The families of ANC veterans have rejected planned visits by former president Jacob Zuma and the MK party, stating that the stalwarts will not be used as pawns in “political opportunism”.
The rejection comes after a poster was circulated announcing Zuma’s campaign in Limpopo, which included visits to the burial sites of former minister Collins Chabane and Peter “Dambuza” Malada in Xikundu village and Venda, respectively.
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However, the families and foundations of Chabane and Malada have distanced themselves from the visits and rejected any association with the recently formed MK party.
The Collins Chabane Foundation criticized Zuma and his MK party for “scouring graves, awakening resting souls, looking for votes, and resuscitating broken careers”.
They expressed their disappointment, stating, “It was Moses Mabhida, then Dambuza, and now it’s Collins Chabane. When will it end?”
The foundation emphasized that Chabane’s family, the Mhinga royal house, and the foundation have not given permission to the purported organization to visit the family graveyard where Chabane has been laid to rest.
They considered the move insensitive and a trampling on the spirit of their loved son, brother, uncle, husband, and father.
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Chabane, who died in a car crash in 2015, served as a cabinet minister under Zuma. The family highlighted Chabane’s commitment to the liberation struggle and his refusal to engage in careerism or selling out.
They described him as a quiet, disciplined, committed, and dependable member of the ANC who hated self-promotion.
The foundation stressed that Chabane’s final resting place is a family property that is sacred to the Mhinga clan.
They made it clear that no one is expected at the graveyard on the specified date and urged others not to trample upon his soul and name for entrepreneurial political purposes.
They called on the congress movement, led by the ANC and Umkhonto we Sizwe military veterans, to protect and honour Chabane’s name and the names of all the heroes of the struggle against exploitation.
Similarly, Malada’s family expressed concern about the announcement and emphasized that Peter Dambuza was a committed member of the ANC and its military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe. They reiterated their loyalty to the ANC and refused to allow Dambuza’s name and legacy to be abused for the purpose of dividing the movement.
The family and foundation made it clear that Dambuza always voted for the ANC and that they have no intention of changing his decision on his grave, in line with his legacy.
They called upon his comrades and the broader community to rally behind the ANC during the upcoming elections. They warned Zuma and his MK party against political opportunism in honour of Dambuza’s memory.
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Overall, the families and foundations of ANC veterans have rejected the planned visits by Jacob Zuma and the MK party, emphasizing the need to protect the legacies and memories of their loved ones from being exploited for political gain.
They have called on the congress movement to uphold the values and principles for which these veterans fought and to prevent their sacrifices from being used for personal ambitions or division of the people.
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