By OBAKENG MAJE

The African National Congress (ANC) North West Provincial Legislature (NWPL) Caucus Support Staff member, Sello “Shimmy” Moleko, who died in a horrific head on collision last week, was laid to his final resting place at the Majemantsho Cemetery, near Mahikeng over the weekend. 

Strong condemnation of reckless driving responsible for the carnage on public roads and a call for zero tolerance road traffic enforcement along the R503 Lichtenburg and Mahikeng Road, was echoed during Moleko’s funeral service held at the Christian Faith Centre (CFC) in Majemantsho on Saturday.  

The ANC Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) member in North West and ANC provincial spokesperson, Tumelo Maruping in his address, described Moleko who also served as a volunteer of the ANC Provincial Department of Communication, Information and Publicity (DCIP) as a mouth piece of those who could not speak for themselves.

“Your son spoke for the welfare of others, he spoke for those who were ill-treated at work, as well as those who wanted to be leaders. He chose his path and today the ANC wants to thank you for sharing Comrade Shakes with us at the expense of your time.

“With his departure, as bad as it was, we will forever miss his laughter which tinkled as clear as a bell, his quiet humour and his wise and invaluable advices given in gentle ways which spoke of a humble sage who was forever free spirited,” said Maruping.

He further said, even though Moleko has departed the world of the living, his colleagues and comrades will still walk tall throughout the world, for they can proclaim to all humanity that from the small ANC Sub region of Ditsobotla, Mahikeng and Matlosana, a gentle soul was born.

Maruping said for them to honour Moleko and live up to the character of Anton Lembede, OR Tambo and their gallant generation, they will need a united ANC in the North West.

“ANC that lives in practice the core values of the 112-year-old liberation movement. Within the context of challenges that are facing the ANC, these core values were also espoused by Pixley ka Isaka Seme in his Native Union seminal document speak to the nobility of mutual respect, unity, equality, selflessness and discipline,” he said.

The ANC Chief Whip in the NWPL, Paul Sebegoe on behalf of the party caucus in the legislature, delivered the eulogy to Moleko who was employed as a Constituency Officer responsible for coordinating support for Parliamentary Constituency Offices programme across the province since 2009.

Sebegoe highlighted that, the energetic Moleko had devoted his entire youthful and adult life to the cause, which was dear to him, above all others, the cause of liberation and emancipation of peoples of South Africa from the yoke of apartheid colonialism.

“Moleko was a man whom nature had endowed with considerable talents as a thinker, mobiliser and organizer. He used these unselfishly and unreservedly to enrich our movement and struggle towards those whose growth and development he made a lasting contribution.

“Moleko was a disciplined, tried and tested servant of the glorious movement and leader in his own right who held the ANC’s values and above all, he was a seasoned revolutionary cadre who had internalized it as a necessary weapon of struggle to maintain its unity in the face of emerging divisive reactionary tendencies,” said Sebegoe.

He said no organisational task was minute for him to handle or any assignment too big for him to execute. Sebegoe said Moleko knew how to lead without leading, as well as to do so from the rear.

“Leadership was to him about service and not position. The ANC and the revolutionary alliance had with Moleko’s demise lost a principled cadre. The ANC Caucus will miss his contribution as a selfless servant and a true revolutionary patriot.

“So, we expressed gratitude to Moleko’s wife Paulinah, as well as his son, Tshireletso for having shared with the ANC their loving husband, father whom he hailed as a friend of the working class and the poor.

“A befitting tribute in honour of Moleko would be to ensure that the ANC emerges victorious with a decisive victory in the 29 May 2024 elections,” said Sebegoe.

Meanwhile, the local chief, Kgosi Kgakololo Mosiane of the Banogeng clan, who shared the love for Boerbul dog breed with Moleko, decried that a person of his calibre was only celebrated and their contribution recognized only when they are no longer alive.

Mosiane urged community members to remember Moleko when they are in the voting booth on election day and to vote in his remembrance.

The funeral service was graced by among others, ANC PEC leaders, Sipho Dial, Hendrik Both, Speaker of the Provincial legislature, Sussana Dantjie, Finance MEC Motlalepula Rosho, ANC Deputy Chief Whip, Job Dliso, ANC Member of Parliament Tidimalo Legwase, Executive Mayor of Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality, Khumalo Molefe, as well as the Executive Mayor of Mahikeng Local Municipality, Tshepiso Mphehlo, Members of Mayoral Committees and councillors.

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