- Title: HELEN JOSEPH FUNERAL – JOHANNESBURG, 07/01/93 TAPE #1
- Date: 7th January 1993
- Summary: HELEN JOSEPH FUNERAL – JOHANNESBURG, 07/01/93 TAPE #1
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- City: Johannesburg
- Country: South Africa
- Reuters ID: 93JAN07R01
- Story Text:HELEN JOSEPH FUNERAL – JOHANNESBURG, 07/01/93
TAPE #1
09:46:49: NELSON MANDELA TALKING TO ANC REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL JESSIE DUARTE
09:47:03: ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU TALKING TO ONE OF ANC MEMBERS
09:49:51: CHAIRPERSON OF AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS EMANCIPATION COMMISSION OLIVER TAMBO SEATED NEXT TO HIS WIFE, ADELAIDE TAMBO
09:49:57: NELSON MANDELA TALKING TO ONE OF THE ANC MEMBERS
09:50:43: HELEN JOSEPH’S PHOTOGRAPH PLACED IN FRONT
09:51:22: VARIOUS PEOPLE SEATED INSIDE THE CHURCH
09:51:55: CLOSE UP OF NELSON MANDELA
09:53:43: OLIVER TAMBO SEATED NEXT TO HIS WIFE, ADELAIDE TAMBO
09:57:10: HELEN JOSEPH’S PHOTOGRAPH PLACED IN FRONT
09:58:06: CHOIR SINGING
10:00:55: VARIOUS PEOPLE INSIDE THE CHURCH
10:07:33: FLOWERS PLACED ON TOP OF HELEN JOSEPH’S COFFIN
10:10:41: CLOSE UP OF NELSON MANDELA
10:11:09: VARIOUS PEOPLE STANDING INSIDE THE CHURCH
10:12:08: VIEW ON ADELAIDE TAMBO, OLIVER TAMBO AND NELSON MANDELA
10:16:32: VARIOUS PEOPLE STANDING IN FRONT
10:19:08: CLOSE UP OF THE CHURCH CROSS
10:19:52: PRIEST PREACHING IN FRONT OF THE CONGREGATION
10:27:01: VARIOUS PEOPLE SEATED DURING SERMON
10:29:33: VARIOUS PEOPLE SINGING
10:31:08: DESMOND TUTU HOLDING THE PROGRAMME
10:48:06: OLIVER TAMBO AND NELSON MANDELA GOING IN FRONT
10:48:40: DEPUTY PRESIDENT OF THE ANC WALTER SISULU, OLIVER TAMBO AND NELSON MANDELA STANDING IN FRONT OF THE CHURCH LEADERS
10:49:20: WALTER SISULU, OLIVER TAMBO AND NELSON MANDELA WALKING BACK TO THEIR SEATS
11:05:32: REV FRANK CHIKANE TALKING TO ONE OF THE CHURCH LEADERS
11:06:08: REV FRANK CHIKANE STANDING IN FRONT WHILE THE CONGREGATION SINGS
11:07:26: REV FRANK CHIKANE ADDRESSES THE SERMON
11:11:41: NELSON MANDELA STANDING BEHIND THE PODIUM READY TO DELIVER HIS SPEECH
“Comrades and friends, I am greatly honoured to speak at the funeral my sister my friend and comrade Helen Joseph. But before I continue with my speech, I would like to compliment Imilonji and the mentor of George Mxani or having being introduced here as spirit of good cheer and happiness because that is how Helen Joseph would like this occasion to be. In the past two weeks since Helen died, I have heard people remembering her in many ways. Some spoke of her immense courage and her commitment to our struggle, of her humane and kind personality, her battle against apartheid and her tireless campaign for the emancipation of women. Many of her friends spoke of her influence as a shrewd politician in various organisations. Helen had touched so many lives in the garment workers union, in Federation of South African Women, Congress of Democrats, the United Democratic Front, and the African National Congress. I cannot but agree that all these things which people remember are all true of her remarkable life. Helen taught South Africa many lessons and I wish to recount these to you today. She believed that unity in action was the key element in the liberation struggle. She took a broad view of the nature and the course that we should take in uniting the South African people. Her own political involvement was shaped by her experience working with one of South Africa’s most trained militant and trade unionist, Solly Sacks of the garment workers union. It was here that she encountered the triple oppression suffered by the South African women and the added repression that the pass laws brought to bear on the majority of Black South Africans. Helen's response to the pass laws was that it affected African men and women directly and oppressed all South Africans who were forced either to carry a pass or to watch others being persecuted….
11:20:13: CONTINUATION OF NELSON MANDELA SPEECH
“Helen also believed that whilst the government of South Africa relied on white people to keep it in power by denying black people the right to vote, white South Africans could not be left uncontested and that they needed to be consistently challenged to accept the responsibility of democracy and human rights, to acknowledge the equality of all the people in South Africa and to respect the inalienable right of every South African to vote for the political party of their own choice. This is one of the lesson that all South Africans must take with us as we go into a year which must be decisive. That Lillian Ngoyi had challenged her to organise amongst the white people and not only work with black women and their problems. She took up this challenge and intensified her involvement in the congress of democrats. Helen had a profound influence on the student movement in South Africa as well. Many NUSAS activists sought her advice and she was very pleased when SASCO finally emerged. She transferred her skills onto others easily and recognised the contributions that young people had to make. To her a united student movement would be able to address the problems of this sector much more effectively than a splintered dismembered one….
11:24:20: CONTINUATION OF NELSON MANDELA SPEECH
“During the treason trial which lasted from 1956 to 1961, our Speeches would condemn British imperialism, American imperialism, Dutch and French and Belgian imperialism. But Helen was an English lady where ever she was she believed her duty that it was her duty to defend an English where ever she was. When Helen was cross examined in court about British Imperialism, she stunned all of us and told the judges British Imperialism? There’s nothing of a sought Britain went out to the world to spread civilisation, education, employment, health facilities there is no such thing as British Imperialism. You can imagine the remarks made by the presented judge countries they went to… Gorgeous
11:30:33: CONTINUATION OF NELSON MANDELA SPEECH
“She worked for a non-racial united and democratic South Africa She died trusting that we would all deliver this message to our country, she was honoured with the highest award the African National Congress can give and using my remarks I would also like to pay tribute to Sina Mlambo. Helen's close companion for the past ten years and thank her for taking care of Helen. (Applause) I also wish to pass our deepest sympathies to Helen's relatives, Clive and Jeremy Fennell, who are with us today. They must be consoled with the fact that the memory of Helen we live beyond the grave. Malibongwe…
11:32:02: APPLAUSE AS NELSON MANDELA MOVES FROM THE PODIUM - Copyright Holder: REUTERS