Mhlongo was a rare breed and ‘A Fellow Fighter’

Mabe says Mhlongo’s political baptism was shaped at an early age in Phalaborwa, a migrant town with its vast mining activities.

“As a mining town – Phalaborwa has in the past hosted renowned trade unionists and senior leaders of the ANC such as Gwede Mantashe, Jay Naidoo and Cyril Ramaphosa amongst others’.

Mabe lamented that Mhlongo’s humane character as explained by speaker after speaker was part of the disciplines and warmth that were embedded amongst the Ba-Phalaborwa people. Mabe took a swipe at opposition political parties especially the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) for doing what he termed ‘expropriating our revolutionary salutations’.

“The EFF has also expropriated our own progressive salutation – Fellow Fighter made popular by our own Isithalandwe and son of the soil – the late Cde Norman Mashabane – it is befitting and morally correct to refer to our fallen Comrade Justice Mhlongo as a Fellow Fighter as he boasted with the character and features of a real fellow fighter,” Mabe urged mourners to honour Mhlongo by doing good unto others.

Mabe took family and friends down memory lane and told them how in their High School days they worked together to organize students and built Cosas structures in what was known as Greater Phalaborwa under the erstwhile North East Region now Mopane. Mhlongo was President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) in Nkateko High School.

“We need more young leaders like Justice – who are disciplined and focused and who understand that corruption is a cancer that destroys the moral fibre of society”.

Mabe remarked about what he called two main events to honour Justice – ‘ANC’s decisive victory in Local Government Elections next year and the Radical Economic Policy drive at the upcoming National General Council of the ANC’.

“The ANC must never relent and should continue confronting decisively the Triple Challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality currently engulfing a large part of youth that Cde Justice lived amongst,” he added.

“Our people do not need miracles, they need better roads, free quality education and excellent clinics, hence the upcoming NGC in a matter of weeks will priorities job creation as an urgent policy priority – our people still need that R1 to go through – a quick remainder that economic freedom is still a distant reality for our people,” remarked Mabe. Mabe quickly turned his arsenal to the upcoming local government elections:

“We must ensure that we win the next local elections with a massive 80% here in Phalaborwa – but we can only do that if we are united. Do not fight over positions – go out there to become good servants of our people like our own ever loyal Justice Mhlongo’ – don’t be shy to talk about the achievements of the ANC and acknowledge where we are weak – that’s what made the organization that Justice joined with his conscious different from the rest’.

Witbank Eskom Kendal Highveld Branch of the National Union of Mine Workers leadership where Mhlongo was working until his untimely death, Technikon Pretoria, now Tswane University of Technology’s fellow SRC members whom he led as President from 2003-05 and ANCYL Tswane REC members also came to bid him farewell.

“He was so vocal with the Triple Challenges of Women, based the NDR document in terms of race, gender and class. He used to say “let us eradicate this tendency of management’s Rugby mentality approach, the gender must be balanced, barely six months women occupied critical positions at Kendal Business Unit,” said Sandile Mpilo, NUM Kendal’s General Secretary.

Ba-Phalaborwa Sub-Regional ANC Ackson Malatji Ward 5 Secretary, Kgaledi Madike said they are grateful to Gauteng ANC for the distinctive send-off given to Mhlongo because such is a befitting funeral of a gallant fighter to the end. He obtained a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering at TUT in 2005, a B-Tech Degree in Electrical Engineering at TUT in 2011, a certificate in Business Development with GIBS Business School in 2014 and in 2015 he completed his Masters Business Administration (MBA) with Regenesis.

The third born son of Philpot and Annah Mhlongo on 16 June 1980, passed away on 20 September in Hospital after having been involved in a car accident. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Thembela Sthebe-Mhlongo, his children, Shongile Justice (JNR) Mhlongo, Rirhandzu Diana Mhlongo, Gabaza Mhlongo and his siblings, Given, Gabaza and Ally Mhlongo.