A funeral service will be held for Vytjie Mentor at the Mayibuye Cultural Centre in Kimberley on Friday.
A FUNERAL service will be held for Vytjie Mentor at the Mayibuye Cultural Centre in Kimberley today at 7am.
The leader of ActionSA, Herman Mashaba, said that it was difficult to pay tribute to someone who stood as a “giant amongst ordinary men and women”.
“Mentor was born in Kimberly in 1963. Her mother was a school teacher and her father was the first black African police station commander serving in Welkom,” said Mashaba.
“She said her political consciousness was nurtured by her mother who was constantly involved in women’s development programmes in their community. Her father grew nervous about her political involvement and sent her away to boarding school in the rural Northern Cape. He was unaware at the time that she would join the ANC underground movement under the mentorship of her high school principal. She joined the Struggle at the age of 13 years.”
Mashaba added that Mentor was arrested and detained, where on one occasion she embarked on a 39-day hunger strike before she was forced to go to hospital under heavy police guard.
“On another occasion, she was detained for questioning while members of the security branch planted weapons in her hotel room.
“Mentor was eventually placed under house arrest and full-time police surveillance. She was banned from being in the company of more than 10 people, which prevented her from teaching.”
Mashaba added that she worked at the Department of Education and later as a councillor in Kimberley where she became a member of the mayoral committee for social development.
He also noted that Mentor fought against wrongdoing in the ANC, where she reported that paving stones that were donated by Sweden that were meant for the municipality were allegedly used to pave the driveways of the homes of ANC councillors.
“She reported the matter to the media when the public protector declined to investigate, and
when it became a story she was charged for bringing the ANC into disrepute. The disciplinary committee found her not guilty.”
Mashaba added that Mentor was also vocal about state capture and the Gupta’s offering her a Cabinet position.
“Numerous attempts were made on Mentor’s life, including two assassination attempts on one day. She refused protection and told the police to use their resources to investigate crimes.
“She never regretted making unpopular choices. Mentor did not believe that truth, ethics or virtue could be bent for political expediency. For this she paid the price and was persecuted, yet, she persisted to do what was right.”
Mashaba said that he wanted to establish a special tribunal to expedite the prosecution of political leaders who had been protected in the state capture saga, in honour of Mentor.
“We will do this in the brave name of Vytjie Mentor as a reminder to all South Africans that we cannot fear evil people, we must fight them.”
He added that Mentor was instrumental in establishing the structure of ActionSA.
“We were so blessed to have her wisdom and experience, her morality, her ethics and her tireless dedication to her country.”
Mashaba said that Mentor stepped down as the Western Cape provincial chairperson of ActionSA when her health started failing her.
ActionSA interim local convenor Elrich Ralph said that they intended to launch the party in the Northern Cape by the end of September.
“We are still in the process of setting up the structures and leadership in the Province.”
