'A man of unwavering principles': Ramaphosa delivers eulogy at activist cleric Tshenuwani Farisani's funeral

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the late activist cleric Rev Tshenuwani Simon Farisani as a man of unwavering principles who did not yearn for the limelight and positions. 

Ramaphosa delivered the eulogy at the funeral of the ANC politician at the University of Venda stadium in Limpopo on Saturday. 

Farisani was accorded a special official provincial funeral category two.

“He was a man of unwavering principles. Nothing could sway him from what was right, from his dedication to the cause of the people of South Africa and their total emancipation,” he said. 

Ramaphosa said Farisani saw himself as a mentor and “indeed he was my mentor and he was my teacher as well”.

Scores of politicians, including ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, attended the funeral. 

Farisani was a revered South African theologian, Lutheran minister, anti-apartheid activist and political leader.

He was born on  August 30 1948 in Songozwi village (then part of the Venda homeland in the Transvaal). He rose from rural hardship to become one of the most influential voices in liberation theology and the struggle for freedom in apartheid South Africa.

“We have lost an extraordinary man who lived an extraordinary life. This obituary, which has been read by his child, is an obituary that includes the life of Tshenuwani in full,” Ramaphosa said.

He further added Farisani's year of birth, 1948, was a turning point in the history of South Africa, a year when the National Party swept to power and ushered in an evil spirit of apartheid that was declared a crime against humanity by the UN. 

“Dean Farisani was born into circumstances that mirrored the lives of millions of black South Africans at the time. He was just a child, barely three years old, when his family was confronted with the ugly face of injustice.” 

He said many years later, in 1996, Farisani would testify at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission on how his family became victims of forced removals from Songozwi near Makhado (formerly known as Louis Trichardt). 

Farisani, he said, rebelled against the dubious teachings of the Lutheran theological college at Maphumulo, from which he was expelled in 1972.

He developed an interest in liberation theology and its message that the true Christian faith demands active resistance to all forms of oppression and solidarity with the poor.

He became involved with underground political organisations like the Black People’s Convention, the black consciousness movement.

It was at this time that Farisani travelled extensively across the country. In his many travels, he visited Mphaphuli High School, where Ramaphosa was a pupil. 

“Farisani was a guest at our school's flourishing debating society, which a number of us, including Judge Raulinga, Tshifhiwa Muofhe and people like Willy Mudau, had set up.

Farisani and I formed an immediate and lasting bond of friendship, comradeship and loyalty based on respect and love. He opened to me the radical interpretation of the Bible, which Farisani was later to become famous for.

“He argued the Lutheran church must turn away from political conservatism and become an instrument of opposition,” said Ramaphosa.

He said Farisani was a courageous revolutionary who inspired a generation to reclaim their pride and to stand up for their rights.

“I was one of those who were hugely inspired by him. He was, in addition to everything else, a renowned academic, a prolific scholar whose writings gave voice to the voiceless. He was a guide and a mentor to many.”

Ramaphosa said Farisani's activism continued into the democratic era, where he became an MEC and speaker of the legislature in Limpopo province. He said those roles placed him in a position of power and influence, yet did not change him. 

“He was a servant leader who came, served and left. When he saw corruption being perpetrated by those who are trusted with public funds, he was vocal and scathing in his criticism, and that is why he was one of those when the VBS looting happened who spoke out. 

“He spoke out to a point where a number of people started to hate him, but it never moved him. The foundation that bears his name continues to be an influential voice in the public space in advancing social justice. Neither beatings nor torture could make Farisani surrender his principles” .   

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