The passing of Comrade Jessie is a great loss, not only to the family, but to the democratic movement and the country as a whole.
Doing research and speechwriting for the Deputy Secretary-General, Cde Jessie Duarte at Luthuli House will go down as one of the greatest honour of my life.
Thank you for your unflinching resolve , forthrightness and mentorship, Mam.
Dr Mukovhe Morris Masutha
- We will miss your words of encouragement. Thank you
Ambassador of Algeria
Mohamed Hacene-Echarif
I was deeply saddened to learn about the passing of the Mrs Yasmin Jessie Duarte, Deputy Secretary General of the African National Congress, may Allah grant her the highest place in janaah inshallah.
In these difficult circumstances, I would like to convey to you my sincerest condolences and my deepest sympathy.
I’m sharing the grief of the brotherly people of South Africa, the African National Congress and the bereaved family of Mrs Duarte.
South Africa has lost, in the person of Mrs Jessie Duarte, one of its dedicated daughters who served her country with commitment and selflessness.
Mrs Duarte managed no effort in her fight against apartheid and the elimination of the racial discrimination, becoming one of the icons of the struggle of the people of South Africa.
May Allah grant you a high abode in janaah for your sacrifices and devotion to a better life for all. You have made Muslim leadership fashionable and I hope and pray many of our sisters follow your path for a better South Africa for all. Your relentless and strong will reminds me of bibi Zainab the grand daughter of our beloved Prophet peace be upon him who fought valiantly against oppression. Your passing away during the month of Haj is you reward. Go well and hamba kahle mama.
My dearest mother, I miss you so much. I struggle to find the words to explain the magnitude of losing you. You are irreplacable. Without you, the last few days has been the most difficult, going through it alone without your presence, your smile, your voice, your laugh, nothing is the same without you. This is the hardest way to live going forward. I can only hope and pray that you are at peace. May your beautiful soul rest in peace Mommy, until we meet again. Memories is all I have now. I love you. From your daughter, Zoe.
Your legacy resides in ALL of us ??
As you championed building an ethical and capable state DSG, we can not thank you enough for your leadership and all the sacrifices that you have made for all humanity ????
We will continue to keep you in our prayers. May Allah SWT grant you the highest place in Jannah InshaAllah ????????
Gadija Brown
MEC Finance:FS
A Letter from Home
I don’t know why saying good bye to you feels like I am burying a part of my soul. I feel like I have fell into a deep empty hole, lost into endless solitude of realising that our organisation and I has to get through the worst storms with our spiritual beacon shuttered into many pieces.
Maybe because after saying good bye every other word sounds empty. What is true is that ahead of us the future looks painfully hostile and uncertain. And I ask myself; why?
Why has the devil conspired against us? But life goes on and we will find a new path to go on living. If you can call having to live with a broken heart can be called living.
Losing our mother, someone we love is very painful andagonising. The Japanese call it the takotsubo, a grieving surge of abnormal electrical waves that causes the heart to deflate, and contour until it resembles a fishing pod, hallowed and cold, an empty vessel, at the bottom of a fathomless sea. It’s how I feel.
Our DGS was so many different things. A truly great teacher. She was a lot more than a mother. There is one thing she was not. She was not afraid. She was never afraid of an impossible task. She was not afraid of danger no matter how hard or unfair life was to her. She loved our people equally. A non-racist activist, she was and loved the ANC to the end of her life.
She embraced non-racism and non-sexism without reservations, regret or remorse. That is rare. I wish more leaders were not afraid, like her.
It’s not until someone passes away that you know what really mattered to them, what they really cared about, what they’ve sacrificed for and what they would die for.
Sikhumbuzo Thomo
Messaging and Content - DiP
Lala Ngoxolo Mme Cde Jessi Duarte, Siyohlezi Sikukhumbula Winston Siyanda Mchunu Citizen
May your revolutionary soul rest in eternal peace Cde Jessie Duarte, we will remember your sharp teachings, resilience and fighting spirit. Hamba Kahle Mbokodo.
