The National Executive Committee of the ANC on the occasion of its 109th anniversary, premised the theme of 2021 to be: Unity, Renewal, and Reconstruction in the year of Charlotte Maxeke, a pioneer, a fearless freedom fighter whose blistering roars struck deep fear in the enemy camp and founding President of the Bantu Women’s League.

An early opponent of passes for black women, Mama Charlotte Maxeke imbibed Western education which she received under the tutelage of Pan-Africanist scholar and proponent Dr. W.E.B Du Bois, to awaken and empower her people against the diabolical system that held captive, the land of their forefathers.

Zubeida Jaffer, in her book: Beauty of the Heart, cements Mama Charlotte Maxeke, who spearheaded the cause of women’s emancipation so gallantly and valiantly, as a model to defying the architects of both colonization and apartheid, and that hers was a triumphant spirit that powered on in spite of the multitude of odds stacked against her.

The call for Unity, Renewal, and Reconstruction is a call to revive the values and principles that define who we are as a Movement and to adapt our methods of struggle to the changing times.

The overarching message of the year’s theme is to guard against the disintegration of the Congress Movement into splinters, to paraphrase Dr. AB Xuma, because their existence weakens, undermines, and brings mockery to our National struggle as a National aspiration of our people.

Further, cognizant that the neglect of cadre policy accounts a lion’s share in the weaknesses and challenges faced by the movement since the advent of the democratic dispensation, it is a call for members to preoccupy themselves with ascertaining that organizational mandates are discharged effectively by those they have willingly entrusted with power, to better the lives of the people of South Africa.

In an effort to respond to the call of Organizational Renewal, which will ultimately see us build the ANC as a movement for transformation and a strategic centre of power, COSATU succinctly put this to the table:

“As we will show, the ANC, its allies and the rest of the democratic forces have for many years been pointing out the current weaknesses and have taken bold resolutions on what is to be done. Yet our track record in doing anything about the identified weaknesses leaves much to be desired. This has not been a problem of leadership alone but a problem of both those who lead and those who are led. We lack the political will to implement our own decisions, in particular when those decisions are against powerful interests in the organization.”

Perhaps we have not, as Oliver Wendell writes, reached an understanding that to reach a port we must sail, some- times with the wind, and sometimes against it; as long as we do not drift or lie at anchor.

In rebuilding the beacon political formation of Africa in earnest, those with powerful interests in the organization and those at comfort with the colonial character our society remains in must be isolated. We must be first on the battle and the last on the retreat against those close to us who continue to hold hostage, Pixley ka Isaka Seme’s dream.

In this issue

We celebrate a distinguished cadre and outstanding freedom fighter of our revolutionary movement, Comrade Jack- son Mthembu, who met his untimely passing on the 21st of January 2021. A unionist who lived amongst his people and whose consuming love for the people of South Africa was unparalleled.

He joins a multitude of lodestars of our glorious Movement who fought tirelessly and laid down their lives for the freedom we enjoy today.

A valiant, courageous and stubborn fighter has fallen at his post, on the battlefield. Comrade Mthembu succumbed to COVID-19 related complications, after waging a Great War along with the leadership of the country against the deadly global pandemic.

In his honour, President Cyril Ramaphosa reminisces about the young firebrand, student activist and trade union leader who fought for our liberation from tyranny, guided not by ambition or expectation of reward, but by his principles, and won the respect of his peers, even on the opposition benches in Parliament. The President further urges society to complete what he was not able to finish in his lifetime: the cause of renewing and rebuilding his beloved movement, of restoring the nation’s faith in this government, and of building an ethical state that is led by men and women of honour, of principle and of conviction.

The ANC TG, comrade Paul Mashatile, affirms how comrade Mthembu will be remembered as a lifelong foot-soldier for the freedom of the people of South Africa and as a highly competent servant of the people, whose passion for the cause of building a better life for all will never be forgotten. Furthermore, TG pleads that we honour Comrade Jackson by redoubling our efforts to build a capable developmental state that is able to respond effectively to the daily struggles of our people. In particular, building an efficient, caring, compassionate government – a government of the people, for the people and by the people.

The ANCYL NYTT represented by comrade Precious Banda, in bidding farewell to Comrade Mthembu, petition to President Peter Mokaba – whom comrade Mthembu has now joined, that they refuse to be proxies in battles of old people who infiltrate and divide them to reduce their fighting capacity, but assure that the ANCYL will one day live true to its historic mandate.

Katlego Mamabolo, the ANC activist, asserts how the grave cannot wholly hold great men, their intellectual brilliance, ideological clarity, values and character – and have never found residence in tombs; Mvelase being no exception. He writes about comrade Jackson being an honest gentle giant, and at times vulnerable.

Withal, Dr Bandile Masuku decodes the Covid-19 vaccine, which presents an opportunity to strengthen the South African Health System and calls on segments of society to rally behind the leadership of the country in its attempts to deal with the pandemic in the best possible way.

On the same token, Kgotso Maja calls on big businesses to embrace efforts to transform society and be in the forefront of not only applying but promoting the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment and Affirmative Action as components of broader social and economic transformation, while Comrade Alex addresses the National Question.

Moreover, Mpumelelo Sangweni protests the unsustainability of coalition governments, particularly in local government – the nerve centre of service delivery, socio-economic development and of driving our efforts to build a truly democratic integrated and prosperous society, which subject our people to parochial power struggles.

To this end, the task of reclaiming hegemony in society remains mammoth. Communicating the work done by the ANC in the Government of Local Unity in a quest to counter misinformation propelled by the media remains our foremost task, too.

Malibongwe.