Thembile Ndabeni, FROM WHERE
We are not perfect s human beings but that should, must and cannot be an excuse for our failures.
To forget is natural but forgetting about a person who contributed to the struggle cannot be justified. This is because to contribute to the struggle is a national issue whether the contribution is local or provincial. There is no way that a community or a political party can forget its member or comrade for more than 20 years.
Some from our generation did not really enjoy their youth because part of life involved hiding and running away from the authorities and their surrogates like Inkatha. Inkatha was the most venomous and ruthless arm of the Apartheid Regime and many people died by its hand.
Thabo Nettie’s life entailed running from Inkatha because his sin was being in the struggle for the liberation of his people from economic exploitation and national oppression. Inkatha would do all it could to please its master even killing its own people.
If you are a Zulu and you are not an Inkatha supporter or member you were perceived as an enemy. A cherry on top of the cake was being associated with Harry Themba M’tomdala (mdala) Gwala. “Unfortunately”, he was related to Mdala. Harry Gwala was married to Thabo’s aunt and when he in KwaZulu-Natal, he was at Mdala’s house.
Thabo Nettie is one of the gallant fighters in the struggle for freedom from oppression and exploitation. Therefore, forgetting him and not honouring is uncalled for. It is a pity that unlike the politics of today the struggle entailed sacrifice because you could be arrested, shot at, or die at any time.
Thabo did not survive the worst from the aforementioned. The cause of his death is not clear, even today, whether it was deliberate or an accident. It is not just unfortunate, but sad and bad. The real cause of his death is not known even today yet family members, friends and comrades are ageing and passing on without knowing the truth. To say a person got shot is not enough because the question still stands, was it deliberate or an accident.
He was still humble, when I knew him as a comrade, especially a combatant. After the unbanning of the ANC, he volunteered to work in the office in Langa. If you visit the office, it would be difficult to leave because you were welcomed with smile, warmth, and lovely conversation, especially the politically-related kind.
He was a good listener and listened more than talking. That is a good habit for growth and gaining even if you know the subject matter. Coming to learn from another comrade was not a difficult thing to do for him. His respect for comrades generally and those he found already in the organisation/struggle and the leaders regardless of his age was amazing. He would respect you even if you are his age group. That respect could not be matched with the fact that he was involved in underground military structures. There was a time and a tendency when comrades who were military involved disrespected those who never or did not know that they were also too involved in underground military structures in one way or the other. He was never part of that tendency. He would respect you such that you feel like telling him to stop but you would not do that because you would not want to hurt him. Therefore, his military involvement especially in KwaZulu-Natal, under Harry M’tomdala Gwala, did not make him big-headed and undermine his comrades. Especially the ones who were there before him, the leadership and ezimrabulisayo.
He died on 27 March 1993 at the age of 26. Death robbed us our warm-blooded brother, friend, comrade, and combatant too early. He was taken away from us while we were still enjoying his warmth, smile, and love. We were looking forward to growing with him but it was not to be.
He was buried on the day Martin Thembisile “Chris” died. In fact, we heard about Hani’s death at his funeral. The message was put across by the struggle stalwart, Gwala in Langa on 10 April 1993. He died in a car from a bullet from his comrade who was behind him in a car. It looked like it was a mistake but no one can be sure because there was a lot happening including the safety of Gwala because he was both his nephew and security.
He was part of the Natal Midlands Region Security Detail Comrades even the likes of Nelson Mandela, and Walter Sisulu, Peter Mokaba, John Nkadimeng, Josiah Jele, and Winnie Mandela depended on him when visiting the area. Even those members of MK High Command visiting the region relied on his security.
As a rounded figure many communities in the Natal Midlands Region knew him because of his discipline, selflessness, bravery, and preparedness to fight in defence of his communities under siege and the cause of liberation.
If he is forgotten that means this young combatant who sacrificed his life for his people died in vain. Something must be done to honour or remember him.
