Alfred Xuma was a good and faithful servant to the people – Ramaphosa

In what President Cyril Ramaphosa described as “an occasion tinged with sadness”, the rural Eastern Cape town of Ngcobo yesterday gathered for the reinterment of ANC stalwart Dr Alfred Bathini (AB) Xuma, 58 years after he died.

A fighter against segregation and colonialism, Xuma – the SA and US-educated intellectual – became the first black South African medical doctor and led the ANC from 1940 to 1949 as its seventh and then longest-serving president.

It was under his leadership that the ANC adopted the African Claims document at its annual conference on 16 December, 1943. Delivering a eulogy at the ceremony attended by several dignitaries, Ramaphosa described Xuma as “our father, our friend, our brother, our leader – a good and faithful servant of the people”.

Referring to the historic Xuma document, Ramaphosa said: “This seminal document laid out the African people’s demands for full equality and citizenship rights.

“Most importantly, it prioritised the South African people’s right to land ownership.

“It made an unequivocal demand for a fair redistribution of the land, rightly describing the race-based system as unjust and contrary to the interests of SA. It rightly declared that the right to own, buy, hire or lease and occupy land individually or collectively … was a fundamental right of citizenship.

“That we have reached this point is the culmination of a journey that was first embarked upon by Dr AB Xuma and the other pioneers of our liberation struggle.

“This year, the democratic government will be forging ahead with the process of land reform and redistribution, guided by the recommendations of the presidential panel on land reform and agriculture.”

Under Xuma’s leadership, the ANC was “built into a strong and cohesive political force, leading the Congress Alliance into a programme of mass action in the 1950s”.

Added Ramaphosa: “He understood that the ANC must be built from the grassroots … He travelled across the country to recruit members, to open new branches and to appoint organisers,” he added.

“In this regard we pay tribute to his second wife, Madie Hall Xuma, who led the ANC Women’s League from 1943 to 1949.”

Xuma’s tenure as ANC leader “was free of scandal and suggestions of impropriety”.

“We should follow in his footsteps in the positions we have been entrusted with, in national government, in our provinces and in our municipalities. He took his role seriously and discharged it faithfully. He forged consensus and unity.

“He understood then, as we do today, that if we fall prey to division, dissent and discord, we will never achieve our aims.

“As a country, we are faced with a great many challenges, but we will overcome them if we are united and work together.” – brians@citizen.co.za

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