By: Jacob Zuma
I wish to convey my heartfelt condolences to the Duarte and Dangor families, and relatives of Comrade Yasmine Jessie Duarte, who has sadly succumbed to illness on Sunday, 17 July 2022 morning. My condolences also go to the ANC and to the Alliance, and the broad national democratic movement.
I worked with Comrade Jessie from 1990, having known about her activism in the revolutionary democratic movement, including the underground structures of the ANC. She endured many years of persecution from the illegal racist regime, suffering terms of detention without trial and various forms of torture. Comrade Jessie has served in the collective of provincial and national leadership over the last three decades of the ANC as a governing party in multi-party democracy, and building a non-racial, non-sexist, united and democratic South Africa.
Throughout the time that I worked with Comrade Jessie she has displayed an unyielding commitment to the objectives of the National Democratic Revolution and the struggle for the real freedom. She actively promoted the unity and integrity of the ANC as a champion of people’s right, dedicated to building a society free of social and economic injustice.
Comrade Jessie championed the agenda of gender equality and non-racialism in society, as well as, within the structures of the Movement.
She was one of the most senior leaders of the ANC who was unapologetic about the urgent imperative of destroying all the vestiges of Apartheid-Colonialism, and build a fair and just society, in particular the restructuring of the patterns of ownership and control in the national economy, in favor of the majority, who are black, female, and the majority of them being young.
Comrade Jessie was an energetic and disciplined organizer, and unifier of our Movement. After her elevation to the position of Deputy Secretary General of the ANC at the 52nd, 53rd, and 54th National Conferences, she became the pillar of the Secretary General’s Office, rallying the forces in organisational programmes and campaigns.
Comrade Jessie has been as much a Comrade a friend and sister to me, despite the difference in age. Her relationship with everyone was based on principle, and she fought against the tendencies to look at issues through the eyes of unprincipled factionalism, and favours of wealth and economic power.
She championed the agenda of the development of and building peace and stability on our continent. She led campaigns of solidarity with all oppressed people in the world, especially the people of the Sahrawi Democratic Republic ,and Palestine, as well as the struggle to end the United States economic blockade of Cuba.
Words fail to express the love and sadness, as we reflect on the life of this giant of our revolutionary movement, and the cause for justice and prosperity for all humanity. We dip our revolutionary banner in Memory of this Great Heroine of Our National Democratic Movement and the Republic of South Africa.
Comrades and friends there is something that is worrying very deeply. In the recent past our key comrades have been dying at the rate that we have not seen before. This has happened in the last few years. This has indeed been worrying that in a short space of time so many comrades have died without being very sick at all. Suddenly they get sick and die, why? Is this normal? Certainly, it leaves many of us worried and suspicious. I hope there is no foul play and I believe one day if there was foul play we will get to know.
Comrades and family of comrade Jessie, once again we would like to convey our condolences to the family.
May Her Soul Rest in Eternal Peace!
Lala ngoxolo Qhawe lama qhawe!
*HE President Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (Retired)
