Yasmin Bilal
South Africans have been urged to take an active role in democracy and help build stronger communities as the country works to address its social and economic challenges.
Deputy President Paulus Mashatile made the call earlier this week at the Oliver Reginald Tambo wreath-laying ceremony at Tamboville Cemetery in Wattville, Ekurhuleni.
The ceremony honoured the former African National Congress president, who led the organisation during three decades in exile and helped sustain the struggle for a free and democratic South Africa.
Mashatile said this year’s theme, “Honouring O.R. Tambo’s Legacy: Inspiring Active Citizenship and Responsible Voting”, was a reminder that citizens must put the values Tambo stood for into practice.
“It calls on us not only to remember his contribution, but also to demonstrate through our actions a commitment to active citizenship, democratic participation, and responsible voting,” he said.
Tambo died in April 1993, a year before South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994.
Mashatile said Tambo had devoted his life to securing freedom for South Africans but did not live to experience the democracy he had fought for.
“The sad reality is that O.R. Tambo devoted his entire life to the struggle for a free, democratic and prosperous South Africa but never enjoyed it in his lifetime,” he said.
He compared Tambo’s role in the liberation struggle to that of Moses in the Bible, who led people out of captivity but did not enter the promised land.
Mashatile said thousands of people had sacrificed their lives so future generations could determine their own destiny through the ballot box.
He said every election presented an opportunity to honour those sacrifices and protect the country’s democracy.
“Every election is an opportunity to honour those who fought, suffered, and died for the freedoms we enjoy today. Every vote cast is a tribute to their sacrifice,” he said.
Mashatile said democracy could not begin and end at the ballot box. Citizens also had a responsibility to participate in their communities, protect public resources, hold leaders accountable and work together to address shared challenges.
He said South Africa continued to face serious problems, including poverty, unemployment, inequality, crime and gender-based violence.
While government had an important role in addressing these challenges, Mashatile said building a better country required the involvement of society as a whole.
“Nation-building is a shared responsibility. Each of us has a role to play in shaping the future of our country,” he said.
He urged citizens to volunteer their time to improve their communities, stand against corruption and criminality, assist vulnerable people and choose unity over division.
Mashatile said those in government also had a responsibility to lead and serve the public.
“But lasting progress will only be achieved when Government, communities, civil society, business, and citizens work hand in hand to build a better South Africa for all,” he said.
The Deputy President urged South Africans to exercise their voting rights thoughtfully and conscientiously.
He said active citizenship also meant upholding peace, tolerance and respect during elections, while rejecting violence and intimidation.
Mashatile said political differences should be resolved through democratic processes and that citizens should respect election results once they have been declared.
He said this was consistent with Tambo’s belief in democratic participation and constitutionalism.
“We honour his legacy when we engage peacefully, vote responsibly, and respect the will of the people, even when the outcome may not be the one we had hoped for,” he said.
Mashatile said the country still had work to do to overcome poverty, unemployment, inequality and social divisions.
He said every generation had a responsibility to advance the country, with the current generation needing to deepen democracy, strengthen social cohesion, grow the economy and create opportunities for all.
Mashatile said honouring Tambo required more than annual commemorations. It meant living by the values he had upheld throughout his life.
“The greatest tribute we can pay to O.R. Tambo is not simply to remember him each year. It is to live by the values he embodied,” he said.
He urged South Africans to leave the ceremony with a renewed commitment to serving their communities and building a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous country.
“We are the custodians of his legacy,” he said.