Friday, May 9, 2003

Walter Sisulu Passes 3 QUOTES TODAY "When an elder dies, it is as if a library has burned." - - African Proverb "Our country and our people have lost one of the architects of our democratic order ... an architect of non-racist, non-sexist democracy who has been at the centre of it for many decades. Not many people realize his contribution. Walter Sisulu was a giant among our people." - - South African President Thabo Mbeki, 5/5/03 "Xhamela is no more. May he live forever! His absence has carved a void. A part of me is gone... Together we shared ideas, forged common commitments. We walked side by side through the valley of death, nursing each other's bruises, holding each other up when our steps faltered. Together we savoured the taste of freedom." - - Nelson Mandela, 5/5/03 APRIL 9 IN HISTORY: 1914 - - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson proclaims Mother's Day. The liberal Wilson, elected on an anti-war platform, will send many of the mothers' children to die in the European trenches, as well as oversee the invasion of Russia to suppress the revolution there, & a 'Red Scare' at home. RHINO HERE: This past Monday, Walter Sisulu, African National Congress leader & primary architect of South African democracy passed away. Along with Nelson Mandela, Ahmad Kathrada, and the other Rivonia Trialists, he was imprisoned for over 2 decades, eventually being released to become a leader in the new South African government; surely one of the great non-violent political triumphs in world history. Their struggle must be a source of strength for all who strive for non-violent change. To his honor, I have assembled, with the assistance of South African Rhino's Blog reader, Kimberley Worthington, selected articles and writings by & about Mr. Sisulu. Kimberly said of him, "He was the greatest person that I have ever met, the most evolved soul." The following sites all have obituaries and tributes for Walter Sisulu: AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS WEBSITE: http://www.anc.org.za SOUTH AFRICAN HISTORY WEBSITE: http://www.sahistory.org.za SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT SITE: http://www.gov.za NY Times Obituary of Walter Sisulu is posted at: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/06/obituaries/06SISU.html This is a brief summary of Walter Sisulu's life. Struggle hero Walter Sisulu has gone Front Page of The Johannesburg Star, May 6, 2003 Arguably more than any other family in South Africa, the Sisulus' contribution to the liberation struggle and the birth of the new nation is outstanding. And the credit for this selfless input is Walter Sisulu, the man who recruited Nelson Mandela to the ANC. For his undying love of freedom, Sisulu spent more than a quarter of a century on Robben Island. He gave his children, and perhaps more importantly his wife Albertina, to the struggle. At the height of apartheid repression, Albertina played a pivotal role in the founding of the United Democratic Front. While other children were in exile, Zwelakhe Sisulu was engaged in countering apartheid propaganda through the now defunct New Nation, a publication that was restricted several times. Zwelakhe himself was detained for almost two years without trial. Sisulu inspired thousands of young people to challenge the might of the apartheid machinery... THE REST IS POSTED AT: Walter Sisulu has gone Nelson Mandela's reactions to his friend's passing. Mandela laments Sisulu's passing News 24, 6/5/03 Johannesburg - Former president Nelson Mandela and New National Party leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk were among the first on Monday night to eulogize African National Congress stalwart Walter Sisulu. Sisulu died earlier on Monday evening. "Xhamela is no more. May he live forever! His absence has carved a void. A part of me is gone," Mandela lamented. "Our paths first intersected in 1941. During the past 62 years our lives have been intertwined. We shared the joy of living, and the pain," Mandela said in a statement sent to Sapa late on Monday night. "Together we shared ideas, forged common commitments. We walked side by side through the valley of death, nursing each other's bruises, holding each other up when our steps faltered. Together we savoured the taste of freedom."...... Libhaliwe na iGama lakho / kuloMqulu weNkululeko / Vuma silibhale kuloMqulu / weNkululeko. (Has your name been enrolled in the struggle for freedom. Permit us to register you in the struggle for freedom.) "I shall miss his friendship and counsel. Till we meet again, Hamba kahle, Xhamela. Qhawe la ma Qhawe!"... READ IT ALL AT: Sisulu's Passing RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE Wonderful heart wrenching & heart warming letters between Mr. Sisulu & his wife: 8:09:05 AM    comment

RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE - Walter and Albertina Walter and Albertina How the man and his marriage will forever be remembered The Star, May 7, 2003 On Walter Sisulu's 70th birthday in May 1982, Ruth First paid tribute to the couple. 'He has committed all his life to the struggle for liberation - in the legal days, in the days of the underground and now in prison on Robben Island and in Pollsmoor. And in his person, he is committed to the practice of liberation because he is committed to the liberation of his people, of our people, but he is a liberated man in himself. He uses no devices to overwhelm others. He has pride, but no false pride. He has no arrogance, he has no malice. He is a plain and a straightforward man, he is a soft-spoken man, but he is a committed man, a man who makes no concessions when questions of principles are at stake. He is a decisive man but he is not an authoritarian leader. Politics is his life and he believes in people..... A love story that stood the test of time, separation and pain Correspondence during Robben Island years Walter wrote his first letter to Albertina a few days after his arrival on the Island. That took care of his quota for the first half of the year. He became rather distressed when he had not yet received a reply from Albertina after a month. He knew that she was not a great letter writer, but had assumed that in the circumstances, she would respond promptly. He was especially anxious for news about his children, Max in particular.... THE SISULU'S CORRESPONDENCE AND MORE IS POSTED AT: A Love Story "RHINO'S BLOG" is the responsibility of Gary Rhine. (rhino@kifaru.com) Feedback, and requests to be added or deleted from the list are encouraged. SEARCH BLOG ARCHIVES / SURF RHINO'S LINKS, AT: http://www.rhinosblog.info RHINO'S OTHER WEB SITES: http://www.dreamcatchers.org (INDIGENOUS ASSISTANCE & INTERCULTURAL DIALOG) http://www.kifaru.com (NATIVE AMERICAN RELATIONS VIDEO DOCUMENTARIES) Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html All copyrights belong to original publisher. 7:40:56 AM    comment

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