Veteran politician and former Transkei military general Bantu Holomisa celebrated his 70th birthday at the weekend in a night of glitz, glam and a trip down memory lane.
The country’s political elite, including former president Thabo Mbeki, gathered at the Inanda Club in Sandton to celebrate him alongside deputy ministers Mondli Gungubele and Nonceba Mhlauli, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula and parliament portfolio chairperson Khusela Diko.
In a keynote address at the birthday soirée, Mbeki hailed Holomisa’s track record as a leader during his days in the Transkei, saying his calibre of leadership and integrity is crucial to the South African national project.
He revealed the UDM leader was among those who proposed the need for a national dialogue, having identified that the country is at a crucial juncture where it needs to redefine its future trajectory.
“Last year many people asked me what I think about democratic South Africa at 30 years old. Because of the many requests I thought the best thing for me to do is deliver a speech to answer the question. I remembered what Bantu had been saying for some time, that we had unfinished business in the country and it is necessary to have another Codesa to get the country together again to talk about what has been happening in the past 30 years. For some, South Africa would’ve been a great disappointment.”
Thank you for reminding us politics can be a moral force, and that compassion and courage are not mutually exclusive
— UDM second in command Nqabayomzi Kwankwa
The multiparty discussions under the umbrella of the Convention for a Democratic South Africa in the early 1990s helped usher in the new democratic order.
Mbeki said leaders such as Holomisa have a duty to listen and implement the outcomes of the upcoming national dialogue.
“I say genuine because we have people here like Fikile Mbalula who say he represents the people. He speaks on their behalf. I said no, let the people get together, let the women of the country and the youth, traditional leaders, healers, artists, sportspeople say this is the South Africa we want and this is the South Africa we don’t want. Let the people speak and answer the two questions. There are many things in the country that are going wrong, including the economy, but it’s time the people themselves got together to say what is it that we must do about the country.”
The former president wished Holomisa a happy birthday, adding that he must have many more. “The reason I’m saying may you have many more is because we’ve got work to do.
“You know the state of the nation. The masses of our people will meet. There are people who don’t want them to meet, but they will meet in their dialogue. They will send a message which Fikile Mbalula may not like, but it will be the people exercising their right to self-determination. To determine their own destiny, not represented by Thabo Mbeki, Bantu Holomisa or Fikile Mbalula, but speaking for themselves. After they have done that, we will have to say what do we do with what the people have said. That’s why you need more than 70 years.
What comes out of the national dialogue will need honest, capable hands with integrity to implement what the people have said
— Former president Thabo Mbeki to UDM leader and deputy minister of defence and military veterans Bantu Holomisa
“What will come out of the national dialogue will need honest, capable hands with integrity to implement what the people have said. We need a particular kind of leader. We’ve got a Bantu Holomisa among us who exemplifies the kind of leader our country needs. That kind of leadership is going to be particularly important after the people have said uncomfortable truths about us.”
The defence and military veterans minister’s son, Mandla Holomisa, shared anecdotes about his father and their childhood growing up with the general as a father.
“Back at home while growing up, at any given time there was always a battalion of about 40 soldiers in the yard. We used to play with them, eat with them. They were our compadres. Only later did I realise this was the case because of the tensions with the apartheid government at the time. We didn’t understand the magnitude of it all. Through all the struggles, you ensured we never felt or saw the water you were treading. We celebrate the love we have for you as a family, the lessons and the legacy you’ve built.”
The UDM’s second in command Nqabayomzi Kwankwa said the milestone is an opportunity to look back with gratitude and forward with purpose.
“While brevity might be the soul of wit, according to Shakespeare, the general’s life has been anything but brief on meaning. We are not only celebrating 70 years of life, we are marking 70 years of integrity, of sterling leadership, passion and an unwavering commitment to the struggle for freedom, social justice and a better life for all South Africans.”
The deputy party leader bore testament to how Holomisa has always had a deep conviction that a fairer society is not only possible but necessary.
“Whether it was the risks you took fighting for a better South Africa during the liberation struggle, or marching in defence of our constitution in a democratic South Africa, or your valuable contributions in parliament or your gallant fight for a clean, corruption-free country to leading the UDM and quiet conversations that never make headline news, you stood firm.
“You’ve given South Africa something that has become more rare in politics, which is to be a man of principle. Thank you for reminding us politics can be a moral force, that compassion and courage are not mutually exclusive and can exist side by side harmoniously.”
TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.