JOHANNESBURG, April 1 (ANA) – Ahmed Kathrada’s widow Barbara Hogan has lashed out at government for cancelling an official memorial service to honour the memory of the anti-apartheid stalwart and reiterated her call for President Jacob Zuma to resign.
The official memorial service for Kathrada organised by government and scheduled to take place on Saturday morning at the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto Campus was postponed indefinitely with no reasons given by the presidency.
Speaking at the fully-packed Johannesburg City Hall on Saturday afternoon, Hogan said Zuma had “gone rogue” and his government was afraid of honouring Kathrada – who spent 26 years on Robben Island – even when he was dead.
“They are so fearful of his voice that they saw fit to even cancel his memorial,” Hogan said
The memorial was attended by many dignitaries and struggle veterans, including former finance ministers Pravin Gordhan and Trevor Manuel, former president Nelson Mandela’s widow Graca Machel, African National Congress stalwarts, South African Communist Party leadership, and some Cabinet ministers.
Kathrada was buried on Wednesday at Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg. Zuma did not attend the funeral, apparently “in compliance with the wishes of the family”.
Kathrada died on Tuesday at the age of 87 at the Donald Gordon Hospital in Johannesburg after a short illness following brain surgery.
Hogan, an ANC stalwart in her own right, said Kathrada was a “great soul” and an always giving person who, at 86, in his last year, performed 186 public engagements with ordinary people, schools, universities, and unions.
She said Kathrada’s family, friends, and comrades were present to acknowledge and endorse an amazing generation that led the country out of the wilderness and into democracy.
She quoted Kathrada when he said: “While we will not forget Robben island let it not be remembered as a place of hardship but one of triumph.”
Hogan paid tribute to her husband, saying: “In all the pain and grief I feel, I say thank you, thank you for those wonderful years with you.”
Turning her focus to Zuma, Hogan said there were many things the president could hear and see if he had ears to listen and eyes to see the cries of the people “when you drive in your paranoid motorcade”.
“Mr President, you have sacrificed your people on the altar of greed and corruption. You would have fired Faith Muthambi and Bathabile Dlamini. Mr Pres, you will not be pursuing a nuclear deal that will destruct all of us,” she said.
“Mr President, this country is not for sale, and the people united will never be defeated. And finally Mr President, if you had ears to hear and eyes to see, you would have stepped down as president.”
The capacity hall rose to rapturous applause and a standing ovation for Hogan, with chants of “Zuma must fall”.
Ahmed Kathrada Foundation chairman Neeshan Balton called for unity among progressive organisations to form a single mass-based campaign on the streets and “take us out of this mess”.
– African news Agency (ANA)
(image:youtube)
