Picture: Former North West Premier, the late Bushy Maape/Facebook
By OBAKENG MAJE
26 May 2026 – The Deputy President Paul Mashatile has described former Robben Island prisoner, the late Bushy Maape as a freedom fighter who sacrificed his life for liberation. Mashatile delivered a eulogy during Maape’s funeral in Vryburg on Saturday.
He further said Maape bore the scars of apartheid’s cruelty, scars that told the story of pain and injustice. Mashatile added that he gave his youth to the struggle so that future generations might walk in freedom.
“Today, beneath the skies of Vryburg and in the presence of a grieving nation, we gather at Huhudi Stadium to honour a revolutionary, a freedom fighter, a servant of the people, and a loyal son of the African soil. We unite in sorrow to bid farewell to Kaobitsa Abel “Bushy” Maape, a leader, Robben Island prisoner, loyal ANC cadre, and son of the soil.
“During the oppressive apartheid era, he played multiple roles. During the day, he was a dedicated teacher and humble principal in a rural community, shaping young minds. As night fell, he transformed into an underground activist, a “guerrilla of consciousness”, who operated stealthily,” he said.
Mashatile said Maape was part of leaders responsible for recruiting others under perilous conditions and contributed to the formation of the notable Kgalagadi Politico-Military Machinery. He said Maape played a crucial role in establishing the General and Allied Workers’ Union (GAWU), organising exploited farm and general workers.
“He contributed to the United Democratic Front (UDF), mobilising and agitating during the ANC’s ban. For this activism, the apartheid regime imprisoned him on Robben Island, believing isolation could extinguish the spirit of liberation.
“Yet history teaches us that Robben Island did not destroy revolutionaries, it became a school of political consciousness, discipline, courage, and leadership. It was at Robben Island that some of the greatest sons of our nation emerged even stronger. I speak of leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Raymond Mhlaba, and many others, who sacrificed their freedom so that future generations could live in a democratic, just, united, and free South Africa,” said Mashatile.
The North West Premier, Lazarus Mokgosi said Maape had an illustrious life marked by remarkable achievements and widespread admiration as a freedom fighter, politician and public servant. Following the 1976 Student Uprisings, Maape skipped the country, where he received political and military training by the ANC.
“He was later infiltrated back into the country where he formed and commanded the Kgalagadi Underground machinery which operated in Mahikeng, Vryburg, Taung, Kuruman and Kimberly. His strong convictions in the struggle against apartheid and its draconian laws led to his incarceration on Robben Island in the 1980s,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Moral Regeneration Movement (MRM)in the North West said it will always treasure the contribution of Maape, who is one of the 16 June 1976 generation of firebrands that sparked youth resistance to Bantu Education and apartheid oppression laid to rest in Vryburg on Saturday.
The Guardian 