– Programme Director, Comrade Mandla Nkomfe;
– The Manana Family;
– Excellencies, Former Ambassadors and High Commissioners;
– Friends and Comrades of Naphtal Manana;
– Fellow Mourners.
Today, as we come together to honour the life of Comrade Naphtal (Naph) Manana, we are reminded of a life devoted to the pursuit of justice and freedom for all South Africans. For those of us who had the privilege of standing alongside him as comrades and friends, we experienced years marked by struggle, resilience, and unwavering hope.
These shared moments for us, forged a bond with Comrade Naph that transcended typical relationships, allowing us to hold Comrade Naph in our hearts as a brother, an uncle, an elder, and a peer.
In doing so, we recognise that offering our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Naphtal Manana is to also acknowledge the far-reaching connections and relationships that he built with his extended family, the ANC. More than a political organisation to Comrade Naph, the ANC was a home and a sanctuary where he, his peers and contemporaries found solidarity, purpose and the strength to stand together in the face of adversity.
This concept of family for Comrade Naph was so deeply ingrained by his love for his children, siblings, cousins, grandchildren and friends, and stretched far beyond blood relations.
To intentionally stretch out one’s arms to create a wider circle of care, trust and personal development, is a demonstration of one’s belief in our shared humanity. Comrade Naph had wide arms – a broad wingspan that offered warmth and a sense of unity to many of us.
As we pay homage to Comrade Naph, let us also rekindle his warmth by remembering the lessons he leaves us: that true dedication to one’s community goes beyond mere participation, it demands of us the profound and courageous act of creating and nurturing bonds that uplift everyone.
In this brief moment we have to honour Comrade Naph, we remain confident that his spirit and vision will continue to guide and inspire us.
His memory and leadership are reminders of our complicated history and our duty to enable a shift in attitude towards our fellow citizens by engaging in dialogue, embracing life-long political education, promoting progress and upholding principles of peaceful coexistence.
Comrade Naph’s life was marked by heroic deeds driven by his sense of service to country and people. His character embodied a bravery that faced oppression and challenges head-on, without flinching. His resilience, which carried him through countless trials, inspired hope and fuelled a shared determination among those who stood with him.
This personal history of courage and perseverance also mirrors the broader story of our country’s transformation — from tactics of revolutionary resistance to a new struggle for inclusive growth and strategies of social cohesion.
Comrade Naph’s journey reminds us that true change is rooted in both the strength to confront injustice and the heart to build unity and empathy among all people.
During his time in exile, imprisonment, and then later within the Mass Democratic Movement, to his time as a democratic leader, a civil servant and an international diplomat, Ambassador Naphtal Manana was a staunch supporter of the values of political consciousness to bolster and uphold the ideals of a democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, united and prosperous society.
As an internationalist, he knew that knowing of a world out there was simply not enough; one had to understand it, study it and change it. And, in order for the ANC to do so, it had to educate its members, believing that well-prepared cadres are essential for serving the people.
Political education is central to this work, raising the ideological capacity of ANC members to transform them into committed advocates for humanity.
The ANC was, and is, a pivotal force in the transformation of African intellectualism and modernity, and the origins of African political consciousness are rooted in the organisation and its political education.
And, as we remember the life of Comrade Naph, we also have the chance to examine ourselves, reflect on our own actions and make peace with a past that is punctuated with challenging situations, both on a personal level and for the ANC. It is for this reason that political education is so important.
As we strive for such a consciousness in today’s world, we are urged to grasp the growing depth and breadth of a curriculum necessary to meet the objectives of modern cadreship development. A consciousness capable of contributing to sustainable growth and progress for people, country and the ecosystem.
For this we need to put more thought into making enough time and resources available for the effectual political education that is comparable and consistent with the demands of the current environment.
It is also important to note that political education was not just meant for an individual to be politically prepared. It is the aim of political education to arm individuals with knowledge so that they in turn could use it to further grow political consciousness, to help with the development of their fellow comrades, and thus enhance the aggregate impact on the organisation as well as communities.
But, how does political awareness and active participation come together in a service-led career? What impact does this intersection have on how public representatives approach politics and their level of engagement?
Understanding this connection sheds light on how those in public service think about, shape, and act on political matters, ultimately influencing their decisions and the ways they serve their communities.
There are reasons to expect that our roles and duties as leaders and as ordinary citizens can contribute at once, to the development of a political consciousness and the dexterity that is fundamental for political participation.
The task and question we therefore ask of ourselves, is to explore the intersections in which our political consciousness and our political participation converge or clash.
In an era where fraud and corruption continue to undermine the foundations of societies worldwide, perhaps a tactical approach to developing ethics and effective leadership begins with conscious reflection.
Conscious reflection involves a deep and honest examination of the root causes of corruption, pain and poverty. It requires acknowledging the historic and systemic issues that allow for a significant gap between the rule of law as it is written, and its application in society. This gap undermines human rights and the ideals we strive for.
Addressing this lacuna requires a multifaceted approach that should include education and the development of consciousness.
Consciousness is what helps human beings understand what is right and what is wrong, or in simple terms, the ability to connect what you say or do to the possible consequences.
However, one’s consciousness must be sustained, practiced and embraced every day in order to be a source for ethical conduct. When consciousness leaves you, it does not bid you farewell. In other words, people are often not even aware that they have lost their ability to connect their pronouncements and actions, and the consequences thereof.
Promoting ethical conduct starts with awareness, education and socialisation. It involves instilling values of honesty and responsibility from a young age at home and in the classroom and reinforcing these values through continuous professional development.
By force of example, ethical leadership, in particular, sets the tone for an entire organisation or government. Comrade Naph set a strong tone for those around him, fostering an environment where integrity and purpose thrived. He mentored both young and experienced leaders, emphasising the importance of political consciousness paired with a deep commitment to community service. His pragmatic and empathetic nature, combined with his humility, inspired those he guided to lead with both wisdom and compassion.
As a true patriot and a dedicated ANC cadre, Comrade Naphtal Manana’s life continues to guide us and influence the broader struggle for a better South Africa.
Though he no longer walks among us, his spirit and example will live on in the conviction and work of generations to come.
The substituted warmth of the womb
But in the sources of the blood a living affirmation our consciousness, our spreading and gathering movement
Whose tree rooted in the heart
Is our true text of history.
Comrades, the challenge that we and the next generation of leaders confront with politics and political consciousness, involves our devotion to humanity and our attitude towards other people and the planet.
There is a delicate art in balancing our common quest for dignity and the struggle for freedom on the one hand, with our political allegiances shaped by political forces both perverse and praiseworthy on the other.
Ambassador Naphtal Manana’s life quest was shaped by a worldview reflected through his compassionate heart: an understanding and deep appreciation of the complexities involved in fighting for justice and upholding the structures that sustain it, while also embodying the spirit of unity, dignity, and hope. He fought not just for political ideals but for the humanity and peace that bring a nation together.
When Comrade Naph was on death row, he said, now as our final service we are about to die.
“No one will ever know your names.
You will never
Be inscribed on Rolls of Honour.
You do not expect
A word of praise.
Those who come after,
Who are riding the wave when it breaks at last and the foam
Dazzles with rainbow colours of the days of hope,
They will not remember who you were, far back
In the broil of ocean and out of sight of the shore
Who kept your course though the tide ran out against you
Softly you held your honesty as phosphor its light.
You will create the leaders who will be known,
Who will shout like trumpets, roar into battle, their names
Scattering like sparks in wind of history
But it is you I praise, for deep in the cylinders
Your patient pressure will still be the driving force
Whom no one remembers, nobody ever knew.”1
You taught us that it is time to rise up and cry, that what our fathers fought for we will not allow to die, time to resolve divisions, time to renew our pride, time to decide.
May your soul rest in eternal peace. Comrade Naphtal Manana, your work and memory will endure.
Thank you.
1 Randall Swingler from his poem entitled, “Praise for the anonymous”.
