Mourners fill convention centre for Tina Joemat-Pettersson memorial

Tina Monica Joemat-Pettersson’s emotional farewell on Wednesday in Kimberley was an ocean of green, yellow and black which loudly splashed against the rocks of her death as the mourners sang and danced to struggle songs.

The songs sounded out of a shuffle-dancing multitude which filled every seat at the start of proceedings.

Joemat-Pettersson’s memorial service, attended by several high-ranking members of ANC structures, started at noon in the Mittah Seperepere Convention Centre in Kimberley.

The centre is named after one of Joemat-Pettersson’s struggle heroes, the late Mittah Seperepere who was secretary of the ANC Women's League. The event was hosted by Regina Mhlauli, the deputy minister of basic education.

Other attendees from political ranks included the ANC deputy secretary-general, Nomvula Mokonyane, NEC member Alvin Botes, ANC Northern Cape chair Zamani Saul, the ANC Youth League’s Tshepo Louw, ANC Women’s League national co-ordinator Maropene Ramokgopa, the SACP’s Jenny Schreiner and Cosatu’s Freda Oosthuizen.

Self-proclaimed “ANC pastor” Dez Fransman handled the prayers and sermon. Fransman preached from Psalm 56.

“The psalm says ‘Be merciful to me Oh God, I am under attack. My enemies persecute me all the time. All day long. My opponents attack me. There are so many who fight against me. When I’m afraid, Oh Lord God Almighty, I put my trust in you.’ I ask the family to put their trust in God,” Fransman said.

“Lead not on your own understanding, but trust in Him. Always trust in God. No matter what these people are saying, no matter what they are trying. Put your trust in God. Pay them no mind.”

He quoted from another verse, this time with a message for the media.

“Verse seven, and this is a warning to the media, says ‘punish them, Oh God, for their evil.’ I did not write this, but it says ‘punish them Oh Lord for their evil. Defeat those with Your anger. You know how troubled I am. You have kept a record of my tears.’

Joemat-Pettersson’s soft-spoken brother, André Joemat, made two appearances on the stage. The first to read messages from the deceased’s siblings and later for the vote of thanks and to close the ceremony.

He fondly recalled a much younger Joemat-Pettersson — the Tina of the eighties.

“With her dreadlocks and always the dirtiest tackies in the group, but oh so dedicated,” Joemat said.

“As we say thanks from the family, from Tina’s two sons and also the people looking after them, I am reminded who Tina is and was. Her spirituality and her deep Christian life.”

He said his late sister was not just a politician, but an intellectual with an honours degree in English literature.

Joemat read Psalm 30 verse 5: “For his anger is but for a moment, but his favour is for a lifetime. Weeping we may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”

“We find our hope in the ANC this week saying in public ‘she was our Tina'. We find our hope in the African National Congress, which was Tina’s life and her home, saying ‘we will spare no effort to be here and honour her’ the way that we did today.

“We find our morning, after the night of weeping, in the manner in which the leadership engaged with us in our homes.”

Joemat said their homes were open for them to engage with the family.

“Tina proudly proclaimed, ‘this is my organisation. This is my life.’ And we will find our morning and our spring. In the African National Congress, we find our hope in you, and I thank you for that.”

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