ANC no letters.jpg 4 March 2016 ANC Extends Condolences to the Family of Struggle Veteran Habakuk Shikwane The leadership and membership of the African National Congress extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of ANC/SACP veteran and activist, Habakuk Shikwane who died in a car accident on Friday 27 February 2016 in Lebowakgomo, Limpopo Province and is being laid to rest today, 4 March 2016. Habakuk Shikwane was one of the foremost black industrialist who was widely known for his business acumen and innovation through his Habakuk Cane Furniture which employed hundreds of our people. Developed under difficult conditions, his cane furniture entity survived harsh conditions under apartheid and became one of the flagship of black entrepreneurship. Among those who honed their trade skills at the cane furniture were Makgatho Mandela and Zwelakhe Sisulu who used to assist at the factory after school. Shikwane who was born on 30 April 1928 in Ga-Masemola Limpopo. He left Limpopo in 1944 to work in Johannesburg for another cane furniture where he rose within the ranks to supervisor. It was during this period that he joined the ranks of the Communist Party of South Africa where he attended night school and received lessons in the theory of revolution and the class struggle in South Africa under the tutelage of Joe Slovo and Ruth First. He rose within the ranks of the Communist Party and later was elected to the District Committee of the Party, He later joined the African National Congress where he played his role and rising to the position of Treasurer of the ANC Orlando before 1960. During these periods, Habakuk interacted with giants of the liberation struggle, Comrades Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Elias Motsoaledi and other leading lights of the ANC and SACP. With the banning of the ANC in 1960, Habakuk was among the thousands of activists of the ANC/SACP who were detained and subjected to detention without trial. Upon his release, Habakuk was slapped with a five year banning order restricting him to the magisterial district of Hammanskraal in Pretoria forcing him to relocate his cane furniture to the area. It was also during this period that he drove the late Uncle JB Marks and Moses Kotane across the border to Botswana headed for exile. During this period of illegality, Habakuk never used to miss an opportunity make financial contributions to the ANC in exile from proceeds of his cane furniture. Until his untimely death, Habakuk remained a member in good standing of the ANC and SACP. He remained committed to the ideals of a higher and better social order in all persons live in harmony and in peace. Habakuk was also instrumental in the establishment of NAFCOC and was a director and trustee of a number of business entities including Habakuk Cane Furniture (Pty); A Founder & Chair of the first Black food manufacturing group, with over 100 workers; former Director & Manager at Kgabong Construction (Pty) Ltd 1986 - 2001. And a Manager Acting of Cane Furniture Factory Johannesburg 1945 - 1951; Director of the Lebowa Agriculture Corp Ltd and a Director of the Small Business Development Corp Ltd. The ANC lowers its revolutionary banners in solemn memory of this distinguished cadre and stalwart of our glorious movement. Issued by: Zizi Kodwa National Spokesperson African National Congress Enquiries: Khusela Sangoni, 072 854 5707 -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] . --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "YCLSA Discussion Forum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
