The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, has expressed sadness at the loss of Ambassador John Nkadimeng who passed away on Thursday, 06 August 2020, at the age of 93. 

One of democratic South Africa’s first group of diplomats, Nkadimeng was appointed as South Africa’s Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba in 1995. 

A shop steward with the African Tobacco Workers' Union in 1949, Nkadimeng became General Secretary of the underground South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) in 1983. 

Nkadimeng was detained during the Defiance Campaign in 1952 and was one of the 156 Congress activists charged with treason in the 1956 Treason Trial.

Ambassador Nkadineng was a recipient of the Order of Luthuli in Gold for “dedicating his entire adult life to the struggle for liberation, workers’ rights and for the formation of a united federation of trade unions.”

Minister Pandor said Nkadimeng contributed immensely not only to the fight against apartheid, but also to the post-1994 government, laying the foundation for strong bonds of solidarity and cooperation between South Africa and Cuba. 

“We send our deepest condolences to the family, comrades and friends of Ambassador Nkadimeng”, said Minister Pandor. 

 

The Congress of South African Trade Unions join millions of workers in South Africa to mourn the death of veteran trade unionist and revolutionary Ntate John Nkadimeng. The Federation lowers its banners for this revolutionary and we send our heartfelt condolences to his family and his friends.

Ntate Nkadimeng was a pioneering trade unionist who contributed immensely to building the trade union movement and in shaping the South African democratic dispensation. His immense contribution to the struggle for the emancipation led to him being honoured with Isitwalandwe/Seaparankwe award by the ANC in 2019 but he was also a recipient of the Elijah Bharayi Award given to him by the COSATU Eight National Congress in 2003.

He first became a Shopsteward in 1949 after joining the African Tobacco Workers' Union. He subsequently became a full-time organiser for the Transvaal Council of Non-European Trade Unions until the Council joined the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU), which was formed in March 1955. Ntate Nkadimeng served on SACTU's 19-person executive committee and was deployed to work full-time for the Transvaal Iron, Steel and Metal Workers' Union.

He was arrested during the 1952 Defiance Campaign and detained for a month. He was charged with treason in the 1956 Treason Trial and banned in 1963. He left the country in 1976 and went to Swaziland where he worked for the ANC for two years.

He moved to Mozambique where he was chairman of the senior structure of the ANC in the country. He re-joined the ANC national executive committee and served as chairman of its political committee until he became general secretary of SACTU on 17 August 1983.

He continued to serve on the ANC's political and military council. 

As SACTU's general secretary, Nkadimeng propagated the formation of one central federation of trade unions in South Africa and called on unions to unite in the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).He was general secretary the South African Congress of Trade Unions (SACTU) in which position he contributed to the formation of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).

Ntate John Nkadimeng forms part of the cadreship of anti-apartheid activists who occupied leading positions in the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) amongst them Moses Mabhida, Mark Shope, Eric Mtshali (Stalin), Moses Kotane and Joe Molokeng. These stalwarts planted the seeds of internationalism in the Alliance and played a big part in lobbying the WFTU to rally behind the anti-apartheid struggle.

He also served the South African Communist Party as a member of its central committee, and was later appointed Ambassador to Cuba in 1995.

We will remember him as part of a ground-breaking group of trade unionists that managed to popularise the cause of trade unions at a time of great hostility and from both employers and the apartheid regime. Despite these uphill struggles and increasing hostility, he led during an era, where the trade union movement growing.

He was a big proponent of worker unity. To honour this giant of our struggle, COSATU commits itself to pledge solidarity with the struggles of other unions in defending workers at this difficult time.

To preserve his legacy, we shall develop a mass mobilisation programme geared at responding to the unfolding socioeconomic crisis involving progressive mass-based organisations in particular and progressive civil society structures in general.

Ntate John Nkadimeng never got tired of our invitations and appeals for help and remained very close to his base, the working class. We will miss his wealth of wisdom, insight, and principled counsel in times of difficulty and instability.

May his soul rest in Peace!

The national organiser of the ANC in the 50's is no more. Heroic  struggles  against Apartheid were  really intensified in the 50's two years after the 1948 of the National Party's formalised Apartheid. The period 1950's was popularly known as the period of the DEFIANCE CAMPAIGN which culminated into the 1955 People 's Congress of the Freedom Charter, Sharpville massacre and eventually the formation of Umkhonto We Sizwe. A year before the 1949 program of action of the ANC Youth league and the formation of PAC. The history of that heroic period will never be written and be completed without the role Isithwalandwe/Seaparenkwe Mokgomana John Kgwana Nkadimeng played and lived. Today, he will be joining his son cde Roger Nkadimeng who was maimed and murdered by the apartheid security forces in Botswana. Another brilliant son of the Nkadimeng family who lived ahead of his time as history was narrated by his generation of the gallant fighters of Umkhonto We Sizwe. There would never have been Sebatakgomo in Sekhukhune had it not been the organising abilities of Mokgomana popularly known as comrade  JK .The organiser who was in gaMatlala in the 50's during the reign of Queen Makwena Matlala, hence the formation of  macongress ( loosely translated Congress people). Most of them were banished to the provinces of Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal. The leader of SACTU and confidante to OR TAMBO and Commander of many soldiers of Umkhonto We Sizwe has departed. Long live the revolutionary spirit of JK Nkadimeng long live.