COSAS youth of the 80’s laid to rest
This young and militant lion, auspiciously nicknamed Rambo, Bazooka or City, was recruited to the ranks of the exiled ANC military wing the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) underground nucleus.
NATURENA – On Sunday August 10, ANC activist Sipho Humphrey Tshabalala (47) from Naturena passed away after a fatal car accident that took place near Southgate Mall.
Mourners came in large numbers to pay their last respect to the Struggle’s fallen hero on Saturday August 16 at Naturena Primary.
There were representatives from ANC Ward 119, ANC Mndeni Branch, ANC Joburg Region Parks Tau, ANC Gauteng Paul Mashatile, ANC Amos Masondo, ANC deployees, ANC NECs, MKMVA, ANCYL Bandile Masuku, COSAS Rapu Molekane, EOTOF Jabu Kumalo, MPs, Poet Mzwakhe Mbuli, Jazz Club Representative, and businessman Tinti Nhlapho.
His eldest daughter Nonkululeko Tshabalala (21) touched everyone by narrating memorable moments they all used to share with their father.
“Our dad will wake us up any time in the night to swim or to sing or sometimes to play pool with my younger brother. Dad, in a few days to come I will be turning 21 years, and you left us with our mummy very devastated, please come to my sweet dreams on my birthday, and sing happy birthday to me,” she cried.
Mr Tshabalala, a founder member of the young militant student organisation, the Congress of the South African Student (COSAS), at Mndeni Junior High School in Soweto during the eighties. By then COSAS adopted the slogan, “An injury to one is an injury to all”, which was later adopted by labour federation COSATU immediately after the banning of COSAS by the Apartheid government during the mid-eighties.
He was also a founder member of the conservative Each One Teach One Foundation and participated in left wing campaigns like Mass Democratic Movement (MDM), the legendary Release Mandela Campaign (RMC), the Consumer Boycott that led to what was called Black Christmas. Campaigns like the Cultural Boycotts, and organisations like the World Anti-Apartheid Movement brought about global sanctions against the PW Botha regime in 1986 immediately after his infamous Rubicon Speech.
This young and militant lion, auspiciously nicknamed Rambo, Bazooka or City, was recruited to the ranks of the exiled ANC military wing the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) underground nucleus.
Some of his duties were the recruitment of cadres within the country, coordinating with underground unit commanders, which liaised with the Commissars in exile MK military camps.
In addition he carefully organised safe houses for uMkhonto we Sizwe operatives, which included coded communication used to identify military soft targets but totally avoid civilian targets or civilian casualties by all necessary means, and responsibly monitored underground operations in demarcated areas.
ANC Ward 119 secretary Reggy Mtshali said, “Sipho was a pillar of strength and highly regarded by our branch members. His untimely death comes about while we are busy making some preparations for the branch elections for new leaders. We wish to send our condolences to the Tshabalala family, and be comforted during these saddest of times.”
By the time of his death he was the Deputy Director Monitoring and Evaluation in Group Finance at the City of Johannesburg.
Comrade Sipho will be sadly missed by his beloved wife MaNkosi, his four siblings, his families, relatives, comrades and friends. He was laid to rest at West Park Cemetery.
