Those in power need to examine themselves – Ramaphosa at John Nkadimeng’s funeral

“Now more than ever, we have to stand united in our quest to restore our country to its founding values – values that Ntate John Nkadimeng lived by.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa sent out this message while delivering a eulogy at the special official funeral service of 93-year-old Isithwalandwe/Seaparankwe John Nkadimeng on Friday in Johannesburg.

The struggle stalwart died last Thursday.

He was laid to rest at the Westpark Cemetery.

Isithwalandwe/Seaparankwe is the country’s highest honour awarded to those who have made an outstanding contribution to the liberation struggle.

Ramaphosa described Nkadimeng an unwavering champion of unity of workers and the general working class, who also shared the vision of uniting all trade unions under one federation.

Nkadimeng played a role in transforming ANC

“As a volunteer in the Defiance Campaign in 1952 and as a leading organiser of the Congress of the People in 1955, as a member of the Transvaal ANC executive and later the ANC national executive, Ntate Nkadimeng was a vital part of the generation that transformed the ANC into a militant, mass movement – and thereby changed the course of our history. He paid the price for his convictions,” the president said.

The funeral service, which was live streamed on television as well as government and ANC social media platforms, was attended by, among others, family, friends, various ministers and deputy ministers, traditional and political leaders.

Ramaphosa said it was due to the work of people like Nkadimeng and many others that the nation was founded on human rights and dignity for all, adding that the stalwart’s life stood was an example of how people should conduct themselves as the country sought to build a more just and humane society.

He also described the stalwart as a humble person, who believed in the inalienable right to dignity for all South Africans, but especially for those who bore the brunt of economic marginalisation.

Corruption

Ramaphosa said that while the country was hard hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, it should be drawing on the spirit of the likes of Nkadimeng and unite as social partners in government, business, labour and civil society to rebuild the nation – but do away with corruption and theft.

He said while the stalwart was a man of accolades, such recognition was secondary to his commitment of serving the people, having endured immense personal hardships, arrests and banning orders – but was not discouraged, along with his comrades.

“On the contrary, they only sharpened his resolve. Just as we strive together in the spirit of solidarity to protect the rights of society’s most vulnerable, so too must we work together to rid our society of the scourge of cronyism and corruption.

“It is of the gravest of concern that we are being confronted with the misdeeds of those abusing their access to political and state power to enrich themselves,” he said.

Ramaphosa added that it was now time the country firmly took back the reigns from those out to destroy the work people like Nkadimeng did for a better South Africa.

He called on people to work with law enforcement agencies and provide information that would assist in ensuring the arrests of those behind corrupt deeds, regardless of who they were and the positions they held.

“Now, more than ever, we have to hold fast to the lessons they taught us about serving our people, about respecting them, about heeding their concerns and about acting in their best interests. Let this be a turning point in the fight against corruption.

“Let us use this moment to banish this disease from our politics, from our movement, from our economy, from our country.

“Let those of us who have been put in positions of responsibility examine our own conduct, search our consciences and act only and always in the interests of the people of this country.”

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