22/06/2020
Tribute to Cde Taula Mathumo by ANC Zonal Chairperson Sello Mabaso.
Revolutionary greetings to family, friends, members of ANC and most importantly the community of Sephima zone 4.
One is forced to pay tribute to comrade Taola while locked at home because of Covid-19 pandemic.
Your death comes at a time that the whole world is affected by this pandemic called coronavirus and at the time when the Zone needs your ideas, skills and leadership at the most because we know your intervention to their current situation would be par excellence.
A lot has been said and written and for the first time I am short of words.
I am sitting here and writing not sure if you will see or hear these words. I am struggling to believe you are no more and my heart is pounding with great sadness and pain.
I still remember how we met, it was early 2006 at Senaoane Swimming pool at ANCYL meeting. I was a Zonal coordinator and chairing the very same meeting as the convener was absent.
Yourself, Cde John, Lebo Selepe and many others came in numbers with one agenda item, which was to release me from my responsibilities of Zonal Coordinator. Comrades were not kind at me, I had no choice but to let it go as this was well organised.
I never had hard feelings because, I believe in you comrades that you wanted things to happen for young people in the Zone.
Am glad that years after you and i managed to talk about it and we both agreed that it was " an act out of emotions" and faction symptom.
And that day it was the end of my youth league politics.
Chairman!!
Your political clarity and maturity made you a trusted force to go into battle with. You find your mission, which was to serve the movement wholeheartedly, with no selfish ambitions; and you never betrayed it.
As young revolutionary democrats, we could rely on you, we trusted that you have our backs as a young, dynamic and true cadre of our glorious movement the ANC. When you were given a task by the organisation, we knew that you would deliver on it no matter how difficult it may be. You were unshaken in your resolve to be a principled cadre, never did you sell out on the revolutionary tasks that you were given, no matter the consequences.
As a very private individual, you always presented a strong face even when it was not going well. You were never scared to advance a principled position taken by the Zonal leadership or any ANC structures.
You have served our generation as a dedicated, loyal and principled Comrade, I am of those that can attest that You have never sold out.
You may be gone my Cadre, but you’ll never be forgotten!!!
It is sad that tomorrow we will be sending you off and it is not done accordingly to the culture and the tradition of the ANC because of the compelling conditions we find ourselves in as members of ANC, we are forced to comply with the lockdown covid-19 regulations.
Rest in Peace Cde Taula, My Chairman
Amandla!
Sello Mabaso
Zone 4 chairman
