By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa, and other party leaders descended to the Robben Island Museum on the 113th anniversary of the party’s founding.
Robben Island it is where many freedom fighters including Nelson Mandela, Denis Goldberg, Andrew Mlangeni, Walter Sisulu and Goven Mbeki were incarcerated by the apartheid regime.
The ANC is set to celebrate its anniversary on Saturday, in Khayelitsha, in the Western Cape, where Ramaphosa will present the annual January 8th Statement.
Ramaphosa said, the visit occupies a significant place in the ANC’s history.
“Robben Island is a symbol of enslavement and rebellion. It is a site of both imprisonment and resistance. On this day, at this place, we pay tribute to the men and women who fought so courageously against colonialism and apartheid. We pay tribute to the visionaries who founded the ANC on this day in 1912, and we honour the men and women who swelled its ranks over more than a century.”
“…by visiting Robben Island on these most important days in the life of our movement, we are reaffirming our determination to advance the struggle for the complete liberation of all South Africans from all forms of oppression. We are sending a message that no matter the challenges we confront, we will overcome them,” he said.
He stated that the party will prevail, as it has done so before, and stressed is committed to renewal and rebuilding.
Ramaphosa said the ANC has learnt from the experience of those imprisoned on Robben Island that rebuilding a movement requires effective organisation and thorough political engagement.
“Rebuilding requires vibrant democratic practice, accountability and discipline,” he highlighted.
As he sat in the cell, Ramaphosa was quickly reminded of his own time at Pretoria Central Prison where he was incarcerated for six months in 1974.
“This brings back very sad memories where you just lived by yourself without much to do and in my time, I used to have ants as my friends so I would study the ants as they move across the cell,” he said.
He said that conditions at Robben Island were intended to crush the prisoners’ spirits.
The leaders and cadres who spent time imprisoned on the island understood the vital need for unity, trust and personal integrity, he added.
“They knew that they had to work together. As we work to rebuild the ANC, we are drawing on these lessons from Robben Island. We are drawing on a wealth of experience that stretches back over 113 years of struggle,” he said.
Further, he urged the party to acknowledge its shortcomings and challenges, while recognising the strengths and capabilities that reside in the movement.