Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Mondli Gungubele has called on SA leaders to demonstrate moral integrity and unity in honour of the country’s liberation heroes.

While speaking at the annual Oliver and Adelaide Tambo wreath-laying ceremony at the Tamboville Cemetery in Wattville on October 27, he emphasised that leaders must embody the values of honesty, humility and service to the people.

He was the keynote speaker on behalf of Deputy President Paul Mashatile, who was scheduled to lead the ceremony but was unable to attend.

The ceremony, attended by scores of ANC members, community leaders and dignitaries, marked a solemn commemoration of the lives and legacies of struggle stalwarts Oliver Reginald (OR) Tambo and his wife, Adelaide Tambo.

Tambo’s children, Dali and Nomathemba, were in attendance. Their sister, Tselane, joined the event for the first time in years.

Now wheelchair-bound after a stroke, she sat with her caregiver and listened as several speakers reflected on her parents’ contributions to SA’s freedom.

Gungubele urged leaders to prioritise the people’s needs above all else, saying leadership is about service, not status.

“We must get closer to the people, not them getting closer to us. Respect is not a game of speeches, it’s about how we serve, the conditions we subject people to, and the hope we instil in them.”

He reminded leaders that every position of power, whether in government or municipalities, comes with the responsibility to uphold OR Tambo’s legacy by ensuring clean governance and social upliftment.

“We must demonstrate that everyone is equally human by running sound, productive municipalities that create prosperity and restore people’s dignity.”

Gungubele invoked the principles of transparency and accountability, and referenced the ongoing Madlanga Commission as a test of the SA’s constitutional integrity.

“Nelson Mandela and OR Tambo chose to forfeit wealth for the identity of this country; an identity of non-racialism and harmony. We must not be angry at the manifestation of the Constitution. We cannot change facts, but we can learn from them.

“This country’s change will not be led by comrades easily frustrated or hurt. It needs solid comrades with clarity and purpose. In the midst of anger and emotion, there’s always a chance of missing the path.”

In his address, Dali Tambo proposed that SA should further preserve the memory of its liberation heroes by unveiling life-size bronze sculptures of individuals who made significant contributions to the struggle for freedom.

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