President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday paid a glowing tribute to late ANC deputy secretary general, Jessie Duarte, hailing her contribution to the struggled to liberate South Africa and her role in post-Apartheid state.
Ramaphosa, said Duarte who succumbed to cancer in the early hours on Sunday and buried on the same day as Muslim rites, was at the forefront of the fight against the apartheid state.
“Who can forget the power of her intervention during the inquest into the death of Ahmed Timol five years ago, when she exposed the lies of the security branch police, telling the world what she and her family had witnessed and endured at their cruel hands,” Ramaphosa said
“She also had the courage to speak out – honestly and directly – about the abuses and destructive tendencies she saw within her movement and within the democratic government.”
Ramaphosa had earlier in the day declared a special official funeral for Duarte, who amongst her government duties served as South Africa’s Ambassador to the Republic of Mozambique between 1999 and 2003.
Duarte was laid to rest at Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg. The cemetery is the resting place of some of the country’s well-known citizens, including George Bizos, Beyers Naudé and Joe Modise.
Duarte was first admitted to hospital in November last year while her duties and functions were performed by the party’s treasurer general, Paul Mashatile.
The 68-year-old Duarte was a member of the ANC highest decision-making body between conferences the National Executive Committee, since 1997 and was first elected as the ruling party’s deputy secretary general at the Mangaung conference in 2012, with Gwede Mantashe as the secretary general.
She retained the position at the hotly contested Nasrec conference in 2017, with Ace Magashule as the secretary general. Magashule has since been suspended by the party after being charged for corruption. His suspension saw Duarte step into the role until she fell sick.
“The passing of Comrade Jessie is a great loss, not only to the family but to the democratic movement and the country as a whole. As a committed internationalist and former diplomat, not only will she be mourned by South Africa, but by colleagues and comrades on the African continent and in the international progressive movement,” ANC spokesperson, Pule Mabe, said in a statement
Nelson Mandela Foundation CEO Sello Hatang described Duarte as an “outstanding South African.”
“Together with Barbara Masekela, between 1990 and 1994 she gave Madiba the dedicated executive assistance he needed in those tumultuous years of transition. She became both comrade and friend to him. Jessie was the beloved sister of Achmat Dangor, renowned author and the chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Foundation between 2007 and 2012,” Hatang said.
Political parties put aside their differences and paid tribute to long serving ANC deputy secretary general Jessie who died in the early hours of the day.
The country’s official opposition, the DA said its thoughts were with the Duarte family in their time of bereavement.
“The DA extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of ANC stalwart Jessie Duarte. Duarte held a number of positions in the South African party-political landscape,” the DA said is a statement.
The EFF in its own statement said the ANC has “lost a committed member.”
“Comrade Duarte was a fierce, firm and forthright individual who paid her dues (to) the struggle for liberation in South Africa. She was passionate about gender-equality, and fighting against forms of sexism and patriarchy,” the red berets said.
