ANC praises late former Luthuli House general manager Ignatius Jacobs

The ANC has expressed sadness over the passing of the former general manager of its head office, Ignatius Jacobs, and called on young people to emulate his “revolutionary path”.

ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said Jacobs served the ANC with dedication and humility for many years, dating back to the party's anti-apartheid struggle.

Jacobs' activism in ANC-aligned political youth structures in the 1980s, including the ANC Youth League, was impressive, he said.

Mabe said it was worth noting that Jacobs joined the ANC “when it was extremely dangerous to do so and when personal rewards were unheard of”.

With his passing, Mabe said it was time for the young to take the baton. “His revolutionary path is worthy of emulation by young cadres and future generations.

“The people of our country will treasure his memory as one of our most distinguished sons, who consciously chose to fight a cruel and inhumane system at a time when it was extremely dangerous to do so,” he said.

“Even up to his last day, he placed his life and service in the hands of the ANC and the people of his country. Death has robbed the people of South Africa of one of its finest sons, who valued the freedom of his people more than his own life and personal comfort.

“We salute him for his unwavering and steadfast commitment to serve selflessly and with humility.”

Mabe said the governing party would continue to celebrate Jacobs' life and preserve his memory for future generations.

“The best tribute we can pay to him is to continue to work tirelessly in pursuit of the kind of society to which he dedicated most of his life. In his memory, let us continue to work for the unity and renewal of the ANC.”

Mabe said ANC cadres would not be allowed to attend Jacobs' funeral — in keeping with the physical distancing regulations of the lockdown against the spread of the coronavirus. Only his family would do so.

He added that the ANC would organise a memorial service to celebrate Jacobs' life as soon as the lockdown had been lifted.

Jacobs is survived by his wife and three children.