Go to South African Tourism Investors Immigrants Citizens South Africans Abroad Home page Fri, 10 Feb 2012
Essential Information
  About South Africa
  South Africa map
  SA web directory
  Site map
Public Services
  Advice for citizens
  Advice for foreigners
  South Africans abroad
Doing business
  Economy
  Investing in South Africa
  Trade with South Africa
  Trends & Growth
  Business news
Plan a trip
  Holiday experiences
  Smart travel tips
What's happening
more  News and features
       Featuring South Africa
       International Relations
  Arts and entertainment
  Conferences and expos
  Sport

Weather

South African Weather Service


Quick forecasts
SA Weather Service

SA Web Directory
SA Web Directory

Mapping the best sites in SA cyberspace - goSouthAfrica

South Africa Map
South African Map

Find your way
on our interactive
macro-to-micro South Africa map



Mbeki salutes Raymond Mhlaba
David Masango

22 February 2005

President Thabo Mbeki has saluted liberation struggle stalwart Raymond Mhlaba, who died on Sunday night after a long battle against liver cancer.

Saluting the former Eastern Cape premier, Mbeki said the country had lost "a member of a splendid, unforgettable generation".

He said Mhlaba, who was 85 when he died, had "endured a generation of incarceration under the apartheid regime ... and managed to play a valued public role as our democracy took root."

Mhlaba, an African National Congress (ANC) veteran and Rivonia trialist, was incarcerated for 25 years for his political activities.

Born in Mazoka village at Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape, Mhlaba attended school at Healdtown but was forced to drop out because of financial problems.

It was while working at a dry cleaning factory in 1942 that he developed his political views and commitment to the labour struggle. A year later, he joined the Communist Party of South Africa, becoming secretary of the Port Elizabeth branch of the party until its banning in 1950.

Mhlaba was arrested during the Defiance Campaign at the New Brighton railway station in Port Elizabeth in 1952 and banned under the Suppression of Communism Act. In 1961 he went into exile for military training.

On his return in 1962 he commanded uMkhonto weSizwe until his arrest in Rivonia in 1963. He was found guilty on charges of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island.

Mhlaba was transferred to Pollsmoor prison in 1986, where he stayed until his release in 1989 to join the ANC special executive committee that negotiated with the National Party government on the country's democratic future.

In 1991 he was elected into the ANC's national executive committee, and in 1994 became premier of the Eastern Cape. Mhlaba received the ANC's medal of Isithwalandwe, and served in 1997 as South African High Commissioner to Uganda.

Source: BuaNews

Print this page Send this article to a friend


  • Massive resources to combat Aids
  • Firms back SA's RWC 2011 bid
  • PAP moves on African conflicts
  • Mbeki in Ivory Coast breakthrough
  • SA's first biodiversity assessment
  • R193m for transfrontier parks
  • Govt, business talk investment
  • Four more products Sudan Red+
  • Public service fraud crackdown
  • SA, Moz to set up business body


  • BuaNews Online BuaNews Online
    Quick & easy access to government-related news, features & information.


    SABCnews.com SABCnews.com
    Online news from South Africa's national broadcaster.


    Isolezwe Online version of South Africa's leading isiZulu newspaper.


    Die Burger Breaking news - in Afrikaans.


    News24.com South Africa, Africa & the world - 24/seven.

  • Retracing the road to democracy
  • SA honours liberation heroes
  • We the People: Constitution Hill
  • Freedom Park to tell SA's story
  • Struggle heroes for children
  • SA struggle biographies
  • South African prison biographies
  • A short history of South Africa
  •  African National Congress


  • South African Tourism Wines of South Africa Proudly South African South Africa Government Online South African Broadcasting Corporation Department of Trade and Industry South Africa
    Tourists | Investors | Immigrants | Citizens | South Africans Abroad Home | Site Map | SA Web Directory | Disclaimer
    Design, contents, site maintenance: BIG Media
    Queries about the site? Contact the webmaster
    Published for the International Marketing Council of South Africa