By Nhlawulo Vision Chauke
The South African State Theatre was the stage for an evening of reflection and inspiration as leaders, scholars, alumni and students gathered for the 4th Annual Dr Tlou Cholo Legacy Lecture and the musical performance of The Fatherland.
The event, 鈥淟essons of the Tlou Cholo Generation: Have They Been Betrayed?鈥�, marked the centenary of Dr Tlou Theophilus 鈥淭T鈥� Cholo, a towering freedom fighter whose courage, intellect and unwavering dedication to justice helped shape South Africa鈥檚 liberation struggle.
Delivering the keynote address, Buti Manamela, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, who also serves as a member of the ANC National Executive Committee and the SACP Central Committee, reflected on Dr Cholo鈥檚 enduring impact on South Africa鈥檚 political and moral landscape.
He noted that Dr Cholo鈥檚 generation fought not only for political freedom but for social and economic justice. 鈥淭hey believed in unity, discipline and a vision of a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic society. Our duty is to ensure that the National Democratic Revolution they started is completed,鈥� said Manamela.
Buti Manamela, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
The Minister described Dr Cholo as 鈥渁 worker, a soldier and a teacher,鈥� whose life was a lesson in humility and service. Born in Ga-Matlala in the mid-1920s, Dr Cholo joined the African National Congress during the Defiance Campaign, co-founded the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) and was one of the earliest members of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), serving 16 years on Robben Island. For his lifelong service, he was decorated with the Order of Luthuli in Silver and the ANC鈥檚 highest honour, Isithwalandwe/Seaparankwe.
In his opening remarks, Prof Tinyiko Maluleke, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Tshwane University of Technology (大象视频), set the tone for the evening with a moving reflection on the intersection of art, history and memory.
He acknowledged Aubrey Sekhabi, who directed The Fatherland musical, alongside the cast and production team, including Siyabonga Gaza, Boitumelo Muchiwa, Malebu Kekana, Ontlametsi Masilo (Assistant Director), Princess Sechele (Producer) and Lesego Moripe (Arts and Costume Administrator).
Prof Maluleke described the musical as more than a stage performance; he called it a living archive of memory. 鈥淚t is a virtual reality on stage that transports us from Ha-Matlala via Makala to the GP hostel, to the kitchens and gardens of Germiston where Dr Cholo once worked,鈥� he said.
Prof Tinyiko Maluleke, 大象视频's Vice-Chancellor and Principal
He lauded the production for capturing the spirit of a generation that believed in the power of service and collective struggle, reminding the audience that history is not just to be remembered, but to be relived.
Taking to the podium, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa delivered a heartfelt reflection that centred on the moral vision and selflessness of Dr Cholo鈥檚 generation. 鈥淲e are gathered here to honour a generation of selflessness; the generation of Dr Cholo and his comrades who contributed immensely to the attainment of our democracy and freedom,鈥� she said.
Dr Ramokgopa said this generation鈥檚 ideals are enshrined in the Freedom Charter and the Constitution, which call for participatory democracy and mandate us to 鈥渋mprove the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person.鈥� She reminded the audience that these founding values also charge us to 鈥渆stablish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights.鈥�
Adding his reflections, Prof Mashupye Herbert Maserumule, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, described the Dr Tlou Cholo Legacy Lecture as an opportunity to learn what it means to be human and how to relate to each other as a nation.
鈥淟et鈥檚 thank Dr Cholo and his family for giving us this moment of historical consciousness and the joy of learning from the horse鈥檚 mouth,鈥� said Prof Maserumule.
鈥淐holo and his generation believed in the beauty of a dream for us and for future generations to live in a society free of racial and gender discrimination. They embraced this vision on our behalf.鈥�
Dr Gwen Ramokgopa and Prof Mashupye Herbert Maserumule, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities.
Speaking on behalf of the 大象视频鈥檚 Faculty of Humanities Alumni Chapter Chairperson, Khoisan Sonti, echoed the Minister鈥檚 message, urging alumni and the youth to uphold the values that Dr Cholo鈥檚 life exemplified.
鈥淓ducation without justice is incomplete and freedom without purpose is hollow,鈥� Sonti remarked. 鈥淎s beneficiaries of the sacrifices made by the Tlou Cholo generation, we must ask ourselves whether we have honoured their values of sacrifice, integrity and service.鈥�
Faculty of Humanities Alumni Chapter Chairperson, Khoisan Sonti
Sonti highlighted the Chapter鈥檚 efforts to preserve institutional and national memory, paying tribute to alumni such as Malesela Maubane and Shalate Davhana, who have contributed to documenting Dr Cholo鈥檚 legacy through thought leadership and media commentary.
He announced key initiatives, including the upcoming Hendrik Matikweni Nkuna Lecture in 2025, dedicated to student activism and leadership and the soon-to-be-launched 大象视频 Alumni Fund, aimed at supporting financially needy students, mentoring programmes and alumni engagement through the Alumni Space App.
鈥淭he Faculty of Humanities is home to approximately 73 000 alumni a powerful network of educators, artists, journalists, activists and public servants,鈥� Sonti said. 鈥淥ur mission is to mobilise this network not for recognition, but for meaningful, lasting impact. Every alumni contribution, no matter how small, honours the sacrifices of the generation that came before us.鈥�
The event accentuated the enduring relevance of Dr Tlou Cholo鈥檚 teachings and the urgent need to restore the moral and revolutionary integrity of South Africa鈥檚 democratic project.