Dlamini the exemplar of discipline

Struggle veteran and retired brigadier-general Bafana Cyril Dlamini exemplified the discipline that the ANC must instil in its members.

Speakers at Dlamini's funeral in Durban yesterday called for a return to the "true ANC" and berated the "tenders shop" it had become.

Dlamini, 75, known to his exile comrades and within ANC ranks as Edwin Ndlovu, died last week.

As a member of the first ANC military formation, the Luthuli Detachment, Dlamini was involved in a joint military operation of ANC-Zapu guerrillas in the former Rhodesia. He was integrated into the defence force and appointed a brigadier-general in 1994.

Minister of Home Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said Dlamini had been a "true cadre" of the ANC .

"We learned a lot from him about the discipline in the organisation while he was in exile. He never spoke about himself or boasted. He fought for his country while there was no financial gain."

Dlamini-Zuma said it was important that ANC leaders return to the roots and teachings of the party.

"Young people must know that there were leaders like Edwin before them who had taken instructions from their leaders. Never once did he have to toyi-toyi because he could not get what he wanted.

"Today we have people who might be educated but when you look at them you realise that they were not brought up correctly."

She said it seemed as if leaders were not doing enough to pass on what they had learned.

A veteran member of the Luthuli Detachment, Brigadier-General Teddy Nqahpayi, said the party's former president, Albert Luthuli, would not have been "happy to see that the ANC has turned into a tender shop".

"To us, money was not something that we could fight for," he said.