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The South African Communist Party (SACP) in the Moses Mabhida Province (KwaZulu-Natal) learnt with shock and devastation about the untimely death of one of its finest cadres, Comrade Important Mkhize. He had fallen ill, and his soul departed earthly bounds in the early hours of Sunday, 10 September 2023 robbing us and the revolution a fine communist.

The SACP in the province conveys its heartfelt and deepest condolences to his family, children, relatives, friends and all the progressive formations.

Cde Khabazela voluntarily dedicated his revolutionary life to serve the working class at the risk of highest persecution and losing his liberties and life to advance the struggles of the working class and poor. As a UDF activist he ensured the revival of the ANC struggles and secret operations under the banner of the UDF in 1984. The 40th commemoration of the UDF is another record of his political contributions to the freedoms we enjoy today.

As the SACCAWU organiser and national negotiator he understood that workplace battles were the critical site of struggle intertwined with societal struggles.  He grew the union to become a formidable force to be reckoned with within a short period of time. His dedication to the struggle and political insight saw him being recruited to many underground structures of the SACP when it was life threatening and not fashionable to associate oneself with the mass democratic movement.

He led by example, abhorred crass materialism and lived a humble life of a communist, reflected in his overall behaviour imbued with communist character.  Cde Important is a product of the struggles of the people against the oppressive and exploitative regimes in South Africa who through his profound selflessness rose within the ranks of the SACP thus becoming the Deputy Provincial Secretary of the Moses Mabhida Province in 2009. He played a pivotal and central role under the leadership of the Provincial Secretary, Cde Themba Mthembu, to rebuild structures of the SACP and growing its membership ensuring that the Party is rooted in the masses, visible on the ground and organically linked with the people.

In recognition of his selfless dedication to advance a transparent government, and sustained fight against corruption, he was deployed to serve the people of KwaZulu-Natal in the Legislature, tasks he executed with highest commitment and loyalty throughout his term.  It was during his tenure as the Chairperson of the portfolio committee on Human Settlement that the department itself excelled in the provision of decent houses for the poor people of KwaZulu-Natal, making huge advances in the area of social delivery.  As a humble communist and a principled leader, he effortlessly transcended the divide within stakeholders in the built environment, championing the need to put people before profits thereby ensuring seamless delivery of big housing projects in the province. He played a crucial leadership and intellectual role including strategic and tactical thinking in moving legislature work forward.

Cde Impor, as he was affectionately known, was one of the rare breeds of leadership capable of providing carefully distilled analysis to guide and orient the masses of the people in whose interest the SACP exists. He possessed in-depth administrative and political capacities that saw him recruited to lead the Chief Albert Luthuli Museum which remained great under his esteemed leadership and stewardship.

The KwaZulu-Natal and the Alliance have lost a disciplined leader whose passion about political education and development programmes saw him being identified to go around the province providing political education for all ANC structures which responsibility he carried out diligently.

In memory of Cde Impor, we shall continue to dedicate our lives to building a powerful, socialist movement of the workers and poor in pursuit of a socialist future.  We shall focus our energies on organisational and fundamental economic issues of social transformation that as the working class we must decisively tackle.

We dip our revolutionary red banner in honour of this colossal figure, Cde Important Mkhize, an SACP cadre and truly committed leader till the end. We also cannot fail to celebrate his dedication, commitment, outstanding intellectual and practical contribution he ceaselessly made to our struggle for national liberation and socialism.

This is a life well lived by a revolutionary of our times! 

Hamba Kahle Khabazela Ka Mavovo!

Issued by SACP Moses Mabhida