He studied courses on topics such as politics and military art and science in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) between 1975 and 1976. He was later deployed under the joint SACP and ANC military wing‚ uMkhonto weSizwe (MK)‚ inside South Africa to establish revolutionary underground cells.
He was also based in Lesotho and Zambia where he grew close to Hani‚ former general secretary of the SACP and chief of staff of the MK. He served a stint in Tanzania too.
The SACP said he was fluent in Russian and completed his Master of Arts in Political Science 1982-1984 at the Lenin Party School‚ also known as the International Institute for Social Sciences in Moscow in the USSR; Advanced Diploma in Education in 1992-1993 and Master in Education in 1993-1994 at the Institute of Education‚ University of London‚ United Kingdom in 1993-1994; Civil Service Management (Short Course) at Oxford Brooks University‚ United Kingdom in 1994; Diploma in Education from the University of Fort Hare in the early 1970s.
"Comrade Charles left an important legacy of a good leadership example to the youth of South Africa in the sphere of education and training‚" the party commented. Post-1994 he served in various roles including in the office of MEC for Sports‚ Arts and Culture in North West province in 2010; the government's Special Pensions unit and co-ordinator of student internship at the University of Natal.
In recent years‚ Setsubi made veiled criticisms of the Zuma administration.
In 2016‚ he commented in an opinion piece in the Sowetan newspaper that what made Hani "an outstanding leader and a skillful commander was that he recognised his errors before some of us did".
"He did not justify his mistakes as many other leaders would have nor did he blame other people for his mistakes. He said that every mistake must be a lesson never to be repeated‚" Setsubi wrote.
That same year‚ without mentioning names‚ Setsubi suggested that the ANCWL had been hijacked by “other elements”.
Last year‚ Setsubi attended a meeting to broker a ceasefire between SACP and MK veterans. The two organisations had been engaged in public spats for some time‚ over the MKMVA’s perceived close relationship with the controversial Gupta family.
SACP-MK veteran Charles Setsubi dies‚ aged 70
Image: Vathiswa Ruselo
Sechaba Aloys Cosmas ‘Charles’ Setsubi‚ a South African Communist Party central committee member and former MK operative who was close to Chris Hani‚ died in hospital early today.
He was 70.
He had been admitted to the Leratong Hospital in Kagiso‚ West Rand‚ on Friday.
The SACP said it "lowers its red flag to half mast in honour of this finest revolutionary‚ a long standing member of the party and one of the most experienced stalwarts of our struggle against apartheid‚ the struggle for liberation and complete social emancipation".
He was known as Charles Setsubi‚ his combat name‚ which actually his younger brother’s real name‚ the party revealed.
Born in Matatiele‚ an area bordering South Africa and Lesotho‚ Setsubi started as an active underground functionary of the African National Congress in 1970 while a student at the University Fort Hare. He went into exile five years later in 1975‚ the SACP said.
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He studied courses on topics such as politics and military art and science in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) between 1975 and 1976. He was later deployed under the joint SACP and ANC military wing‚ uMkhonto weSizwe (MK)‚ inside South Africa to establish revolutionary underground cells.
He was also based in Lesotho and Zambia where he grew close to Hani‚ former general secretary of the SACP and chief of staff of the MK. He served a stint in Tanzania too.
The SACP said he was fluent in Russian and completed his Master of Arts in Political Science 1982-1984 at the Lenin Party School‚ also known as the International Institute for Social Sciences in Moscow in the USSR; Advanced Diploma in Education in 1992-1993 and Master in Education in 1993-1994 at the Institute of Education‚ University of London‚ United Kingdom in 1993-1994; Civil Service Management (Short Course) at Oxford Brooks University‚ United Kingdom in 1994; Diploma in Education from the University of Fort Hare in the early 1970s.
"Comrade Charles left an important legacy of a good leadership example to the youth of South Africa in the sphere of education and training‚" the party commented. Post-1994 he served in various roles including in the office of MEC for Sports‚ Arts and Culture in North West province in 2010; the government's Special Pensions unit and co-ordinator of student internship at the University of Natal.
In recent years‚ Setsubi made veiled criticisms of the Zuma administration.
In 2016‚ he commented in an opinion piece in the Sowetan newspaper that what made Hani "an outstanding leader and a skillful commander was that he recognised his errors before some of us did".
"He did not justify his mistakes as many other leaders would have nor did he blame other people for his mistakes. He said that every mistake must be a lesson never to be repeated‚" Setsubi wrote.
That same year‚ without mentioning names‚ Setsubi suggested that the ANCWL had been hijacked by “other elements”.
Last year‚ Setsubi attended a meeting to broker a ceasefire between SACP and MK veterans. The two organisations had been engaged in public spats for some time‚ over the MKMVA’s perceived close relationship with the controversial Gupta family.
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