Ramaphosa remembered Duarte as a humorous lead who was also “very tough”.
Duarte was one of those leaders who did not tolerate any bullshit from the ANC leaders. If you spoke out of line, you immediately picked up the phone and called and didn’t just say “what were you thinking?” Rather, it will alert you immediately and put you on the right track again.”
I did it no matter what position he held, Ramaphosa said.
She was steadfast in her commitment to non-racism. Let’s rededicate ourselves to building a movement and a society free from it.
“[If there was] Anyone in our movement who was a person devoted to the principle of non-racism, Comrade Jesse…was forever reminding us of what our movement is in terms of non-racism.”
Ramaphosa often said that, as a movement, they deviated from their non-racial foundations, but Duarte always reminded them of the character of the ANC.
Duarte said he wants the tripartite alliance to unite as the country moves toward elections next year, to ensure that the ANC not only returns to power, but returns stronger with an even larger majority. “And it will happen that the ANC will return to that power,” he said to loud applause.
“What we promise Comrade Jesse and ourselves is that we will continue to ensure our focus is on addressing the challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment and that these will remain our collective priorities and that all our efforts will be focused on making tangible differences in transforming the lives of our people.”
Duarte has been a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress since 2002.
– Times Live