MPHUMZI MDEKAZI | The significance of October for Walter and Albertina Sisulu

To be granted leeway to reflect on these two liberation struggle icons, who made a massive contribution and sacrifice for the independence of our country without expecting anything in return, is an extraordinary privilege.

With its abridged inherent expression from Walter and Albertina Sisulu, our Sisulu Foundation for Social Justice, which I lead, is retrospectively seeking ways of weaponising both Walter and Albertina’s ethical leadership qualities for the benefit of future generations.

It is part of our mission to ensure that we tap from the same fountain of wisdom, which Nelson Mandela greatly benefited from, as he was politically nurtured by Walter Sisulu.

The time to interpret the world through their (Walter & Albertina’s) paradigm, memory and lenses to overcome today’s socioeconomic injustices has arrived.

It is time for their inspiring and dependable story to be authentically shared, and it needs to be pushed through the surface for future generations to know the significant political players on anatomical evolution of this country. It is therefore for that reason Robben Island, with its rich liberation struggle history and symbolism, presents an ideal setting for this launch to be held on October 31.

This is where Walter Sisulu spent 26 years of incarceration, without committing any crime nor corruption, but fought for freedom, justice and equality.

It is equally befitting that the launch takes place during the month of October as Albertina was born on October 21 1918, while Walter Sisulu was released from Robben Island on October 15 1989.

From Allister Sparks’ book titled Tomorrow is another country I choose to invoke the following in which the author quotes Albertina saying, “I don’t know how am I going to cope with him in the house after so many years without him.”

She was talking about the youngest person in the ANC’s history to be elected secretary-general, which occurred in Bloemfontein in 1949.

She was talking about the one who was physically present in all the difficult stages of the liberation struggle, namely being part of the ANC at the time when delegations to the British queen were still part of its approach, the one who was the leader of the ANC at the time of the Defiance Campaign and the one who was part of the ANC leadership at the time of illegality and the armed struggle.

She was talking about the son of Moyikwa and Alice Sisulu, whose name was Magqabawadliwa Walter Sisulu, her husband.

This of course was a demonstration of quality on Walter’s part, as he impactfully contributed in all those stages of the revolution through his penetrating rationality, infinite substance, composing and expressing itself as the totality of nature’s harmonious systems in him as an individual, including the manner in which he dissected reality in all material times on his dialogical and dialectical analysis.

Had it not been for Walter’s insistence to establish the ANC Youth League in 1944, the ANC would not have achieved what it has achieved today, I argue. The radicalism which they brought into the politics of that time was more than necessary, I assert.

I continue to be convinced that there is a need for a concerted effort to preserve and promote Walter and Albertina’s ethical memory. As the adage goes, South African history without their names remains incomplete, notwithstanding some systemic efforts and insatiable desire to suppress their contribution and legacy from some “influential” corners.

For example, many people who have directly benefited from Albertina to be where they are today, are distancing themselves from this surname because they don’t want to be part of “collateral damage” to the establishment. I don’t know what that means because Walter and Albertina never had such thoughts when they embarked on the struggle. They did it for all of us without thinking of the consequences of “collateral damage” to the then system.

Walter and his wife Albertina Sisulu occupy a pivotal role akin to a strategic and vital linking pin, something which cannot be avoided or be denied.

They are historically and ethically significant. More importantly, they have never been commercialised and manipulated to suit suspicious causes that are far from what they stood for, such as neoliberal agendas.

To some, it has been the conduct and demeanour of this revolutionary couple that has been outstanding. As such you are not going to be talking about ethical leadership and values within the ANC and in society in general without talking about the two leaders.

You are not going to be talking about the values of leadership humility without talking about these two leaders. They are an example that you will find very hard to emulate, hence the current political epoch finds it difficult to connect and “commemorate” them, it is because there is no authentic, tangible and accurate resemblance.

The values are not the same. They had a lot of respect for their organisation and the people of this country, and they were a thorough and comprehensive example of servant leadership.

It is abundantly clear that in the annals of world history, few figures loom as large or embody the spirit of selfless, principled and unwavering commitment to social justice and fairness as Walter and Albertina Sisulu. This is in fact what astonished the then US president Jimmy Carter such that he requested a rare meeting with Albertina in trying to understand their steadfast resilient streak as the family collectively.

This is a family that lost among all of them about 58 to 59 years generationally as political prisoners. There is no story such as this in the world history of politics. As the nation grapples with its contemporary challenges of all forms of injustices, it is imperative to revisit and revive Walter and Albertina Sisulu’s legacies in search for solutions.

This is to ensure that their profound contributions continue to inspire and serve as a guiding torch for the future.

Their tenacious legacies are a testament to their commitment and dedication to the struggle for freedom, equality and justice for all the people of the world.

Despite enduring personal hardships, harassment and persecution they remained resolute in their pursuit for socioeconomic justice, serving as beacons of hope to millions of people.

Yet, their massive contributions have often been overshadowed by today’s myopic and narrow interests, where politics of patronage, crass materialism, buying of conferences, cultism, stifling of debate, corruption, anti-intellectualism, kowtowing, greed, insecurity and unbridled ambition is the order of the day in our body politic.

My natural optimism persuades me to believe that these opportunistic and de-developing practices in our body politic are not insurmountable if we transmit Walter and Albertina’s ethical virtues.

A clearer picture on how practically we should go about this will be decoded in the launch of their foundation at Robben Island later this month, as this will coincide with the inaugural memorial lecture of Albertina Sisulu at the University of Cape Town (UCT), the day of the launch.

We are embarking on this to appreciate the massive role they played in the liberation struggle of this country. Yes they were not alone but their story is unique as they are validly embedded in the history of the liberation struggle movement.

As we begin to revive and commemorate them, we equally thank them profoundly for their selfless service to all South Africans and humanity at large, for their generosity of spirit and for teaching the nation humility, respect for human dignity and compassion for the weak, the poor and the downtrodden.

I end with the following quote from Albertina:

“We are each required to walk our own road and then stop, assess what we have learnt and share it with others. It is only in this way that the next generation can learn from those who have walked before them. We can do no more than tell our story, then it is up to them to make of it what they will.”

* Mphumzi Mdekazi is the CEO of the Sisulu Foundation for Social Justice. He writes in his personal capacity.