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Date : 27/06/2006
Source: The Presidency
Title: Mlambo-Ngcuka: Inaugural Lecture of Solomon Mahlangu


  Address delivered by the Deputy President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on the occasion of the Inaugural Lecture of Solomon Mahlangu, at the Apartheid Museum, 27 June 2006

“My blood will nourish the tree that will bear the fruits of freedom. Tell my people that I love them. They must continue the fight."

Solomon “Kalushi” Mahlangu on his way to the gallows. 6 April 1979.

Chairperson of the Centre for Education Policy
Development (CEPD), Dr Blade Nzimande,
Director of the Centre for Education Policy
Development (CEPD), John Pampallis,
Mum Martha Mahlangu and members of the family of the late Solomon “Kalushi” Mahlangu,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Friends and comrades,

It is indeed a pleasure and a privilege for me to be here with you today, to deliver an address on the life and times of Solomon Mahlangu. I am grateful for this opportunity of having to reflect on the importance of the life of this great hero of our revolution, and a martyr of our struggle.

It has been 27 years since we laid to rest the remains of this freedom fighter, a hero of our revolution Comrade Solomon “Kalushi” Mahlangu.

We do not just say Solomon Mahlangu was a hero, a revolutionary freedom fighter or a martyr for the sake of it nor do we say it in a light hearted and meaningless manner, we say it in its proper political context and significance, with its profound political meaning.

According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English:

Hero: means “a man/woman (person) who is admired for doing something extremely brave”, Martyr: means “someone who is killed or punished because of his/her religious or political beliefs”,
Revolutionary: means “completely new and different, especially in a way that leads to great improvements”. We can not deny that Solomon’s deeds in life and death gave something gave something new and led to improvements.

Today’s Solomon Mahlangu inaugural lecture is extremely significant, particularly since this year we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Soweto 16 June Uprisings, an event that more than any other brought young people like Solomon Mahlangu to the centre stage of our struggle. It is a day that shaped and changed the course of history in our country. It is also the day that shaped and changed the life of Solomon Mahlangu and his family.

The name of Solomon Mahlangu has become synonymous with the youth struggles and courage.

His life was closely connected and intertwined with the struggles of the youth and students fighting for a better education and a free South Africa and it is significant therefore that when we remember him we recall that 16 June the day that propelled youth like Solomon Mahlangu to the forefront of our struggle, as he joined the struggle soon after the Soweto Uprisings of 16 June 1976.

Solomon “Kalushi” Mahlangu, is perhaps the best embodiment of that courage and heroism, youth vitality and commitment which was so dramatically portrayed by the Soweto youth generation.

Solomon “Kalushi” Mahlangu holds a special place in the minds and hearts of many people, especially amongst the old and young people activists of our country and in the liberation movement as a whole.

In order to understand comrade Solomon better it is important to look at the times that shaped him.

At the risk of repeating what many of you already know about comrade Solomon allow me to take a brief look at his intense enigmatic and short life.

Solomon “Kalushi” Mahlangu was born in Mamelodi a township near Pretoria (Tshwane) on 10 July in 1956, he grew up in an apartheid South Africa. He was born just a month before that historic march of 50 000 women to the Union Buildings in protest against the hated pass laws. The march whose 50th anniversary we celebrate this year. No wonder he turned out to be a revolutionary that he was. He was born in a historic year for our struggle.

Solomon “Kalushi” Mahlangu was the second son of the Mahlangu’s, after 1962, saw his father infrequently. His mother Martha Mahlangu was a domestic worker and took sole responsibility for his upbringing. He attended Mamelodi High School up to standard eight, but did not complete his schooling as a result of the schools closure due to ongoing riots. Like numerous other youths who joined the struggle against apartheid.

It was a system that comrade “Kalushi” vowed to change by all means necessary including the armed struggle.

In October 1976 Solomon Mahlangu skipped the country where he joined the African National Congress (ANC) and its military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). He became an armed combatant for the liberation of his country.

On his return he was captured and his trial one devastating episodes in his life. Solomon had received training from Angola and Mozambique. On 11 June 1977 he returned to South Africa, through Swaziland ready to fight.

On 13 June 1977, Mahlangu and his companion and comrade Monty Johannes Motloung and George "Lucky" Mahlangu were accosted in Johannesburg after which they fled to a warehouse.

In the ensuing shooting two civilians were killed and two wounded. Mahlangu and Motloung were arrested. George Mahlangu escaped. Monty was so brutally beaten during the course of his capture that he suffered severe brain damage leaving him unfit to stand trial.

Solomon Mahlangu was tried from 7 November 1977 to 1 March 1978. His charges arose from the machine pistol and grenade attack in Goch Street, Johannesburg in June 1977. He was charged with two counts of murder and several charges under the Terrorism Act.

Mahlangu pleaded not guilty to the charges. His counsel stated that he entered South Africa in June 1977 as part of a group of 10, bringing arms, ammunition, explosives and ANC pamphlets into the country. The judge, however, concluded that Motloung was responsible for the actual killing, he also accepted that he was unfit to stand trial as a result of mental illness due to the brutality of the police.

Because common purpose had been established Mahlangu was found guilty on two counts of murder and three under the Terrorism Act Mahlangu was sentenced to death on 2 March 1978.

On 15 June 1978 Solomon Mahlangu was refused leave to appeal his sentence by the Rand Supreme Court and on 24 July 1978 he was refused again by the Bloemfontein Appeal Court.

Although various governments, the United Nations (UN), international organisations, groups and prominent individuals attempted to intercede on his behalf Mahlangu awaited his execution in the Pretoria Central Prison and was finally executed on 6 April 1979. That was a dark cloud for all of us. We held vigils all over the country. I cannot even pretend and understand the pain of the family.

The execution provoked international protest and condemnation of South Africa’s policies. But what a brave young man strong disciplined focused until the end.

On 6 April 1993 he was reburied at the Mamelodi Cemetery where a plaque shows what his last words were. After having been buried in Atteridgeville as an apartheid court sentenced him to death in 1978, he shouted “Amandla!” His now famous last words before his jailers took him to the gallows on 6 April 1979, and then only 23 years old were: "My blood will nourish the tree that will bear the fruits of freedom. Tell my people that I love them. They must continue the fight."

These words inspired a generation of youth to fight and freedom fighters for an end to the ruthless apartheid system which martyred Solomon Mahlangu. In his short and yet brief life he achieved what others spend a lifetime trying to achieve. This is the proud inspiring story of a gallant soldier, martyr visionary.

Solomon's generation did continue the fight. In honour of his courage and dedication to the cause of freedom, the ANC named a new school after him. The Solomon Mahlangu Freedom College (SOMAFCO). There was another fountain of knowledge which moulded many of our cadres and all whom were inspired by the life of Solomon which the school embodied.

When South Africans began to return back to their motherland SOMAFCO was donated to the Tanzanian people. I had the honour and privilege to visit SOMAFCO in 1987 and in state of disrepair it still evoked emotions. In one of the graves of our comrades it was written; “Ours was not a struggle to benefit and glorify us but to serve the people of SA.”

After 27 years since the brutal slaying of comrade “Kalushi” and 30 years since that historic and heroic Soweto uprising, we must ask ourselves what lessons have we learnt from the legacy Solomon Mahlangu left behind. How do we make sure this life of a son, brother, leader shines for ever? We have not yet achieved all that he struggled for. We have made a start, we have a good foundation.

Indeed his blood nourished the tree of freedom. It is a legacy of commitment, conviction and dedication to the goals of our national democratic struggle.

These qualities we still need today. Less we snatch defeat in the throes of victory. Our task is to work hard for a better education system, equal education for all our schoolchildren. We need a legacy of youth development, skills development and youth empowerment in all its facets. To achieve that each one of us in our stations in life must do our best. As students, educators, workers, politicians we all still need to rise higher and contribute in the building of a developmental state.

I am confident that Solomon Mahlangu was he alive today would be very proud of the improvements and achievements that have been scored by the democratic government 12 years since the eradication of apartheid in the education arena and would be concerned about the need to achieve even more and quicker.

The government has undertaken many reforms over the past 12 years to begin overcoming the legacy of the past. These include the following:

* A new non-racial system of educational administration has been put in place.

* There has been an opening up of opportunities to members of previously oppressed groups in formerly privileged institutions, such as the former Model C schools and the historically white universities.

* The school curriculum has been revamped to both democratise and modernise it and to make it more responsive to the needs of a new and developing South Africa.

* In the townships and many rural areas there has been a marked improvement in the ethos of schools which have been trying to overcome the disorganisation and indiscipline (and indeed chaos) associated with the deterioration in the culture of learning and teaching in the turbulent 1980s and much of the 1990s.

* The system of school funding has been changed in pursuit of greater equity.

* Vast sums of money have been spent on upgrading the skills of our teachers.

* The higher education system has been reorganised and in this way it is hoped that it will become stronger, more efficient and more responsive to the needs of both students and the economy.

* The further education system has been rationalised into a smaller number of larger colleges and is currently undergoing a process of recapitalisation and curriculum modernisation.

We need to work together to build a formidable community/youth service (CYS).

* To build amongst our young people a culture of service to community.
* To give them skills.
* To build them as good citizens we need all institutions to support the CYS.

Perhaps, the most appropriate memorial to Solomon Mahlangu and his heroic generation would be for us all to commit ourselves to a struggle to raise the educational standards of the majority of our people in the schools and in the communities. The CYS offers us a platform to do that.

Let us all agree true liberation through economic, cultural, social and political will only be achieved through education for the most of our people and nurtured by discipline and commitment to our country.

If Solomon was not disciplined and did not love the nation as he did the story of our liberation could have been different. Let us rebuild that calibre of discipline and ask “what can I do for my country not only what the country must do for me.” Let us respect ourselves not killing of police, destroying property, and putting our organisations and leaders into disrepute as that is not the way to honour our heroes and to be responsible cadres.

Let us commit ourselves to honouring the memory of Solomon Mahlangu by dedicating ourselves to fighting to raise educational standards for our children and for our adult population as they struggle to achieve the broad range of skills required to find and sustained employment and work in a fast changing economy.

To Mum Martha Mahlangu and the Solomon Mahlangu family, thank you for giving birth to this noble son and patriot, thank you for giving us this hero this martyr, this gallant fighter for freedom, this revolutionary freedom fighter. Let us do something about our veteran’s families of fallen heroes who are destitute.

Mama Mahlangu may you find strength in the knowledge that he will always be remembered for the role he played and sacrifices he made, to free his country and his people.

Thank you for allowing him to be part of the ANC family. May you find comfort in the knowledge that his name is recorded in the annals of history for the outstanding contribution he made to the liberation struggle of our country. His name shall forever be held in great awe among the heroes and heroines of our struggle. He is the beloved son of our revolution.

I thank you!

Issued by: The Presidency
27 June 2006
   

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