Zuma Honors Solomon Mahlangu, Calls for Economic Liberation at Mamelodi Commemoration

Former President Jacob Zuma delivered an impassioned tribute to anti-apartheid martyr Solomon Mahlangu on Sunday, declaring that the struggle hero’s “unsettled blood” demands South Africa’s full economic emancipation.

Addressing hundreds gathered at Mamelodi’s Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square, Zuma framed the 1979 execution of the 22-year-old MK operative as an unfinished revolution: “Political freedom was just the first chapter. The economic fortress of apartheid still stands, and Mahlangu’s spirit will know no peace until we dismantle it completely.”

The commemorative event marked 45 years since Mahlangu’s hanging by the apartheid regime. His final words – “Tell my people I love them and they must continue the fight” – resonated through the square as Zuma connected the historic struggle to contemporary challenges.

“Today’s youth must understand – Mahlangu didn’t carry that spear for museum displays,” Zuma asserted, drawing cheers. “He carried it so you could use it to reclaim stolen wealth and rewrite economic apartheid’s last chapters.”

The ceremony took on added significance amid South Africa’s current political climate, with analysts noting Zuma’s deliberate emphasis on radical economic transformation – a cornerstone of his MK Party’s platform ahead of crucial elections.

Political analyst Lebohang Pheko observed: “This wasn’t merely a history lesson. By invoking ‘unsettled blood,’ Zuma positioned himself as the true inheritor of Mahlangu’s revolutionary mantle, contrasting sharply with the ANC’s current leadership.”

The event concluded with emotional scenes as struggle veterans joined youth activists in laying wreaths at Mahlangu’s statue. The singing of “Senzeni Na” and other liberation anthems bridged generations, while Zuma’s words left a lingering challenge: “When we sing ‘Amandla,’ we must ask – power for whom? Until it belongs to the workers, the poor, the landless – Mahlangu’s blood will never rest.”

As night fell, the square’s floodlit statue of Mahlangu stood watch – a silent sentinel over promises yet unfulfilled, and battles still to be won.