Kathrada remembered as fighter for democracy

Durban - STRUGGLE veteran Murphy Morobe has thrown his weight behind the newly launched ’Defend our Democracy’ campaign, saying “the sense of a weakened democratic experience is palpable”.

Paying tribute to Ahmed Kathrada on the fourth anniversary of his passing, Morobe said on Sunday: “We are not only here today to share fond memories but also invoke the revolutionary spirit of comrade Kathy to guide us through the turbulent seas that the ANC and his beloved South Africa are going through. We are here to report to Uncle Kathy that the battle against corruption is still raging on. As the Zondo Commission continues to shine its relentless torch on all corners of our body politic ... we are left numb by the scale and brazenness of this cancer.”

Morobe was speaking at the Kathrada Site of Remembrance in Johannesburg where he and dozens of others “gathered to honour Uncle Kathy,” said the director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Nishan Balton.

Morobe continued: “It has become obvious that the people’s organisation has morphed into something other than what you might call a leader of society. Its ability to lead society out of the current conundrum has been seriously compromised to the extent that we are suffocating at the degree of very cynical disdain expressed at just the mention of its name. The sense of a weakened democratic experience is palpable.”

The chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Sello Hatang, who made his first public address since his leave of absence following allegations of bullying and abuse of funds that were brought against him and his operations boss, said he was determined to keep fighting.

“Limpho Monyamane and I are happy to be back in the saddle to be doing what we are supposed to,” he said.

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation Youth Club also paid a special tribute and highlighted the need for the youth to continue to challenge the status quo.

“The youth are not apathetic to the many challenges of living in a post-apartheid South Africa, they are just not using traditional democratic processes to express their concerns,” said Sadna Balton.

“Through the movements we have seen over the years, we see that the youth are using political protest spaces to say ’enough is enough’ but we need to be more challenging and we need to engage the system to effect change.”

silindile.nyathikazi@inl.co.za

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