From: meluciwam16@gmail.com   
      
   On Thursday, December 8, 2016 at 11:52:13 PM UTC-5, Steve Hayes wrote:   
   > Ted Pekane obituary   
   >    
   > “Our history must not be written in sand. It must be inscribed in   
   > stone.” So said one of the mourners at the funeral of Lehlohonolo Ted   
   > Pekane, in a Johannesburg church packed with liberation struggle   
   > veterans who had come to mourn one of their own.   
   >     
   > The remark was made in response to a sense of annoyance with the SABC   
   > for lack of interest in broadcasting news of Pekane’s death on the   
   > grounds that “it is not news”.   
   >    
   > Ted Pekane was one of the quiet heroes of the liberation struggle, a   
   > man who, in the words of fellow veteran and friend Zola Skweyiya, had   
   > a humble demeanour that belied his extraordinary achievements.    
   > Freedom fighter, lawyer, constitutional expert, diplomat and leader by   
   > example, Ted Pekane was born in Newclare, Johannesburg. His family was   
   > a victim of the apartheid removals that forced them to relocate to   
   > Meadowlands, Soweto.  Ted completed his matric at Musi High School in   
   > Pimville Soweto.    
   >    
   > In 1964, at the tender age of 20, he was among the first groups of   
   > young people who left the country to join the ANC’s military wing,   
   > Umkhonto weSizwe (MK). After military training in the then Soviet   
   > Union, he returned to the ANC’s Kongwa military camp in Tanzania and   
   > went on to serve in various positions at the Nkomo Military camp in   
   > Zambia.    
   >    
   > He spent a number of years in Bulgaria where he obtained a PhD in   
   > International and Public Law in 1981. He then returned to Zambia to   
   > work in the ANC treasury as Director of Projects and later joined the   
   > ANC’s Department of Legal and Constitutional Affairs.  In his tribute   
   > to Pekane, Zola Skweyiya pointed out that “there is a mistaken   
   > conception that the process of drafting the South African constitution   
   > started at CODESA. In fact it started long before that and Ted Pekane   
   > is one of those who must be credited for his role in crafting the   
   > constitution”.   
   >    
   > In 1988 Pekane was seconded by the ANC to the International Commission   
   > of Inquiry into crimes of apartheid in Brussels. He went on to serve   
   > as ANC Chief Representative in Brussels from 1989 1991.  He returned   
   > to South Africa after the unbanning of the ANC.   
   >    
   > Ted Pekane worked for various companies, including Transport Advisory   
   > Services, the Land Bank and Telkom where he became the first Black   
   > executive.  He held a number of senior positions in government. These   
   > include Director of State Visits and Protocols in Department of   
   > Foreign Affairs, Acting Director General in the Gauteng Premier’s   
   > office and General Manager in the Ministry of Intelligence.    
   >    
   > In 1996 Ted Pekane was admitted to the Bar as an Advocate by the   
   > Supreme Court of South Africa. From 2006 to 2010 he served at South   
   > African Ambassador to Palestine. While serving as South Africa’s   
   > Ambassador to Poland, he received an award from the President of   
   > Poland for promoting bilateral relations between South Africa and   
   > Poland.    
   >    
   > Sadly, Ted Pekane, was not to enjoy a long retirement after a lifetime   
   > of selfless service. He lost his battle with cancer on 1st December   
   > 2016. He is survived by his wife Manana and his three children Tebogo,   
   > Keratile and Mpho.    
   >    
   > In a poignant gesture of respect, members of MK’s Luthuli detachment   
   > formed a guard of honour around his coffin, as his biological and ANC   
   > family paid tribute. It was pointed out that if all leaders served   
   > with the commitment, selflessness and integrity of Pekane, the ANC   
   > would not be in a state of crisis that it is in today. Truly, the   
   > history of Ted Pekane must be inscribed in stone, as must that of all   
   > those who struggled, sacrificed and remained true to their ideals   
   > until the end.    
   >    
   > (from his funeral programme, edited by Elinor Sisulu)   
      
      
      
   Condolences to the Great African people....    
      
      
      
   >    
   >    
   > --    
   > Steve Hayes   
   > http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm   
   > http://khanya.wordpress.com   
      
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