TRIBUTE

DAVID MODIMOENG’S FUNERALS – OUKASIE/BRITS – 27/09/2008


Speech of former Oukasie and National YCW Chaplain – Jean Marie Dumortier


Thank you Mr. Chairman,
Many thanks to David’s family,
To all his friends and comrades,
To my fellow former YCW members,
To all Oukasie residents gathered in this hall today…

Thank you for allowing me to be here with you in these rather sad circumstances to take part in this celebration, pay tribute and bid farewell to our old friend and comrade, David Modimoeng

As many of you know it, I first met David almost 30 years ago, in the early 80s when he joined the starting Young Christian Workers group, here, in Oukasie.

In my heart David is associated for ever with this handful of young people who bravely responded to the call of the SAYCW to stand up, unite and fight for their rights and dignity as young workers.

We all know, here in Oukasie, that this small group of young militants was at the starting point of the Trade Union in this area, and of the organization of the old location’s residents which eventually forced the Apartheid regime to bow down and withdraw its order of forced removal – I suppose I still have somewhere one of these T.shirts claiming proudly “Oukasie – We are here to stay!”. Yes, Oukasie is still here, and it is what it is today because of people like David.

I do not have to explain to you that it was, as a book put it recently, a different time, and a pretty tough time indeed. I would just like today to recall the memory of Joyce Modimoeng, David’s wife, who was killed by the “system” in the bombing of their bedroom in 1985, while David himself managed to survive with serious injuries. I feel appropriate to remember and associate this young lady to the tribute we pay today to her husband. I still vividly remember us gathered here for Joyce’s funeral, with the police surrounding us all over. We learned, that very same day, that the government had declared a “State of Emergency” which eventually was to be renewed for 5 years. In fact a number of militants who attended Joyce’s funeral that day were arrested on the spot. Some of them are with us today. Yes, it was a different time…


I am sad to see people like David leaving us, and, with them, to see part of this militant generation that brought freedom and democracy to South Africa disappear, particularly this generation of militants who took part in the re-building of the Trade Union in our country. I want today to pay tribute to this group of young people who joined the YCW in Oukasie together with David and managed to launch the Trade Union in Brits, to the surprise of the officials of the emerging Trade Union in Pretoria, who could not believe that they would ever be able to extend their organization that far, in such a remote area.

Allow me to name some of these pioneers: Hlokoza Motau, Sello Ramakobye, Moshe Mahlaela, Peter Dantjie, Solly, Malasba, Jacob Moatshe, Mokwalakwala, Lekoba Modimoeng and all the others who followed suit along the years… Those are the people who built the Union, here in Brits. They did it in an extremely difficult environment, nearly without any support, but from their own youth movement, the YCW. Starting from the mere realities they were experiencing in their workplaces, identifying the targets they could reach and making careful strategies to achieve their goals, according to the “See-Judge-Act” method of their movement…

It was a fascinating time, a time when the Trade Union was shaping itself from scratch, from the bottom, I mean from the workplace, workshop by workshop, factory by factory – in fact worker by worker – to finally unite them and force the managements to recognize the organization their workforce had patiently and secretly developed. Brits was part of this worker history, through the likes of David and his fellow YCW leaders: in Alfa, Femco, BNS, Chubb Fire, Firestone… Step by step workers were setting their Union, first MAWU and FOSATU, then, later on, NUMSA and COSATU. Those Unions belonged to the workers, they were theirs; workers had built them through their own commitment and sacrifices – nearly one year strike in BNS! – they were workers’ organizations, proudly autonomous, free from any foreign interference. It was a time when the SAYCW was running a campaign on “workers’ democracy” whatever the risks they may face of being called “workerists” as some would by then label them.

Meanwhile David’s YCW group was also responding to issues affecting the community, gathering residents around them in successive committees. I remember for example a “Lodger’s permit committee”, them a “Joint parents’ committee”, and again a “Brits action committee” which, I believe, gave birth to the “Oukasie Development Trust”. Doing so, they were not only preparing themselves to resist victoriously the forced removal orders that the Apartheid regime issued against their location, but they were also taking part in the development of the strong and multiple civil society which allowed South Africa to reach a state of true democracy – unlike many other African countries which gained independence through the arm struggle and found their people under the rule of dictators who were the very ones who were supposed to liberate them, but have now the power of the guns.

Yes, I am sad to see people like David, who have taken part in this glorious chapter of the South African workers’ history, leave us too soon.

I want to believe that what he fought for, with so many other South African workers, will live on and that your heritage will not vanish. Yes, I am sad to let you go today. You fought for Truth, Justice, Freedom and Solidarity. Long ago, in the Bible, people who were fighting for these very things were called “Prophets”. All along your life, through your commitment to your fellow workers you have followed in their footstep. I trust that the spirit which motivated them, and you, is greater than you and me. I do believe that this Spirit of Justice and Solidarity cannot ever die and is already somewhere among us preparing a new generation of people who will help us proceed towards the Kingdom of Justice and Love we have been longing for. David, for the last time let me sing by your side one of these songs we often song during our YCW meetings;

All over the world the Spirit is moving
All over the world, as the prophet said it would be
All over the world, there is a mighty revelation
Of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea

Deep down in my heart, the Spirit is moving
Deep down in my heart, as the prophet said it would be
Deep down in my heart, there is a mighty revelation
Of the coming of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea

Right here in this place, the Spririt is moving
Right here in this place, as the prophet said it would be
Right here in this place, there is a mighty revelation
Of the power of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea

Rest in peace Comrade David, we will meet again, up there!