March 17, 2004
By Lucille Davie
THE Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden in Roodepoort was renamed the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden at an elegant and joyous ceremony in the beautiful gardens on Tuesday.
Under a sparkling white marquee and against the backdrop of the rushing Witpoortjie Falls several metres away, around 100 people celebrated the life of liberation stalwart Sisulu by formally unveiling a plaque and renaming the gardens in his honour.
Mayor Amos Masondo plants a tree
In attendance were Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Valli Moosa, the Sisulu family and Sisulu's widow, Albertina, Adelaide Tambo, several national deputy ministers, long-time friend and comrade Ahmed Kathrada, the mayors of Johannesburg and Mogale City, diplomatic representatives and business leaders.
The MC, City of Johannesburg speaker Nandi Mayathula-Khoza, dressed in an elegant cream and black ethnic costume, commented that Sisulu was a regular visitor to the gardens.
Sisulu died at the age of 90 in May 2003 and is buried at the Newclare Cemetery in Johannesburg, where a memorial garden has been established in his honour.
The Roodepoort garden, some 30 kilometres west of the city centre, is one of a network of eight botanical gardens around the country. It consists of around 300 hectares of landscaped and natural veld areas, planted with only indigenous trees, 600 species of indigenous flowering plants and shrubs. Over 230 species of birds have been recorded in the garden as well as a number of reptiles and small mammals.
The ceremony was interspersed with songs from opera singer Veronica Gigama, a praise singer, and a six-women choir. Ethnic outfits of bright blues and reds contrasted gayly with the white tablecloths and white chairs.
Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo welcomed the guests and said modestly: "It is an impossible task for a young man like myself to talk about a figure that is larger than life . . . Comrade Sisulu is that figure of whom it can be truly said that he bestrode the world like a colossus."
In 1997 the city gave Sisulu the freedom of the city.
Masondo continued: "We are honoured to be part of this important celebration of an extraordinary man - a freedom fighter, a leader of our people and a great thinker."
The Sisulu family asked Kathrada to speak on their behalf.
"On Robben Island Walter Sisulu was the father of everyone - loved, admired and respected by every prisoner. He was a leader, policy-maker, historian, this honour is well-deserved and most appropriate."
Kathrada described with affection how in prison Sisulu gave his possessions away, and when he no longer had soap or toothpaste to give away to fellow prisoners, he gave away other people's soap and toothpaste.
On Robben Island prisoners had individual cells but once the prisoners were moved to Pollsmoor Prison outside Cape Town in 1985, Kathrada and Sisulu shared a cell for four years. He got to know Sisulu more closely. Saturday nights for Sisulu were family nights - he used to spend hours going through his photograph album, slowly turning the pages.
Sisulu was released from prison in 1989, after spending 26 years behind bars.
Kathrada said that Sisulu was "crucial in opening doors that were previously closed".
Guest speaker Moosa said it was a "great honour" to rename the gardens after Sisulu, "a quiet and humble man".
He went on: "This is a chance to re-appropriate this heritage. Thank you Comrade Sisulu for making this moment possible."
Moosa explained that under the new government almost six percent of the country was now under formal national protection. This would increase to eight percent to 2010. Today 50 percent of all horticulturists in the National Botanical Institute were black.
"Very few Gautengers know that we have such a beautiful green lung," he said, pointing to the surrounding lush shrubs and trees.
"Let us breath in the sweet air of these gardens and think lovingly about the memory of our dear leader Walter Sisulu."
The formal part of the ceremony closed with Mogale City mayor Lentswe Mokgatle offering a vote of thanks to everyone.
"Tata Sisulu, wherever you are, we thank you."
Then Moosa and other officials unveiled the plaque, to be placed later in the gardens. They moved outside the marquee and posed for photographs in a quick tree-planting ceremony. The happy crowd mingled, getting ready for another celebration: a great lunch.
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