The African National Congress (ANC) in the Eastern Cape and the nation today mourns the passing of an outstanding freedom fighter, revolutionary and a veteran of Umkhonto weSizwe, Comrade Gideon Vakala aka Connie Dlingca his nom de guerre.
Comrade Gideon Vakala was born at Molteno , Eastern Cape in the early 1940s. As a young boy, he moved with his uncle to East London where he grew up and matured as a boxer, university student and an activist. He grew up in the oldest African location in East London, East Bank, also known as Kwa-Tsolo.
Comrade Vaks was part of a generation that was prepared to lay down their lives for freedom. He joined the ANC at a time when it was not fashionable to do so. Being a member of the ANC at the time was an invitation for state harassment, police brutality, torture and even death.
Vakala became one of the young political activists of the rolling 50’s in East London when the ANC in that region was led by the likes of Alcott Gwentshe, Joel Lengisi and others. He became active until the ANC was banned in 1960. He enrolled for a degree at the University of Fort Hare after the banning of political organizations.Comrade Vaks continued with the underground political activity when he joined MK after it was formed in December 1961. Together with Andrew Masondo who was a Maths lecturer at Fort Hare, they joined MK where they were involved in academic work during the day, and became guerillas by night. They mounted a sabotage camping in Alice, using homemade explosives. Masondo was arrested, tried and sentenced to 13 years on Robben Island. Comrade Vakala evaded arrest and left for exile where he was best known as Connie Dlingca his nom de guerre.
He obtained a Master’s degree in Economics in the German Democratic Republic. He later worked at the ANC’s International Department in Lusaka.
In mid-1979, Gideon Vakala with two other struggle veterans from the 1950s, Jimmy Pitse and Vusi Shangase moved to Luanda in Angola where they took up residence with functionaries of Radio Freedom at Bairro Maculusso. The functionaries of Radio Freedom – Luanda at that stage included Jessica Monare; Patrick Makhaya; Richmond Ramotse and Zanempi Sihlangu. Vusi Shangase who was the pioneer of the Zulu Service of Radio Moscow in 1966, became the new Head of Radio Freedom Luanda. Jimmy Pitse who was a prolific poetry writer from the Luthuli Detachment, also joined Radio Freedom. Comrade Vakala who was known as Connie Dlingca at that stage became the main presenter of the English programme of Radio Naçional de Angola, a programme that aired at 12:00 Angolan time.
While most programmes of Radio Naçional de Angola were in Portuguese, the Angolan government needed a programme that could establish the station among English speaking audiences of the Southern African region. It was also important to have a person with good command of English with the necessary political acumen. Gideon Vakala was the first of those from the ANC. As the majority of RF functionaries were from the June 16 generation, they affectionately referred to the three newly arrived veterans as the Three Luthuli Musketeers. On weekends, they would navigate the streets of Luanda on foot, mingling with the local population, despite their limited understanding of Portuguese. Whenever Bizo Mngqikana came to Angola, he would always pay them a visit.
He compiled and presented news bulletins and commentaries over Radio Naçional de Angola from Monday to Friday. He had profound insight into the liberation struggles of Southern Africa; international politics and international economic relations. He guided his younger Angolan colleagues in the craft of writing. He did such good work that the MPLA Workers’ Party wrote a letter to the ANC office in Luanda, expressing its satisfaction with the good work he did.
By 1980, Vakala was appointed as an ANC Chief Representative to Angola. His programme at Radio Naçional de Angola was taken over by Christine More, also from the ANC. A member of the June 16 Detachment and a functinary of the Commissariat, James Ngculu, recalls that in 1981, an ANC Women’s Section Conference took place in Luanda. A member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC and a leading figure in the ANC Women’s Section, Ruth Mompati, arrived in Luanda from Lusaka. She asked the Commissariat to write her speech. However, she vehemently insisted that Vakala had to be part of the writing. Vakala just decided to write the speech himself. He produced such a brilliant piece such that Comrade Ruth Mompati was left visibly overjoyed.
Vakala responded to another call of duty to return to the Secretary General’s Office in Lusaka in 1981. He was succeeded by Uriah Mokeba as Chief Rep. He worked in Lusaka until it was time for the exiles to return home. At the dawn of democracy in 1994, he worked at the ANC office in East London until he retired.
The country has lost a disciplined veteran and a true revolutionary who sacrificed his youth and risked his life for the liberation of South Africa.
We salute him for his dedication and unwavering commitment to the national democratic revolution.
The ANC conveys its heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and the entire mass democratic movement. We hope they will find solace in the knowledge that the entire nation shares in their grief. We wish them strength and fortitude as they mourn their loved one.
We deep our revolutionary banner in memory of Cde Gideon “Connie Dlingca” Vakala!
May his revolutionary soul find eternal peace!
ENDS…
ISSUED BY THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS-EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE
Enquiries:
Cde Gift Ngqondi
Provincial Head of Communications
Mobile No :?0849519924?/0848439706
