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SOLEMN: President Jacob Zuma during an event to honour members of uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans at the Bloemspruit Military Base in Bloemfontein yesterday.

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Zuma was speaking during the honouring of uMkhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans (MKMVA) at the Bloemspruit Military Base in Bloemfontein yesterday.

"We should not take this freedom for granted because there are people who died for it. When we ask ourselves where we would find such people willing to sacrifice their lives for the liberation of this country, we are talk of the military veterans," Zuma said.

He applauded former ANC leaders, including Chief Albert Luthuli, Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela who led the armed struggle against apartheid government.

"A number of comrades were sent out of the country to set up structures of the armed struggle. Young people were also recruited to serve as guerrillas among them was Mandela before his arrest in 1963 in Johannesburg," Zuma said.

He said the Constitution of the country ensured that veterans were honoured and remembered.

"In order to forge ahead, we should always reflect on the past. December 16 1961 marked a point in our country. A minority government had turned war on the masses. People were detained for months without trial. Progressive journalists were served with notices depriving them from serving as journalists," he said.

Among the recipients of the Military Veterans Decoration in Platinum classes 1, 2 and 3 were Moses Kotane, Mandela, Luthuli, Govan Mbeki, Andrew Mlangeni, Raymond Mhlaba, Elias Motsoaledi, Dennis Goldberg and Ahmed Kathrada.

Among the recipients of the Gold Medal for bravery were Limpho Hani on behalf of her late husband Chris, Major-General Wilson Nqose and Ike Maphoto.

Many of the recipients are dead and their loved ones accepted the medals on their behalf. Zuma promised that towards the end of the year they would be remembering other members of MKMVA.

Mlangeni urged the youth to abstain from drugs, alcohol and practise safe sex .

Goldberg said it was a moving ceremony and everybody should play a part in the strengthening of democracy. He said many lives were lost, many spent decades of years in jails, tortured to death in the fight against apartheid. - ntwagaes@sowetan.co.za

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Thu Jun 20 00:18:40 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 3, 2012

Mbedzhana

Well done Mr President, we were so shocked that other parties expected you to honour their Veterans.
Other parties must honour their own Veterans and Please remind them that you are ANC President
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Aug 3, 2012

januswanus

And also they didn't die for the corruption.
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Aug 3, 2012

somaartakeit

Trust zuma to be at every ceremony of nothingness, what has the mk achieved or done of significance? and btw zuma there really was no need for your Jamaican trip, more that you are a like a headless chicken, a no brainer who has nothing important to do, than having a party at tax payers expense, IF there was really a need for SA to be represented in Jamaica's celebration, it would have been sufficient for just our foreign minister or even an ambassador in that country to attend not you, again you waste tax payers money cause you have no ability to think how all the opulence you live in is funded, you don't care that majority tax payers are only just making it to their next monthly cheques, you are useless, you and Angie are a useless waste of a black skin., I can not wait for Manguang for your well deserved sacking!!!!!
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Aug 3, 2012

Mbedzhana

Cope,UDM and NFP must never ask you to honour thiers if they have,Lol.
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Aug 3, 2012

ProgressiveAfricanDemocrat

I am pretty sure that our heroes did not die for corruption, incompetence and factionalism.
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Aug 3, 2012

Papage

Is the white guy driving an MK veteran as well? Interesting
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Aug 3, 2012

MorenaWaPolelo

I hope Zuma still recognises the ones he trained!!!!
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Aug 3, 2012

THEmadame2BBBEEE

how many times will SA celebrate these ppl, they are so bL@@dy demanidng, we gave them houses and now allowances every month goddamet
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Aug 3, 2012

somaartakeit

@Themadema2BBBEEE SA will celebrate these mediocres for as long we have a mediocre gov in place incapable of having a vision and direction to take the country forward but always celebrating a hollow past. You see the anc gov of no brainers has to live in the past cause they have no future, they all have arrived in the trough,
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Aug 3, 2012

somaartakeit

And the most hilarious news is, the communists said, they will one day rule SA, I had to laugh cause this confidence comes from the fact that zuma sold anc to the communist in his desperate bid to hold onto power which he doesn't deserve, but hey the anc fully deserve zuma, who will eventually lose them power, anc please give zuma second term, so he can do us all a favour and put final nail in your coffin,
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