Jessie Duarte was a faithful, dedicated and fiercely loyal leader of the ANC – Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the late African National Congress (ANC) deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte as a faithful, dedicated and fiercely loyal leader of the ANC. 

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Ramaphosa on Sunday afternoon delivered the eulogy at Duarte’s funeral service at Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg, saying the ANC struggle stalwart “served the people of South Africa with dedication, with humility and with a passion that is all too rare.”

“It is difficult to imagine the ANC without our beloved deputy secretary general, and to think that we will never again hear her voice and her laughter carrying down the corridors of Luthuli House,” the ANC president said.

RIP Jessie Duarte

Duarte, the longest serving member of the ANC’s top six national leadership, passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning after a long battle with cancer. She was 68.

Ramaphosa declared a special official category 2 funeral for Duarte. The funeral was held in accordance with Muslim rights.

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Ramaphosa hailed Duarte for her activism and for fighting for women’s rights, saying she was relentless in advancing the position of women in all areas of public and private life.

“She confronted the patriarchal attitudes and practices that sought to diminish the role and contribution of women in Parliament, in government and across society.

“She did not hesitate to confront inadequate representation of women in the ANC itself,” he said.

‘Gracious, compassionate and always kind’

Duarte was “gracious, compassionate and always kind”, Ramaphosa said, adding that the late ANC veteran was always there, teaching, organising and mobilising communities against the burning issues in society.

“She never missed a beat, she was on top of every issue, she led with distinction, and she always made her voice heard.”

Turning his attention to the current state of the governing party, Ramaphosa said Duarte was concerned that the ANC had become distant from the people.

“It was a matter of great distress to her that she felt that the movement to which she had dedicated her life had grown so distant from the people they were given the responsibility to serve.

“This is a deficiency that we are called upon to remedy,” Ramaphosa said.

Duarte fought against factions

He said Duarte was a unifier who fought against factionalism and disunity in the governing party.

“She stood firm against those who would sow division, who were interested only in personal advancement, who pursued narrow interests to the neglect of the needs of the people.”

In honour of her legacy as a dedicated freedom fighter, the president called on ANC leaders and activists to humble themselves before the people.

“We are called upon to retore the values of our Constitution and our movement.

“We must take up the concerns and champion the interests of the people of this country, particularly the workers, the poor and the vulnerable

“Above all, we need to work together with the people to improve their lives and to transform our society,” he said.

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