sewpersadh and so many others.
Comrade Chairperson and Comrades,
This special generation is passing on into history. We need to realise this and reflect among ourselves whether we are not called upon to do more than the current plans to preserve the lessons of its revolutionary practice as well as assure ourselves of their passage unto the future generations of South Africa's leaders.
From the accounts of his life and times, you will come to know that Comrade Archie was a devoted Christian. That, he struggled because he understood the relevance and significance of the Christian dictum: "Do unto others as you would they do unto you!".
It is for this reason that in spite of his own life experiences he was an advocate of peace to the end of his life - especially at the height of the bloody conflicts {N"this part of our country.
Old and young will never forget hoe he defended defenseless families that visited his law practice in dire straits.
In the midst of it all, he maintained a steady and enduring family life that will always be a model for everybody, especially at this time when our communities need desperately to rebuild themselves after the devastation of our families by the monsters of migratory labour system, lengthy imprisonment of loved ones and the banishment of others. As the scourge of HIV/AIDS decimate our communities, it is increasingly obvious that only tight family ties is our saving formula.
Here too the great fighter has left us as an example to follow.
If you will, dear friends, look again and again at Comrade Archie's life, you will see that the greatness of a person in battlefield of life is not that they never get knocked down - rather it is in the number of times each a person rises up after each fall. Such indeed was a life of Comrade Archie!
My dear Comrades,
Allow me to a little personal privilege to thank Comrade Archie posthumously for what he has been to my family and myself! He was my second father, my wife's father-in-law and loving grandfather to the young ones. A neighbour, a friend and most important, Comrade.