The mark of the fallen cadres was also used to mark the 70 years of the Freedom Charter, delivered by the Deputy Minister of Police and ANC NEC member Cassel Mathale.

Amongst the attendees were the Peter Mokaba Regional leadership, some PEC members, ANC Women’s League, ANCYL, COSAS, and various stakeholders.

The fallen comrades bus, while en route to Mbombela Stadium in 2024, crashed on the R71 road ( Makgoebaskloof near Tzaneen). The ruling party was holding a 112th anniversary in Mpumalanga province.

The commemorative visits and paid to the families of the fallen:

• Setabola family
•  Makganyoga family
•  Rakubu family
• Mapfumo family
• Machaba family

It won’t be an ANC gathering without campaigns. Before, the key note address ascended to the pondium. A message of support by the ANCYL NEC member Douglas Ngobeni came with an endorsement and influence to the branches of the ANC

“We are going to be an ANCYL, which rises to the occasion when unemployment rises and which does not go around begging. We are to be an ANCYL that says young people want this, and young people get this. We want to lobby branches to go and convince members that John Mpe must become the ANC provincial Chairperson next year,” said Ngobeni

 The crowd seemed to agree with the endorsement by a show of hands and laughter, while the key speaker prepared his speech.

Mathale led the recognition ceremony and, by declaring that they are officially regarded as ” fallen cadres,” who died in the line of duty while serving the movement.

“The ANC bond with the families of the fallen 5 is permanent,” said Cassel Mathale

He stated that the movement will continue to reconnect with and support them.

“Their undying spirits will continue to guide the ANC,” said Mathale

Mathale emphasized that the ceremony served a dual purpose marking the 70th Anniversary of the Freedom Charter ( 1955_2025).

He linked the sacrifice of Molemole 5 to the struggle for the Charter’s ideals, specifically celebrating its key clauses.

Since the incident, the Peter Mokaba region has maintained a permanent relationship with grieving families by providing food vouchers and gifts to ensure dignified holiday periods for the survivors.

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Founded on 16 December 1961, a date now observed as the Day of Heroes, Umkhonto we Sizwe emerged at a time when all peaceful avenues for political change had been violently shut down by the apartheid regime. The ANC said the decision to form MK was not taken lightly, but followed years of brutal repression marked by the banning of liberation movements, the Sharpeville massacre, mass arrests, political executions, and the routine killing of unarmed civilians.

According to the ANC, MK was never about the glorification of violence. Rather, it was a disciplined and principled response to state-sponsored terror, firmly guided by political leadership and moral purpose. Operating under the leadership of the ANC and the South African Communist Party, MK remained committed to the vision of a democratic, non-racial, and just South Africa as outlined in the Freedom Charter.

From its first acts of resistance in December 1961, MK gave organised expression to the people’s right to resist oppression. It drew strength from a long tradition of African resistance and aligned itself with global struggles against colonialism, racism, and imperialism. Beyond being a military structure, MK served as a political school, shaping cadres grounded in sacrifice, discipline, internationalism, and unwavering loyalty to the people.

The ANC paid tribute to MK combatants who paid the ultimate price for freedom, honouring those who were killed, tortured, imprisoned, assassinated, or forced into exile. It also remembered those who trained under harsh conditions across Africa and beyond, and those who returned home to mobilise communities and confront the apartheid state alongside the masses. Their sacrifices, the ANC said, weakened the apartheid machinery and strengthened international solidarity that eventually isolated the racist regime.

The movement also acknowledged MK’s role within the broader African liberation struggle, noting that South Africa’s freedom was inseparable from the freedom of the continent. Through shared sacrifice and strategic alliances, MK contributed to regional victories against colonial and apartheid-backed forces.

Reflecting on the suspension of the armed struggle in August 1990, the ANC emphasised that it was a strategic decision aimed at securing a negotiated settlement in line with the will of the people. The democratic breakthrough of 1994, the party said, remains a powerful testament to the combined force of mass mobilisation, armed resistance, principled leadership, and international solidarity.

Today, the ANC says the responsibility of former MK combatants lies in defending and deepening the democratic gains achieved through struggle. This includes community involvement in fighting crime, strengthening street committees and community policing forums, combating gender-based violence and femicide, and passing revolutionary values to younger generations to rebuild a caring, people-centred society.

As the movement marks this milestone, it acknowledged that the legacy of Umkhonto we Sizwe places a heavy responsibility on the present generation. In a period of ideological contestation, internal challenges, and betrayal by former comrades, the ANC said MK’s example calls for renewal rooted in unity, discipline, selflessness, and service to the people.

The ANC stressed that remembering MK is not about romanticising the past, but about defending the hard-won freedoms of today and continuing the unfinished struggle for social and economic justice. The values that shaped Umkhonto we Sizwe, it said, must continue to guide the ANC as an effective instrument of the people.

On this Day of Heroes, the African National Congress saluted Umkhonto we Sizwe, Lerumo la Sechaba, and honoured all those who carried the spear of resistance so that South Africa could live in freedom and dignity.

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This judgment corrects a long-standing distortion of history; overturning the apartheid-era inquest that falsely claimed Chief Luthuli died after being struck by a goods train. The Court, presided over by Judge Nompumelelo Hadebe, affirmed that both oral and documentary evidence presented in the reopened inquest do not support those discredited findings. This ruling brings justice, truth, and dignity to the memory of one of South Africa’s greatest sons and to all those who suffered under apartheid brutality.

Honouring Chief Albert Luthuli

Chief Albert Luthuli, a teacher, traditional leader, and freedom fighter, served as President-General of the ANC from 1952 until his passing in 1967. He led the movement during one of its most difficult and defining periods — the era of the Defiance Campaign, the drafting of the Freedom Charter, and the banning of the ANC.

As a man of peace, courage, and moral conviction, Chief Luthuli became the first African recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1960 for his non-violent resistance against apartheid.

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Luthuli’s Legacy and the ANC’s Commitment

Under his leadership, the ANC deepened its commitment to unity, democracy, and the vision of a non-racial, non-sexist South Africa. He stood firmly for the principle that “the road to freedom is via the cross”, reminding generations of activists that the struggle for liberation demands sacrifice and integrity.

This judgment reaffirms what the ANC, the liberation movement, and the oppressed people of South Africa have always known: that Chief Luthuli was a victim of state-sanctioned murder. It is a moral victory not only for his family but for all martyrs of our struggle whose lives were cut short by the cruelty of apartheid.

The ANC commends the efforts of all those who fought tirelessly to reopen this inquest — historians, human rights lawyers, the Luthuli family, and the Department of Justice — for their pursuit of truth and accountability. This ruling restores historical integrity and strengthens our nation’s collective memory.

Recommitment to Luthuli’s Vision

As the movement that Chief Luthuli once led, the ANC recommits itself to defending the values he lived and died for — freedom, equality, peace, and justice. His spirit continues to guide our journey of national renewal and social transformation.

The ANC calls on all South Africans to reflect on this moment as a reminder of the sacrifices made for our democracy, and to rededicate ourselves to the ongoing task of building a just, united, and prosperous South Africa.

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Programme Director, Cde Sibongile Besani, welcomed members of the Cholo family, former ANC Deputy President Cde Kgalema Motlanthe, members of the ANC National Executive Committee, the Gauteng Provincial Task Team, and comrades from across the movement to the historic centenary celebration.

The event was not only a birthday tribute to Dr. Cholo, born a century ago in Ga-Matlala, but also a moment of reflection and renewal for the ANC and the nation.

A Lifetime of Struggle and Service

Dr. Cholo’s journey — from the dusty paths of Kgakana Village to the prison cells of Robben Island — tells the story of South Africa’s long road to freedom. He began life as a worker in Germiston, where he organized labourers and fought against the injustices of apartheid. His involvement in the formation of the South African Congress of Trade Unions showed his deep belief that dignity in the workplace was central to dignity at home.

When the ANC launched its armed wing, Umkhonto weSizwe (MK), Dr. Cholo was among the first to take up the cause. He trained in the Soviet Union and China, later becoming a commissar and deputy commander of the Luthuli Detachment. He helped establish early MK camps named in honour of great leaders such as Chief Albert Luthuli and Nelson Mandela, ensuring that the spirit of the struggle remained alive among the people.

His mission led him across borders through Botswana and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) during the Wankie and Sipolilo campaigns. Despite being arrested and sentenced, Dr. Cholo returned to the battlefield — determined to never abandon his people, no matter the danger.

In 1972, he was captured again, charged under the Terrorism Act in the infamous “Great Pretoria Six” case, and sentenced to 16 years on Robben Island. There, he studied, taught, and inspired fellow prisoners — keeping the flame of liberation burning even behind bars.

Honouring a True Revolutionary

“Dr. Cholo’s life is a testament to resilience and selflessness,” said ANC representatives. “He dedicated his entire being to the struggle for freedom, never seeking recognition or reward.”

In recognition of his immense contribution, the ANC conferred upon him the prestigious Isithwalandwe/Seaparankwe — the highest honour the movement can bestow.

But the celebration of his centenary, speakers emphasized, should not end with praise. It must serve as a call to action — to rebuild, renew, and restore the ANC’s founding values of service, honesty, and unity.

A Call for Renewal

The ANC acknowledged that the 2024 election outcomes represented a “strategic setback” for the national democratic revolution. However, leaders said Dr. Cholo’s example provides a roadmap for renewal — one that demands recommitment to the struggles of ordinary South Africans.

Dr. Cholo’s politics were rooted in the working class — among miners, farmworkers, domestic workers, and informal traders. His vision of change was not about rallies or slogans, but about improving the daily lives of people: living wages, functioning clinics, quality schools, reliable transport, and job security.

“We do not organize people for rallies,” the speech reminded. “We organize to change their material conditions.”

The ANC pledged to strengthen political education within the movement, build disciplined and community-focused leadership, and restore public trust through integrity-driven governance.

Building a Better Future

Speakers drew lessons from Dr. Cholo’s humility and steadfastness, noting that he endured torture and imprisonment without turning the struggle into spectacle. His quiet strength, they said, should guide today’s leaders in serving without seeking fame.

The call for renewal extended beyond national politics to global solidarity. Dr. Cholo’s internationalism — from Tanzania to the USSR and China — reflected his belief that South Africa’s liberation was part of a broader African and global struggle against oppression.

As part of the ANC’s rebuilding process, emphasis was placed on strengthening community-based branches to tackle service delivery issues, combat corruption, and restore efficiency in municipalities. The movement vowed to take decisive action against “water tank mafias, construction mafias, and every corrupt practice that steals from our people.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

The ANC also called for the grooming of a new generation of servant leaders who view politics as a platform for service rather than personal gain. Young people, it said, must see the ANC as “a place to build, not to loot.”

“Our challenge,” the statement added, “is to fight corruption with the same courage that our forebears fought oppression — to build institutions as steadfastly as they built liberation camps, and to love our people as deeply as they did.”

A Living Legacy

As the movement reflected on a century of Dr. Cholo’s life, the message was clear: the greatest tribute to his legacy is not in words, but in action.

“The best way to honour Dr. TT Cholo is not with fanfare, but with fidelity — fidelity to the poor, to the working class, and to the ideals enshrined in the Freedom Charter and our Constitution,” said the closing address.

Dr. Cholo’s life, the ANC affirmed, remains a beacon of courage and service — a reminder that the struggle continues, not with guns and prisons, but with integrity, good governance, and the pursuit of a South Africa that leaves no one behind.

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Zuma’s legal action comes just as the ANC marks the 70th anniversary of the Freedom Charter, a moment many see as symbolic.

In documents filed at the Johannesburg High Court, Zuma claims that the party rule used to expel him—identified as rule 25.17.42—is at odds with the country’s Constitution.

Meanwhile, Zuma’s new political home, Umkhonto Wesizwe, has voiced strong support for his decision to fight back, stating that it stands firmly behind him as he seeks to restore his 65-year-long membership in the ANC.

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