Phew! Today feels like coming back home, to Wits.

This is where much of Tiego’s life was spent, where many of his deepest relationships were formed.

Thank you to the Wits Community led by VC Professor Zeblon Vilakazi for providing us with this wonderful space and full support celebrating and remembering our unforgettable cde Tiego.

Our collective gratitude goes to:

• to the VC’s office and other members of the Wits community, represented by the ever responsive and ready to help, Michelle Gallant and Tasneem Wadvalla
• the Alumni Office, led by Peter Maher. When the call came, you said: What can I do?  You truly emulate the slogan, For Good! Thank you

‘… a university that is ‘for good’ – for what is right in society, for the good of people, the good of students, and the good of society.’

• The same gratitude is extended to Wits Communication team, represented by Buhle Zuma and Shirona Patel; the Wits Events and Marketing Team represented by Rechelle Tsunke with technical support by David Chauke. Last but not least to Peter Bezuidenhout, Reshma Lakha-Singh and Purvi Purohit at Wits Foundation.

Since its early years, Wits has always shown great strides in working towards being a fully and truly inclusive university , though tough as this may have been at times, you did good albeit a few misses here and there.

Often black students who leave Wits, are uncertain of their place beyond graduation, and it is through acts of solidarity and oneness as displayed in the past few weeks by many members of the Wits community that it is affirmed that at Wits we all matter and we all truly belong.

• When the Commerce Law and Management faculty learnt of our plans to honour Tiego, they too without hesitation raised their hand to support. This was humbling. To the Dean Jason Cohen and to Shereez Kesten many thanks.

As I interacted with Wits CLM Alumni about the memorial, they beamed with pride on hearing of  their faculty’s role. Thank you.

PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS: 

 You’ll agree with me that today’s program was well conceptualised and organised by my fellow comrades – Thelma Machogo, Mzwanele Ntshwanti, Kenneth Creamer, Miles Nzama, Mangaliso Mahlaba, Moss Mashishi, Pascal Moloi, Gorbachev Matshitiso, Terry Tselane, Percy Mahlati  and others.  To  cde Malose Kekana , thank you for responding positively when we called on you to assist.

That those who formed part of the program today excelled in their tribute and honour to Tiego. You all aptly represented Tiego, in his many facets, as his comrades, his friends, his business partners and those whom he groomed and mentored.

Thank you all for your generosity of words, of spirit, of time and heart.

You healed us as well as encouraged us to carry on…..

I will be amiss not to single out the musicians, who lifted our spirits and got us, swinging to their great notes and sounds. What better way to celebrate Tiego’s life. [Lucas Senyatso Quartet: Mohau Lucas Senyatso, Johan Mthethwa, Nhlanhla Radebe and Sphiwe Shiburi. Band: Mandla Mlangeni and Yonela Mnana]. and the Pheli Melodies who reminded us all of the glory of song, poetry and dance.

You humbly surrendered to our requests to participate and delivered with excellence. Thank you

To The Family:

We are beholden to you. On bended knees we Thank you for  generously sharing your loved one with us. Without Tiego much of what we have today, may not have been achieved, and I hope we (as those who worked with Tiego, and those re neng re zabalaza le Tiego) will remain committed to the path he chattered especially that of realising true equality and justice for all. May his sacrifices not go to waste and his legacy live on.

Sadly, we are at a point in our country, where good morals, good values, and integrity seems to have been abandoned by the very people that helped us achieve liberation.

The clear, simple well demonstrated values of leaders like OR Tambo seem to have been forgotten. And Tiego is one of the few who still dared to caution us for losing focus and  took action to support his concerns. Tiego was great in mobilising us around a sound vision and galvanised us to action.  He always took the first step.  That’s how SASSFE too was born/founded and will continue to grow in his memory.

Thank you to the Moseneke Family (in its tributaries and branches representing a true African family – se wele setlhare ka nnete!  BA-KWENA BA MODIMOSANA BA MMATAU). Your presence here today is humbling and highly appreciated.

In planning this celebration you guided us,  gave us so much space and freedom to decide on how we chose to honour Tiego. Thank you.

Final appreciation  goes to You all attending both here, in the Wits Senate Room, and online. By being here, you helped  us give flavour, colour, honour and dignity to Tiego’s life and legacy .

To the Organising Committee  (SDG, and  SASSFE) I say thank  you for putting together such a fitting memorial to a comrade, a friend who served with distinction.

Wish you all a good evening, please partake in the small eats arranged as you discuss and finalise the next steps in solidifying our Movement

AMANDLA, Long Live the Spirit of cde Tiego!