Address By The Chairperson Of The African National Congress In KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Zweli Mkhize

ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe
Members of different political parties
Members of the NEC of the ANC
Members of PEC of the ANC
Leaders of the Tripartite Alliance:
SACP
COSATU
NUMSA
SANCO
ANC Veterans League
ANC Women’s League
ANC Youth League
MKMVA
Members of the RECs
Branches
Members of Parliament
Amakhosi
Business leaders

On behalf of the Provincial Executive Committee of the African National Congress I welcome all the leaders and members of our movement and our Alliance as well as all the various formations in our society such as the churches and various religious leaders, traditional leaders and members of civil society in general to the historic Centenary celebrations. This celebration represents an achievement of enormous magnitude as the ANC is the oldest liberation movement in the continent having inspired many liberation movements in various countries in the continent. As we salute this historic moment, we pay tribute to the leaders of our movement the founding fathers and mothers whose vision has led over the past century while their commitment to freedom and democracy has ensured that our movement remains united over
many decades when other organisations vanished and disappeared.

We pay tribute to the leaders wo led our liberation struggle with courage and tenacity allowing nothing to distract them from the strategic goal of liberating our people and pour country and usher in a democratic society.

We salute all the twelve Presidents that steered the ANC over the past century: President John Langalibalele Dube, Sefako Mapogo Makgatho, Zaccharias Richard Mahabane; Josiah Tshanga Gumede; Dr Pixley ka Isaka Seme, Dr Alfred Bitini Xuma, James Sebe Moroka, Inkosi Albert Mvumbi Luthuli; Oliver Reginald Tambo, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki and the current Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma. We salute the many patriots that participated not only in the formation of the ANC but were part of important actions that deined the complex path traversed by our forebears such as the delegations that went to plead the case for the oppressed people of our country such as Rev Walter Rubusana Dr Abdul Abdurahman, John Tengo Jabavu, D J Lenders, Mathew Fredercks, Thomas Mapikela, supported in some delegation by white democarts such as W.P.Schreiner.

They have served with and interacted with many leaders of our people whose contribution added to the richness and the nobility of our cause such as Mahatma Gandhi who founded the Natal Indian Congress and led the struggles of the Indian people against colonialism and oppression and paved a way for the broadening our struggle beyond the African community to encompass all the oppressed sectors of our community. We celebrate the of visionary leadership of leaders of the Natal and Transvaal Indian Congress who signed a “Three Doctors’ Pact” and created a united front to fight oppression and colonisation. This formed the additional proof of our movement’s commitment to nonracialism based on a common programme of defiance against the oppressor. This was further cemented by the in 1955 adoption by the Congress of the People in Kliptown of the Freedom Charter that clearly defined for the first time the post apartheid vision for a united, free, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist and prosperous country. The Freedom Charter has remained the beacon of direction pointing to us to the future of our country, as it declared that ‘South Africa belongs to all who live in it-black and white.’ We celebrate the leadership of the many patriots such as Charlotte Maxeke, Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Mama Albertina Sisulu who spearheaded the path to non-sexism and the thousands of women who took a strong stand in the fight against the imposition of the pass laws extended to women as they marched to Union Buildings 1956. We salute the stalwarts of our movement who languished in jail in Roben island and other prisons and continued to inspire our people to fight on relentlessly until the regime was forced to release them: such as Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Wilton Mkwayi, Ahmed katrhada, Harry Gwala and many more. We salute the leaders of the ANC who played a strong role as leaders of the components of our Tripartite Alliance and created the glue that made ours to be a unique Alliance of blood and sweat forged in the trenches of our struggle and making the ANC led Alliance the most formidable force to prosecute this National Democratic revolution, such as Steven Dlamini, Elijah Barayi, John Gomomo, Magwaza Mapalala, Ray and Jack Simons, Moses Kotane, Dan Tloome, Moses Mabhida, Joe Slovo and many others. We celebrate the heroism dedication of the martyrs of our liberation struggle who withstood torture, arrests, detention, banning, violent attacks and being forced into exile and most of all the fearless fighters of uMkhonto Wesizwe created in response to the apartheid violence when all means of peaceful resistance were closed. Many of our heroes amongst whom Vuyisile Mini, Solomon Mahlangu, Chris Hani, Cassius Make, Mdu Guma and many who fell within our borders and in neighbouring countries.

We salute the international community that made a huge contribution by supporting our cause in various ways and putting pressure on the regime as well as thank them for sheltering and caring for our people even as this incurred the wrath of the apartheid regime and many of them lost lives of their citizens as it happened in Lesotho, Swaziland, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola and many countries where our people were located.

This has been a celebration for South Africans as it is for many of our international friends. The celebrations also incorporates the many parties that can trace their roots to the African National Congress or association with the struggle for freedom.

We celebrate the UNITY in DIVERSITY which has come about as the most enduring pillar of our vision for a new democratic society we wish to create as we transform our country and deepen the national democratic revolution. Non-racialism is the core of this
diversity. Speaking in the opening of our consultative conference of the ANC in 1990, President Oliver Tambo said:

“The idea of non-racialism has triumphed in the country. Even the National Party has finally admitted this much, by opening its membership to blacks. This must spur us on to redouble our efforts in transforming our country into an oasis of democracy where a person`s skin colour or sex will no longer be relevant in determining their station in life. Racial and tribal divisions that apartheid has assiduously nurtured over the years should be vigorously fought by all of us. The spirit of non-racialism should not only extend to the people as a whole, but it should also be a firm foundation stone upon which our new society stands. Each of us should, therefore, foster the spirit of oneness amongst all our people. Even though suspicions will not disappear overnight, the building of one South African nation is a national task of paramount importance.”

He further said: “If peaceful negotiations will result in the formation of a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa we are not only willing but ready to enter into such negotiations. Consequently, the ANC has suspended the armed struggle in order to give peace a chance as well as indicate our serious concern for the future of the country and all its citizens. It is least surprising that those bent on destruction should unleash ferocious attacks against the people at this very delicate stage in the negotiation process. However, what is alarming is the government`s apparent inability to bring those responsible to book. Nevertheless, we are determined to move ahead and democratise our country without further ado.”

As we celebrate let us remember this journey that we have traversed but focus on the next century. The challenges faced by our people have to be tackled with as much vigour and determination and commitment that our forebears had as they led us to fight apartheid. We need to create better cadres in order to create a new democratic society that we desire.

Amandla