By Staff Reporter
Condolences to the family, friends and comrades of Comrade Zola Kolisi. As the rank and file of South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) we dip our revolutionary banner in honour of this patriot and son of the soil. Samwu lost a true working class brother, a leader who never compromised the position of workers for his personal benefits and gains. An intellectual of note, a sharp negotiator, a leader who managed to simplify some of the complex issues faced by workers. An ambassador of trade union and skills development activism. He was a think tank of note, a strategist, a leader who paid attention to details, he believed in working in collective as leaders. He didn’t have patience for selfish leaders and amaqabane angafuni to learn and read.
This is a blow to us in Samwu and the community at large as he always advocated for the betterment of workers and community at all corners. He was leading at the front for workers for abasebenzi bafumane equal opportunities in particular those from Makana. Comrade Zibha loved his people so much and it frustrated him the fact that people from Makana were excluded from many opportunities in favour of people from other areas. He served in a number of positions in Samwu: as Makana chairperson for three terms, a regional full-time shop steward (Pinky Ntsangani), regional treasurer, and Ward 10 ANC branch chairperson. He also served as a SACP leader and was deeply involved in the community struggle.
We lost Comrade Zola Kolisi in a very difficult time for the working class, where workers are on the receiving end of attacks. We always consulted him on a number of issues as he was a vault, a clarity with a lot of organisational memory. He never sold out during the difficult times faced by Samwu and leaders, and he was a believer of “you negotiate until you find a common ground so you can find each other”.
He never surrendered even in the most difficult times in the struggle of workers. He was once targeted in the legal march workers were embarking on and was arrested by the SAPS Tactical Response Team but they never broke him and he never turned his back on the workers’ struggle. It was ‘aluta continua’ to Comrade Zola. Like Jesus Christ, Comrade Zola was never immune from betrayal and backstabbing from people he thought were close to him as he experienced a lot of that from friends, colleagues and comrades but that never changed him in any way. He remained humbled and focused in the struggle of the workers.
Rest in peace qabane, izithonga zemfundiso zakho zisatsho ezindlebeni zethu. Phumla dibashe usebenzile, you played your huge and important part in the brutal workers struggle. Chair of chairs uzakuphula ngonaphakade ngaphakathi kuthi!!!
This tribute was submitted by Samwu Makana Local
