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(The premier observed the protocol of acknowledging the national and provincial leaders present at the memorial service)

We are paying our last respects to Comrade Steve (Tshwete). It is still very difficult to believe that we are bidding him farewell for the last time this week. Kunzima ukuyamkela lento kaThangana (it is difficult to accept the passing away of Thangana). Uthi omnye umfana ngoku sibuya phaya eMotuary, uCde. Steve lisela (while leaving the mortuary one person said Cde Steve is a thief), he ran away through a window when he went to exile, ngoku uyaphinda uphuma ngefesitile (again now he is escaping us). Ndithi hayi Mayibuye ibhetele le yokutaka ngefesitile, noko sasinofifi ukuba iyeza lento iyeza lento (I say Mayibuye it was better because in Peelton we were just aware that something may be coming). This one is unique. We had no inkling that this sort of thing would happen. We had never thought that this year or very soon that we would be speaking about comrade Steve, who would be keeping quite and unable to respond. It is still very, very difficult to accept that he cannot respond when talking about him.

Today, we are speaking in front of witnesses, abanutu abamaziyo uCde Steve (people who know Cde Steve). Nivile utat' uNgqezo esithi usuka naye ePrimary school (You heard Mr. Ngqezo saying he met him at primary school). I see amongst ourselves, people that have worked very close with Cde. Steve, and so we would not be exaggerating if we are paying tribute to an uncompromising patriot and a revolutionary. We are not talking pseudo revolutionaries, but absolute revolutionaries. We are talking about a hero in the time of need, a revolutionary in the time of the struggle, and a patriot in the time of the restoration of the dignity of the nation, a relentless organiser and a dedicated but very impatient educator. Comrade Steve was one of our best educators in this region, particularly in the Border region, together with Comrade Joe Mati who is no more. He disliked what he called kukulola umkhonto okwegwala (sharpening the spear like a coward) everyday ending up finishing the spear before going on war. Comrade Steve was an orator par excellence. His language depicted or showed that he indeed originated from the communities (grassroots) as reflected by the proverbs and idioms. People who had not experienced the way our people grow up may never be able to comprehend. Such is the man we are paying tribute to today.

I did not grow with him and we never met face to face. From his stories he would explain how he grew up in Eziphunzama and Duncan Village as an activist. His experience was not of discussing theoretical and ideological foundations of the (national democratic struggle) NDS. He told of how he disrupted meeting of some pseudo organisations that tried to oppose the African National Congress at that time. As a young activists of the movement they were tasked to do just that, and they did not ask questions. The same applied to how Madiba (Dr. Nelson Mandela) grew up. I am not saying go and disrupt people's meetings, but I am explaining to the youth of our province where he came from. He did not come from theory he came from practical experience of struggle. One day when you look at the classics you would know that is where all activists should come from. The experience should not be informed by theory, but theory should be informed by experience, and then you espouse the theoretical foundations on what you really know. Cde Steve was a leader born by our struggle to liberate our country.

I first met Cde Steve when he came back in 1979, and you will know comrades that at that time there was a whole range of political discussions in the country, a whole range of ideological struggles being waged as the Mass Democratic Movement was trying to realign itself.

In 1977 that was when SAWU (South African Workers Union) was found in the Border region and that was exactly the same year Cde Steve came back from Robben Island. You will remember that SAWU came from the tradition of Black Consciousness and there were other traditions including the unity movement all bombarding the Mass Democratic Movement. He was plunged into the ideological discussion of the time. Cde Steve played a tremendous role in the resolution of our ideological positions of the time. He was tipped in the theoretical foundations of the working class movement, because he was not only a peasant, he was also from the ranks of the working class. Also remember that there was a big debate about the national democratic struggle and the working class struggle. Many people participated in the debate people coming from all over to the Border region as the Border region was central in the debates. We used to even hold meetings in Peelton without asking the source of funds for the catering provided by Sis Pam (Steve's wife).

He also was a very stubborn man. During that time the Democratic Movement was very stereotyped about what book should be read and which should not be read, this was no open democracy as we know with Cde Charles(Nqakula). You will remember how it was taboo to read Knoforth. If you were found reading Konfoth, immediately you will be labelled and you might even be ostracised because there were classes which were prescribed at the time. But Cde Steve read each and every book that came across him. Hi did not want to confine himself to those kinds of restrictions. He was a leader of his own mind, he was not a free-thinker, he exercised his mindset with the ambit of the theoretical foundations of the Democratic Movement.

Comrade Steve was a very lazy Chairperson. He hated chairing meetings and preparing speeches. He hated a written speech. Even when he had started preparing a speech he would appeal to you to complete it. Even if there is an already prepared speech for him there is no guarantee that he is going to read. He might read it and half way through he would begin to speak out his mind.

We must defend the gains that were made by the heroes of our struggle, we must defend the gains of our revolution, he must defend our democracy. We already miss him (Steve). It's like he is going to come in late in this gathering because he was always late in meetings.

May his family be consoled by his shining example, your husband, your father, the in-laws, Steve hasn't disgraced you and also he did not disgrace us as a democratic movement.