Batembu Lugulwana was one of many great men who came to honour Joe Ndiki on Sunday morning.
Tarzan Mbita
In the vernacular, the name "Thembekile" denotes a trustworthy person, a confidante in the most challenging of circumstances; a comrade-in-arms.
Such was the person of Thembekile Joseph Ndiki, described by those closest to him.
Mr Ndiki, 72, passed away a fortnight ago and was buried last Sunday after a long illness.
Even as a political and social activist, he gained the respect of his peers as a man possessed of a quiet demeanour, but, when he opened his mouth, his opinions and postulations received much respect after what seemed long deliberations by others.
This kind of approach always produced the desired results in charting a way forward during the struggle against Apartheid repression.
As a life-long member of the Azanian People's Organization (AZAPO), he lived true to his given name. Even his tardiness in honouring appointments, could not dim the light of his reverence by his political peers, spurred on by his commitment to the fight against the injustices of the past.
Mr Ndiki withstood all the Apartheid regime could throw at him, including spells in detention without trial, midnight arrests and harassment.
During his student days, he became heavily influenced by the Black Consciousness Movement, joining the South African Students Organisation, of which the late Bantubonke Stephen Biko was founding president.
A remarkably soft-spoken man, Joe, as he was fondly known, was also respected for his impeccable dress sense.
These were among the reminiscences shared at a memorial service held in his honour in Gugulethu on Thursday September 22.
A prodigious sportsman, Mr Ndiki burst into the sports scene both as an athlete and rugby player at Healdtown and Freemantle Colleges in the Eastern Cape.
According to friend and schoolmate Mongezi Memani -himself a retired school teacher - the two of them, together with other community luminaries, the likes of Mlungisi Maslingozi and businessman Wallace Mgoqi, first met at Healdtown in January1969. That was when Mr Ndiki's talents as a runner and rugby player burst forth like a tornado.
Mr Ndiki played second-centre and was the fastest on the athletics track.
“Within two months at Healdtown, Joe showed his true colours, outsprinting others in 200 and 400 metres speed races, leaving them flat, including the 4x4 relays. He always created a spectacle on turf. He was soon selected the captain in the houses and the teams chosen to represent the school.”
He was also part of the squad chosen to represent the schools in the Border Region.
Mr Ndiki and his team became popularly known as “the invincibles”, winning matches against previously respected teams like All Saints, Clarkebury and St John's.
“Although Joe showed prowess, he was soft-spoken, disciplined and without any airs. He was always well-dressed and neat. And our team swept all opposition aside. We defeated them all,” Memani added.
Sadly, of that conquering team very few of those veterans are alive today, he noted.
Mr Ndiki also became involved in social activities, once becoming chairman of Sisonke Society of Friends, a burial society, a tenure hailed as one of the most successful in the history of the organisation.
Mabhauti Dube, also a former chairman of the organisation and a teammate at Ikhwezi Rugby Club, also heaped praise on Mr Ndiki.
“Sisonke was a males-only outfit at the time, patriarchal and conservative. Through his gentle persuasion, Joe advocated for the inclusion of women in our society.
“On the rugby field, he was swift, had immaculate swerves and possessed of swagger. Rugby tended to be rough, with minimum discipline ...even with kind of person that he was, Joe survived the tackles.”
George Bhongo, a member of Azapo, said Mr Ndiki, as a former provincial leader of the organisation, has left an indelible mark in the hearts and minds of many, especially with his passionate dedication to the liberation movement and towards the education of the black child.
“Joe was instrumental in the formation of Azasco (Azanian Students Congress) and Azasm (Azanian Students Movement). He steadfastly held the belief that self-reliance and self-sustainability was cornerstone of our liberation, as espoused in the Black Consciousness Movement.”
He dedicated his energy and effort into Masifundise Development Trust, set up specifically to foster education among the dispossessed and oppressed masses." said Ms Bhongo.
On Mr Ndiki's passing, his wife said: “I've done all I was called by God to do for my husband.”
A member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Mr Ndiki is survived by Mavis, his wife of 50 years, two sons and a daughter, as well as his immediate family.