The newly elected North West African National Congress Provincial (ANC) Chairperson, Nono Maloyi has hailed the late struggle veteran, Rita Ndzanga as a woman of substance and an exemplary leader.
Maloyi was part of the ANC Provincial leadership, which received the body of the anti-apartheid heroine, at a small reception ceremony in Potchefstroom, in the North West.
She has been accorded the Special Official Provincial Funeral Category 2, by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
‘Courageous leader’
Ndzanga played a critical role in the fight against the oppressive regime and was also a unionist. Maloyi says Ndzanga was a courageous leader.
“She is one of the heroines of our struggle who sacrificed her entire life for the liberation of the people of South Africa as a whole including the workers of this country like she never sold out. She has spent a lot of time in and out of prison, she was harassed, and she was not even given an opportunity to say goodbye to her husband. She was one of the most disciplined cadres of the movement.” says Maloyi.
Meanwhile, one of the late struggle icon’s grandchild, Lawrance Ndzanga, who resides in Germany, says they will remember their grandmother as a loving person who lived her life through the struggle and see the country as a better place for all.
‘Prioritise unity’
Speaking during the reception ceremony of her sister’s body, Ndzanga’s sister, Mosidi Mofokeng has urged the ANC to honour Ndzanga’s memory by prioritising the unity of the Party.
Mofokeng says, “Like it has been said, I am still repeating myself, ANC please be what she stood for, she passed on disgruntled, so I was hurt because I could see that her disgruntlement is out of a sore heart when she said this is not what we fought for. So I am saying to you, ANC what you have done for her is amazing but change, clean your own house so that she may rest in peace.”
Below are some short videos from the funeral:
