ANC MOURNS PASSING OF A FEARLESS FIGHTER CDE SINDISO MAGAQA
4 September 2017
It is with grave sadness that the African National Congress has received the news of the passing on of a young lion and one of our movement’s most brave and fearless fighters, Comrade Sindiso Magaqa. Comrade Magaqa succumbed to injuries sustained in a shooting incident in July and passed away earlier today.
A former Secretary General of the African National Congress Youth League, Comrade Magaqa was part of a generation of young people in the ANC who fought tirelessly for the realization of the vision of economic freedom. Elected at the ANC Youth League’s 24th National Congress, he formed part of a collective which lived true to the clarion call by Frantz Fanon, that “each generation, out of relative obscurity, must discover its mission, fulfill it or betray it”. For their commitment to their convictions, Comrade Magaqa and his comrades suffered differences with the leadership of the organization and marginalization within the structures of the movement.
A true product of the revolutionary movement, Comrade Magaqa remained loyal to his organization, the African National Congress, eventually returning to the fold and deployed as a Councillor in the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. He understood that his generational mission remained unfulfilled and affirmed his belief in the ANC as the only reliable tool in the hands of the people to drive it. He served with diligence and distinction in the Council and as Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) at the time of his passing.
Comrade Magaqa’s life was testament to the abiding belief he had that the cause of the people shall triumph. He lived his life boldly and courageously, standing true to his convictions, in even the most trying times. He will forever be remembered as a gentle soul and a fearless fighter. His contribution to the struggles of youth and South Africans in general for economic freedom will never be forgotten. He leaves behind his unfinished life’s work and we trust it calls upon the current generation of youth and youth activists to pick up his fallen spear and continue the mission for the realization of economic freedom in our lifetime
The African National Congress sends its deepest condolences to Comrade Sindiso Magaqa’s family. May they find solace in the knowledge that we painfully share their loss and thank them for having borrowed the ANC and the country this incomparable son of the soil.
Statement issued by the ANC, 5 September 2017
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UMKHONTO WE SIZWE MILITARY VETERANS ASSOCIATION (MKMVA) MOURNS THE PASSING OF COMRADE SINDISO MAGAQA
Date: 5 September 20017
It is with a profound sense of loss that Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) received the news that Comrade Sindiso Magaqa passed away yesterday at the Chief Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban.
The President of Umkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA), comrade Kebby Maphatsoe, on behalf of all the members of MKMVA extends our heartfelt condolences to the family, loved ones and friends of comrade Magaqa. As comrades we all share the pain of a young and dedicated comrade that had brutally and cruelly been cut down in the prime of his life, having been severely wounded following an assassination plot.
Comrade Magaqa, as we all commonly referred to him, was a selfless cadre who believed uncompromisingly in the spirit of volunteerism. He never asked what he could get out of his membership of the African National Congress (ANC) and the ANC Youth League (ANCYL), but was always ready to contribute and give his all in his commitment to the liberation struggle. It was this character of selflessness that saw him lead the ANCYL in the Harry Gwala Region as its chairperson for three consecutive terms. Comrade Magaqa’s commitment and leadership abilities were evident, and in recognition of these he was elected onto the KZN Provincial Executive Committee of the ANCYL, and became the Deputy Chairperson.
Subsequently he was elected to serve as the Secretary General of the ANC Youth League.
Throughout his political life, both when he was in positions of leadership, but especially also when he had no positions of leadership, comrade Magaqa remained a fiercely loyal and uncompromising member of the African National Congress. In whatever position he was deployed to serve, no matter whether it was at national, provincial, regional or local level he always did so with full commitment and without rancour or bitterness to anyone. He was a disciplined cadre of our Movement, who respected the organisational structures of the ANC and their democratic outcomes.
This example of his life is especially poignant in the current political juncture where we are so often confronted by selfishness, and self-serving attitudes by those who place themselves above the interests of the ANC. The loss of comrade Magaqa’s passing away is felt especially deeply because the ANC now more than ever needs loyal comrades and public servants of his calibre.
Comrade Magaqa’s last deployment was as a councillor in the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality. As with everywhere where he was deployed he served with dedication and distinction.
His passing away leaves a deep gaping wound in the body of the ANC, as he was among the new and promising young people that the ANC had begun to deploy to strategic positions in government.
We especially remember comrade Magaqa’s total commitment to the struggle for the economic liberation of the majority of black (especially African) people. He believed that the only form of freedom that really mattered was true economic liberation. In dipping our revolutionary spear to him we recommit ourselves to continue to work tirelessly to make his dream of economic empowerment and liberation come true for all the people of our beloved country.
MKMVA is deeply distraught by the political killings that seems to especially target young leaders of the ANC. The perpetrators must be brought to book, and we call on government to speed up its investigation into comrade Magaqa’s killing, as well as all the other political killings.
MKMVA makes a revolutionary call to all the members of the ANC to commit ourselves to work for unity and peace in the pursuit of delivering full liberation to all our people. We know that this is exactly what comrade Magaqa was wholeheartedly committed to, and in doing so we can truly honour his memory.
Statement issued by the President of MKMVA, Comrade Kebby Maphatsoe, 5 September 2017
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COSATU mourns the death of former ANCYL Secretary General Cde Sindiso Magaqa
The Congress of South African Trade Unions is saddened and shocked to hear about the death of former ANCYL Secretary General Cde Sindiso Magaqa. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family, colleagues and friends. It is saddening to see such a young leader losing his life as a result of political intolerance.
Cde Magaqa will be remembered as a loyal and a forthright cadre of the movement, who served the ANC with integrity and never wavered in his fight for social justice. He left an indelible mark as a young leader. He was a born leader and did not need to hold a position or have a title to serve both his organisation and his community.
The ANC has lost a loyal cadre and an independent thinker. The people of Umzimkhulu and Ibis in particular have lost a beloved son, who championed social justice and economic transformation.
We hope that his death will spur the government at national and provincial level to attend to the ongoing political assassinations in KZN. The spate of political killings in the province has reached crisis levels and a solution is needed soon.
We shall forever remain indebted to him for his contribution in championing economic transformation without fear or favour. As COSATU, we lower our banners in honour of this fallen cadre and we hope that his death will not be in vain. We hope that law enforcement agencies will work harder to bring the perpetrators to face justice. We also hope that ANC cadres will continue to champion economic transformation and fight fraud and corruption.
Statement issued by Sizwe Pamla, Cosatu National Spokesperson, 5 September 2017
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The ANCYL is shocked and saddened by passing away of our former Secretary General
The ANCYL has noted with sadness the passing away of our former Secretary General cde Sindiso Magaqa. The passing away of cde Sindiso is as a result of the shooting incident that took place in July.
The ANCYL is in shock for we had hoped that cde Sindiso was going to recover. The passing away of cde Sindiso bring sadness to us as the ANCYL because when you kill young revolutionaries the movement life span is harmed. ANCYL calls for the government of the ANC in KZN to speedily deal with what has become known as political killings in this province.
There are many leaders who have passed on particularly from KwaZulu Natal because of inter and intra political differences. We call for political tolerance in the province. We call on the Ministry of Police and State Security to help arrest this situation which has become a norm in KZN.
Statement issued by Mlondi Mkhize, National Spokesperson African National Congress Youth League, 5 September 2017
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ANC KZN STATEMENT ON THE PASSING AWAY OF A COMMITTED CADRE CDE SINDISO MAGAQA
04 September 2017
The African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal is deeply saddened and shocked by the unexpected death of the ANC Umzimkhulu Local Municipality Councilor and a former ANCYL Secretary-General comrade Sindiso Magaqa.
He was a fearless and indomitable lion who grew up from the ranks of our movement and made an indelible mark within and beyond the borders of our province.
Comrade Magaqa served and led the ANCYL from the branch level and rose to the senior position of Secretary-General where he undertook his tasks with distinction. The ANC has lost a dependable, disciplined and committed servant of the masses of our people.
Comrade Magaqa was a man of a slightly built body frame but that body frame carried with it a relentless freedom fighter who understood the essence of service to the nation. The tragedy that has befallen us is not parallel and has left the longest trench and a void impossible to fill.
The sudden departure of comrade Magaqa leaves a staggering blow to the ANC and will be mostly intensely felt by his comrades at Umzimkhulu Local Municipality, where he served in EXCO and as a Chairperson of the Governance Portfolio Committee.
He fell in the cause of service to his people which he did without any demand for recognition nor expecting material rewards. We accept with the greatest pain and sorrow the dictates of fate that today, 4th September 2017, we have to send our heartfelt and deepest condolences to the family of comrade Magaqa.
With the departure of comrade Magaqa, we have indeed lost one of the most disciplined leaders of our movement who refused to leave the African National Congress when his former colleagues in the then ANCYL National Executive Committee formed a splinter organisation.
By any standard, his exemplary loyalty to the African National Congress is recorded in the annals of history and impossible to erase. He had a deep understanding of what it means to truly serve the masses of our people and this a legacy he leaves behind.
The ANC KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Executive Committee conveys its sincere condolences to the entire family of comrade Sindiso Magaqa. May his revolutionary soul rest in eternal peace!
The struggle continues!!
Victory is certain!!
Statement issued by Mdumiseni Ntuli, ANC KZN Provincial Spokesperson, 5 September 2017
