Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma on Saturday joined the family and friends of Martha Mahlangu in a moving funeral ceremony in Memelodi West to bid farewell to the heroine who played an important role in the liberation struggle of the country.
Mama Mahlangu, as she was affectionately known by many, was granted a provincial official funeral, which saw ministers and political leaders, including Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane, rally around bereaved family members in a show of support and solidarity.
Mahlangu was the mother of freedom fighter Solomon Mahlangu, who was executed by the apartheid regime after being wrongfully accused on charges of murder and terrorism.
President Zuma paid tribute to Mahlangu, who he described as “a pillar of strength, not only to her family but also to society in general”.
“We have lost a great patriot and a resilient mother, who will be remembered for her humility, dignity and her commitment to building the South Africa that her son died fighting to achieve.
“As we pay tribute to this selfless patriot, we also remember all parents who went through similar pain, whose children were brutally murdered by the apartheid regime in its desperate attempts to stop the dawn of freedom,” said the President.
Mahlangu, who passed away at Steve Biko Hospital on March 12, was a special guest of the President at the State of the Nation Address in Parliament last month.
On 14 March, the Solomon Mahlangu Scholarship Fund, with a seed capital of R20 million, was launched.
Mahlangu’s old house in Mamelodi will now be converted into a museum.
“The museum, together with the Solomon Mahlangu Square and Solomon Mahlangu highways, will stand as constant reminders of the legacy of freedom that Mama Mahlangu and her son Solomon left for us,” President Zuma said. – SAnews.gov.za
