There are moments in life that leave you deeply reflective, not because of what was said, but because of the weight of history and wisdom gathered in one room.
Attending the 80th birthday celebration of Ntate Moeletsi Mbeki was one such moment. Hosted with grace and quiet dignity by his brother, President Thabo Mbeki, and his remarkable wife, Mama Zanele Mbeki, it was an evening that reminded me of the giants among us, thinkers, freedom fighters, truth-tellers.
The room was filled with the weight of South Africa’s living history: Ronnie Kasrils, Dr Fazel Randera, Ntate Tommy Mohajane, Dr Khulu Mbatha, Elita de Klerk, Advocate Moerane SC, Dr Kingsley Makhubela, HE Zainal Arif Mantaha, and many others whose very presence tells the story of a nation still in pursuit of its unfinished promise.
Call for introspection
To be there was an honour and a privilege. But it was also an invitation to look inward and to ask myself, as I believe many did that night: how much am I still contributing to the country’s long march toward justice, dignity, and equality? Surrounded by such greatness, one cannot help but measure one’s own footprints and wonder if they, too, are leading somewhere meaningful.
In his trademark candour and clarity, Ntate Moeletsi spoke of Chairman Mao and his admiration for China’s Long March, that long, gruelling journey that shaped not just a revolution, but a nation’s spirit. “South Africa,” he noted, “must emulate the long march of China.” Those words lingered long after the applause faded. For in truth, our nation’s journey to liberation did not end in 1994; it merely reached a new beginning. We are still marching through inequality, through corruption, through hopelessness that sometimes hangs heavy in the air.
Ours is a march not of soldiers, but of citizens who must fight every day to reclaim the ideals that once united us: justice, solidarity, non racialism, dignity, and the right to dream.
As I listened, I thought not just of the country’s long march, but of the personal one each of us walks. Life, after all, is a series of marches, some through valleys of despair, others across peaks of triumph. Along the way, we stumble, pause, and sometimes lose faith. But the lesson from people like Ntate Moeletsi is clear: the march is not meant to be comfortable, it is meant to be transformative. It is not enough to reach the destination alone; true success is measured by how many we pull along with us.
Together as one
I have often said, “It is not enough to climb; one must build ladders for others.” And in that spirit, Ntate Moeletsi’s life stands as a ladder, one built of intellect, courage, and an unwavering commitment to truth. Our running joke about fighting for what is right, even when the tide is against you, echoed loudly in my heart that evening. I have tried to do so in my own small way, though I must admit there are moments of exhaustion when I stumble. Yet, as I reminded myself, “Falling is human, but rising again is what defines the long marcher.”
As the evening drew to a close, I found hope in the laughter, the shared memories, and the intergenerational conversations that flowed like music through the hall. It was a reminder that even in weary times, South Africa still has thinkers, builders, and dreamers like Moeletsi Mbeki to light the path ahead. His life is a reminder that in times of chaos, the true test of leadership is not how loudly we shout at the darkness, but how bravely we light the candle.
The long march continues, in boardrooms and classrooms, in townships and farmlands, in hearts that still believe this nation can be healed. And so we march on, not because it is easy, but because it is necessary. For the dream of South Africa that is dignified, united, and just, is still worth every step.
Together, Re Hata Mmoho, we march forward, even through the pain and worry, because we know that light is born in darkness, and hope grows strongest in the storm.
Phoenix-like rise
We rise above the noise, rebuild from the ashes, and remind the world that chaos never wins where compassion, courage, and community stand united.
We march through the chaos not as survivors, but as sowers of hope, believing that every act of goodness plants tomorrow’s peace.
We march forward, not because the road is clear, but because our purpose is. And that purpose is to keep building, healing, and believing, even through the chaos.
Anchored in hope, we shall overcome, for hope is the compass that guides us through chaos toward renewal. Re Hata Mmoho, hand in hand, we march toward the future we dream of and the South Africa and the continent we deserve.
- Hatang is Executive Director of Re Hata Mmoho
