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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A Wreath-Laying Ceremony was held at the OR Tambo Memorial Site in Wattville, followed by a Memorial Lecture delivered by Deputy President Paul Mashatile, reflecting on Tambo’s enduring legacy and moral leadership.

Born on 27 October 1917, President Tambo is remembered for embodying the ideals of integrity, humility, unity, and principled struggle. As leader of the ANC in exile, he turned hardship into opportunity — rallying the global community against apartheid and keeping the movement united during its most difficult years.

In its statement, the ANC described Tambo as a moral compass whose life “remains an enduring testament that revolutions are sustained by discipline, not slogans; by truth, not expediency.”

The party reaffirmed its commitment to unity, ideological clarity, and renewal, echoing Tambo’s warning that “a nation that does not care for its youth has no future, and a movement that forgets its moral compass loses its soul.”

The ANC called on South Africans, particularly the youth, to draw inspiration from Tambo’s values and continue the fight against poverty, inequality, and injustice.

Long live the revolutionary spirit of Oliver Reginald Tambo!

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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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