Premier of the Free State Province Mr Ace Magashule
Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Mr Keppy Maphatsoe
Provincial leadership of the ANC and Alliance Partners
Chairperson of MKMVA
Representative from the Masilonyana Municipality
Members of the Lesimola Family
Comrades
Ladies and gentlemen;

It is with mixed feelings that we have gathered here today to handover and rebury the mortal remains of our Umkhonto WeSizwe (MK) soldier. This happens at a time when we lost the first Commander in Chief of Umkhonto WeSizwe and great leader of our people, uTata Nelson Mandela just under a year ago. Today all our ancestors including OR Tambo, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Chris Hani and others, are celebrating with us the fact that we have found the remains of our soldier. It is an hounour to be addressing you, the people of the historic province of the Free State, where the oldest liberation movement the ANC, was formed in 1912.

In as much as this traumatic process is reopening old wounds to Lesimola family and all of us, we must find peace in knowing that today we finally find closure. Let me remind us all that we are here not only to handover and rebury comrade Sechaba’s remains but also pay tribute to this gallant fighter of our freedom and democracy. This sombre occasion reminds us of the adversity that we had to face during the struggle for political freedom and very importantly, gives us resilience as we now seek to consolidate the socio-economic freedom of our people. We are therefore inspired by the sight of these mortal remains as their fallen spears must be picked up to continue our quest for economic emancipation.

This gallant fighter was militant and defiant to the end and died with his boots on than to be on his knees against the total onslaught of the murderers of the South African Defence Force (SADF).

Today I want us to take a deeper look into the historic circumstances under which these mortal remains are being handed over to the Lesimola family.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was part of our decision as the liberation movement that it must constitute the foundation of our democracy. During the political negotiations that led to the 1994 political breakthrough, we were mindful of the various political instabilities that visited many former colonies post liberation due to their failure in addressing the demons of the past. Essentially the reasons for such political instabilities in many post-colonial societies were as a result of not fully addressing the legacy of historic oppression, socially, politically and economically. The TRC recommendations in this regard were geared to fulfilling the vision of a non-racial, non-sexist, stable, prosperous and democratic State that is at peace with itself from a point of view of reconciliation.

Let me pause to ask a question, have we as a nation reached a point of nation building and reconciliation that the TRC sought to bring about. I am reluctant to give an answer to the affirmative in view of the recent events that are glaringly motivated by racist elements, in particular the two white students from University of Pretoria who painted their faces black mimicking black domestic workers. There are many other incidents especially in our schools where African pupils are subjected to racial acts. However I wish to make a clarion call that we should never betray what this comrade fought and died for. It remains relevant that we continue to pursue a vision of a non- racial and non- sexist society as part of our nation building efforts.

As the national liberation movement, we continued to embark on comprehensive transformation of the South African society with a view to create what in our key policy document the Strategy and Tactics we refer to as the National Democratic Society. For the National Democratic Society to become a reality, it is through efforts such as those of this departed comrade whose remains lie here in our midst today.

Comrades and friends

It would be an injustice not to give account of the broad struggle to which this cadre and his comrades dedicated their lives as we handover these remains upon the completion of their heroic mission. As the TRC Chairperson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu would also indicate in the preface to the TRC Report:
“All South Africans know that our recent history is littered with some horrendous occurrences - the Sharpville and Langa killings, the Soweto uprising, the Church Street bombing, Magoo’s Bar, the Amanzimtoti Wimpy Bar bombing, the St James’ Church killings, Boipatong and Sebokeng. We also knew about the deaths in detention of people such as Steve Biko, Neil Aggett, and others; necklacings, and the so-called ‘black on black’ violence on the East Rand and in KwaZulu Natal which arose from the rivalries between IFP and first the UDF and later the ANC. Our country is soaked in the blood of her children of all races and of all political persuasions.”

Ladies and gentlemen

The apartheid regime passed a number of laws since the National Party took over in 1948 as a means to give the system of apartheid some semblance of legality, and these are laws which we have abolished since 1994. The TRC Report alluded to these repressive laws as responsible for the comprehensive oppression of the majority by a minority in our country.

These are the laws that Comrade Sechaba fought against, to ensure the freedom and democracy of all our people. This was basically the broad repressive environment occasioned by fierce State security force’s brutality against the defenceless majority of our people notably starting with the Sharpeville massacre.

Daily our people were denied basic human rights and the result was the huge inequalities across race, gender and class that we are still grappling with. Thus today when we speak of affirmative action in particular and transformation in general, we refer to reversing this legacy which endured centuries but was intensified in the years of apartheid brutality since 1948.

Today it seems a luxury to be involved in the liberation of our country or in politics. This occasion reminds us that we dare not betray this noble historic endeavour that this comrade paid the ultimate price for. As the ANC, politics to us is about continuation of the liberation struggle to free our people from the legacy of apartheid and to us there is no better fitting tribute to this gallant fighter of our freedom and democracy.

As Solomon Mahlangu declared in the face of the apartheid gallows, indeed Comrade Sechaba’s blood too, has nourished the tree that has given birth to the fruits of our freedom. In the same vain we undertake as your mortal remains lie here before us, that we will endeavour to ensure the completion of the struggle for which you died at the hands of the atrocious SADF.

We know others have told lies that we have not achieved anything since 1994 as propaganda to demobilise our people. On the contrary our President Jacob Zuma has correctly pointed out an undisputed truth that we have a good story to tell. Looking back 20 years, the ANC government has ensured that South Africa has one of the best constitutions in the world which guarantees all our citizens basic human rights which this cadre did not live to enjoy. This is evident as many of our people have access to justice and strides have been made to improve their lives to be much better than during the system of apartheid. That system, which this cadre helped to dismantle, has created immense poverty and inequality amongst our people which the ANC government tried to mitigate through such measures as provision of social security grants, provision of black economic empowerment opportunities and land restitution.

Ladies and gentlemen;

It is the first time that we are in this province for handover of remains of our departed combatants. The TRC list had over 500 names of those who died during the conflicts of the past. The Missing Persons Task Team (MPTT) in the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has exhumed, handed to families and facilitated reburials of 97 remains of the activists. This leaves MPTT with around 400 remains of our struggle heroes and heroines whose graves are yet to be located, exhumed and given dignified reburials. Clearly inde lendlela, there is a lot of work to be done but as government, we shall soldier on fully alive to the fact that these cadres did not die in vain.

Indeed Lihambile Iqhawe

Let me conclude by officially committing these are the mortal remains of our hero to his family. His mortal remains shall in turn be committed to the soil of his forebears in dignity. However his fighting and fearless spirit shall continue to propel us to greater heights as we seek solutions to the challenges of the struggle for the complete socio-economic freedom of our people. Soze siphele Amandla.

Allow me to express my gratitude to the families for allowing us to convene in this manner as we do this handover with the dignity that it deserves. Also allow me to express my profound gratitude to the TRC Unit, the Missing Persons Tasks Team, the Provincial Task Team and all those who have been involved in various capacities to make this event a success.

As we proceed to take this cadre to his resting place, I recall those passionate words of Mark Anthony when he first saw Julius Caesar shortly after he was assassinated and said: “O mighty Caesar! dost thou lie so low? Are all thy conquests, glories, triumphs, spoils shrunk to this little measure? Fare thee well”.

Comrades Let us then be reminded to constantly be on guard, to defend this democracy, for it did not come cheap.

Kea leboha.

Amandla!!!