The African National Congress (ANC) in the Eastern Cape is saddened by the passing of struggle stalwart , Comrade Mzwandile Mcdonald Masala .
Comrade Masala a freedom fighter and veteran of our struggle for national liberation who championed the formation of mass democratic movements, under the wretchedness of the apartheid regime, passed away on Tuesday, 02 May 2023 at a hospital in Cape Town after a short illness .
Born at Alice , Comrade Masala became part of the liberation struggle at an early age when he moved to Port Elizabeth which was the bedrock of struggle led by giants such as Oom Ray Mhlaba , Sam Ntunja and Oom Govan Mbeki .
He left the country in 1962 and went into exile to undergo military training with uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) in Ethiopia and Algeria. He was part of a generation that chose to fight, rather than submit, as called upon by the founding MK manifesto. He became a dependable soldier and cadre, at the best and the worst of times. He was arrested by the brutal apartheid security police upon his entry to the country in Soweto in 1964 to carry out MK mission. Comrade Masala was incarcerated at Robben Island where he was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment. Upon his release in 1976 , the ruthless apartheid government banned him to bantustan Ciskei wherein he was prohibited from participating in political activities.
He worked hard in the underground structures of the ANC and was a founding member of the United Democratic Front in its formation in 1983 in Cape Town. Comrade Masala actively campaigned against the Tri-Cameral Parliament because he refused to believe that any race group was superior to another.
Once apartheid was defeated, he turned his attention to the work of building sound and strong people`s organizations under conditions of freedom and democracy in the Eastern Cape and served in the structures of the ANC.
As freedom dawned, he entered the public service when became the ANC Member of Parliament in 1997, a deployment he served until 2004. Comrade Masala was a critical part of the establishment of the post-apartheid South African diplomatic corps. He became South Africa’s Ambassador to Zambia in 2004 until 2007.
He continued serving in structures of our movement particular in the ANC Veterans League and MK Liberation War Veterans in the Western Cape . He was honoured on the 6th of December in 2012 with the medal of the Luthuli Detachment as one of the founding members of MK. Comrade Masala was wise, principled and humble and his loss means that we must say farewell to another giant of the struggle for liberation.
Comrade Masala`s name is permanently engraved in our hearts and his legacy will live forever in the ongoing campaigns to renew our movement and build a society envisioned in the Freedom Charter.
ANC in the Eastern Cape extends its deepest condolences to Comrade Masala’s family, friends, comrades in the ANC Veterans League and MK Liberation War Veterans and everyone who held him dear.
Farewell freedom fighter, combatant, commissar, MK soldier, former political prisoner, a dedicated servant of the people .
Hamba kahle Mkhonto
Hamba kahle qhawe lamaqhawe
END….
ISSUED BY THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS-EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE
Enquiries:
Cde Gift Ngqondi
Provincial Head of Communications
Mobile No :?0849519924 /?0848439706
