Tributes poured in for Struggle stalwart Denis Goldberg, who died yesterday at the age of 87.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said the Rivonia Trialist’s commitment to ethical leadership was unflinching and he had dedicated his life to the achievement of the better life that citizens of the country were enjoying today.
“This is a sad moment for our nation and a moment for all of us to appreciate Denis Goldberg’s brave dedication to our struggle and his lifelong activism in the interest of – and in the physical presence of – poor and vulnerable communities around our country,” said Ramaphosa.
“We will hold him in our thoughts and prayers as we say farewell at a time when we are not allowed to gather in numbers to say our goodbyes. May his soul rest in peace,” he added.
Goldberg was the esteemed member of the Order of Luthuli, which was bestowed upon him for his role in the struggle against Apartheid and his service to the people of South Africa.
A former member of the Congress of Democrats and the SA Communist Party’s underground, Goldberg was arrested at the uMkhonto weSizwe’s headquarters in Rivonia in 1963 and sentenced to four terms of life imprisonment the following year, along with former president Nelson Mandela, among others.
ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule said Goldberg leaves behind a proud legacy of hard work, selflessness and sacrifice.
“Comrade Denis Goldberg belonged to that illustrious generation of freedom fighters who were prepared to sacrifice all and lay down their lives in the struggle for liberation,” he said.
