A giant is gone: Walter Sisulu dies at 90
With Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu was instrumental in ending apartheid in South Africa and in bringing genuine democracy to the county. They both spent decades in prison for their beliefs. And both, after being released from prison and gaining serious political power, genuinely and tirelessly worked towards national reconciliation for all. Think about that. They spent years in prison as political prisoners and upon release never once wanted revenge. Instead they worked tirelessly for the entire country.
“The ANC issued a statement Monday calling Sisulu “a giant of the liberation struggle and one of the founding fathers of South Africa’s democracy.”
Of his 25 years in prison, he said:
“It was not possible to despair because the spirit of the people outside was too great”
“Xhamela <Sisulu’s tribe name> is no more. May he live forever! His absence has carved a void. A part of me is gone.
Our paths first intersected in 1941. During the past 62 years our lives have been intertwined. We shared the joy of living, and the pain. Together we shared ideas, forged common commitments. We walked side by side through danger and tribulation, nursing each other’s bruises, holding each other up when our steps faltered. Together we savoured the taste of freedom.”