Mashatile: every vote on 4 November is a tribute to Tambo
At a wreath-laying in Benoni, the Deputy President tied next week's local government elections to the sacrifices that won the ballot, and urged South Africans to accept the result.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has called on South Africans to vote responsibly in next week’s local government elections as an act of remembrance for those who sacrificed to win the country’s freedom.
Speaking at a wreath-laying ceremony for Oliver Reginald Tambo at Tamboville Cemetery in Benoni on Tuesday, Mashatile said Tambo’s death in April 1993, a year before South Africans voted in 1994, was a “powerful reminder that the right to vote should never be taken for granted”.
“Every election is an opportunity to honour those who fought, suffered, and died for the freedoms we enjoy today. Every vote cast is a tribute to their sacrifice,” he said.
“Responsible voting is therefore an act of remembrance. It is an acknowledgement that our democracy was won through struggle and sacrifice, and that preserving it requires active participation from every citizen.”
South Africans go to the polls in the Local Government Elections on 4 November 2026.
Mashatile said Tambo was not alone in his sacrifice, noting that thousands of men and women gave their lives so that future generations could determine their own destiny through the ballot box. He called on citizens to reflect on the values that defined Tambo’s life and on this year’s theme, “Honouring O.R. Tambo’s Legacy: Inspiring Active Citizenship and Responsible Voting”.
“This theme speaks directly to the values that defined O.R. Tambo’s life. He believed in democracy, ethical leadership, justice, equality, and above all, the power of ordinary people to shape the future of their country,” he said.
“It calls on us not only to remember his contribution, but also to demonstrate through our actions a commitment to active citizenship, democratic participation, and responsible voting.”
The Deputy President also asked South Africans to respect election outcomes and to allow democratic institutions to function as intended.
“O.R. Tambo believed in democratic participation and constitutionalism. We honour his legacy when we engage peacefully, vote responsibly, and respect the will of the people, even when the outcome may not be the one we had hoped for,” he said.
“If we do this, O.R. Tambo’s legacy will live not only in monuments, museums, and annual commemorations. It will live in the daily choices and actions of South Africans committed to building a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, and prosperous nation.”
Mashatile acknowledged that government bears a responsibility to address poverty, unemployment, crime, inequality and gender-based violence, but said nation building requires active participation from all citizens.
“We cannot afford to be spectators in the project of building our nation. We must all be active participants. The South Africa we want will not be built by a few individuals acting alone,” he said.
“Those of us entrusted with positions of leadership in government have a particular responsibility to lead this journey. But lasting progress will only be achieved when government, communities, civil society, business, and citizens work hand in hand to build a better South Africa for all.”
Active citizenship, he said, is demonstrated when citizens volunteer to uplift their communities, stand against corruption and criminality, assist the vulnerable, and choose unity over division.
This report is drawn from the South African Government News Agency’s account of the Deputy President’s remarks, published at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/deputy-president-voting-honours-sacrifices-made-freedom
