Issued by: Office of the Deputy Presidency
2 May 2002
The Tshwete Family, relatives and friends;
Cabinet Ministers and Deputy Ministers;
The Premier of the Gauteng Province and MECs, MPs and MPLs
ANC Veterans;
Members of the ANC NEC;
Leaders of the SACP and Cosatu;
Traditional leaders;
Religious leaders;
Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Compatriots;
Comrades and Friends;
One hour before Freedom Day 2002, one of the giants of our struggle passed on, leaving behind a legacy and footprints that tell a story of his contribution to the freedom of the people of this land.
Our gathering here today, is forcing us to come to terms with that painful reality that our beloved comrade, friend, hero, revolutionary, patriot, freedom fighter and the former Minister of Sport and Recreation and Minister for Safety and Security is no more.
It is quite ironic that Cde Stephen Vukile Tshwete passed on shortly before Freedom Day, a freedom he dedicated his entire life to fighting for, and a freedom he was still continuing to defend and give meaning to.
Comrades and friends, we are here not to mourn but to celebrate the life of a selfless hero who sacrificed life's comforts to ensure that generations to come in this country, live in freedom and democracy.
We are celebrating the life of a man who dedicated his whole life to the struggle for a better life for all in our country, and who served this nation with honour and distinction. We are talking about a man who served as an inspiration to thousands of young people in this country, who gave them hope in the midst of darkness during the apartheid years, in exile and inside the country.
Cde Tshwete was born in Springs on 12 November 1938. He spent his childhood in Peelton, and later in King William's Town and East London.
His political consciousness was developed at an early age, and at East London's Welsh High, which he attended in 1960 and 1961, where he joined the African Students' Association and began to show the organisational abilities which we all came to know him and respect him for.
After leaving school he immersed himself in ANC work. He also became secretary of the Border regional command of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK). In June 1963, he was arrested.
In February of the following year he was tried, found guilty of belonging to a banned organization and also for MK activities, for which was sentenced to 15 years on Robben Island.
He was released in March 1978 returned home, and found work as a teacher and was soon politically active again.
In 1983, Cde Steve became president of the Border region of the United Democratic Front, and was detained by the Ciskei government, and was declared persona non grata by the then Minister of Home Affairs, FW de Klerk. Thereafter he left the country and went into exile.
After a spell in Maseru, he moved to Zambia in 1985, and his political and military work took him all over the world. He also served as secretary of the 75th Anniversary Committee of the ANC, which gave him an opportunity to travel extensively in the world. He also served as a member of the Politico-Military Council (PMC) secretariat, and was appointed as an Army Commissar of MK.
He was co-opted onto the ANC National Executive Committee in 1988 and formed part of the ANC delegation to the Groote Schuur talks in 1990.
He returned to the country permanently on the instructions of the NEC in May 1990 to assume work as National Organiser and chairperson of the National Organising Committee, again a task he was suited to, given his gregarious personality, political and ideological maturity as well as his commitment to the ideals of the ANC.
One is filled with a sense of pride, and can speak about Cde Tshwete without any fear of contradiction, because he had internalized ANC polices and culture in the true sense, and lived the ANC.
Much as he had a forceful way of putting his views across, for which he will also be remembered and missed, Cde Tshwete was known to be kind and caring, and was extremely supportive to colleagues and friends. Having spent time with him on Robben Island from 1964 until his release, I got to know the man more deeply, and to understand and appreciate his capabilities and contribution to the struggle.
Cde Tshwete understood ANC policies in their most complex and refined sense. Among these was the importance of reconciliation among the South African people. This he understood more than many, and worked hard to ensure its implementation in his area of operation.
We are talking about a cadre who was flexible, and who could adapt to situations easily. As head of the ANC's Sports Desk, he played a pivotal role in facilitating the deracialisation and normalisation of South African sport.
He took this role further when he served in South Africa's first democratic government as Minister of Sport and Recreation, where he pursued the quest for transformation in sport.
Cde Tshwete possessed many qualities, which were rare to find in one individual. Among these were political clarity, bravery, loyalty, and political discipline.
He had another quality that he will always be remembered for in this country - when given a task, he would undertake it with passion.
As Minister of Sport, he performed his duties with a passion that moved the nationy, and which made sports our common playground as South Africans and a powerful tool of national reconciliation. When our teams won, Cde Steve rejoiced with them, when they lost, he cried with them, and became part of them and their trials and tribulations.
As Minister of Safety and Security, he made his presence felt. He was able to win the support of our police, identified with them and understood the challenges they faced in their day-to-day work. He was also gifted with the quality of motivating and boosting the morale of those he worked with, no matter what level they were at. He also had a quality of accepting to be led, but he also had the capacity to lead.
Cde Tshwete was no deskbound leader, and was always in hotspots, providing support to police officials on the beat, and assuring the people of this country that the battle against crime would be won. He was indeed an invaluable member of the criminal justice system team, and an invaluable member of the President's Cabinet.
The fruits of his hard work and that of his colleagues in the criminal justice system is clearly visible, as the country has indeed turned the corner in the fight against crime.
The crime statistics released in December indicated the stabilization of crime in the 100 of 145 police station areas throughout the country, which had accounted for over 50% of crime. Since the release of these statistics, only 36 areas are still outstanding.
The three most serious crimes - robbery, robbery with aggravating circumstances and theft, which had been on the increase over the past years, have stabilized. The commitment and the approach of Cde Tshwete and his colleagues in the cluster has indeed produced remarkable results.
Cde Tshwete served this country and this nation with distinction, and deserves our salute and praise for his selflessness, and for being a true patriot until the end.
I cannot conclude this tribute without saluting Cde Tshwete, the husband and father. He was always there for his family and his children, despite his schedule in which he had to dedicate many hours to the nation.
We cannot take away the pain from them, but we say to Pam, the children and the entire Tshwete family: on behalf the President and all South Africans, accept our most heartfelt and sincere condolences.
We will always cherish the memories of working with Cde Steve, and generations to come will continue to appreciate his contribution to the struggle for liberation, and the quest for a better life for all in our country.
A warrior has fallen. Let the youth take up his spear and continue the quest for a better South Africa, better Africa and better world.
Lala ngoxolo Thangana.