The South African Communist Party (SACP) is devastated by the sudden demise of its long standing member, activist and leader, Comrade Crosby Moni. Cde Crosby passed on earlier today, Sunday, 22 December 2013, after a short illness following a recent visit to Mozambique where he contracted malaria. The SACP sends its heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and comrades of our fallen revolutionary, to our alliance and national liberation movement, to our country as a whole and the working class all over the world.
A revolutionary, Cde Crosby Moni served in the ranks of the SACP since the reconstitution of the Party in the country after unbanning, mostly active in area of Mpumalanga Province. In 2002 at our 11th National Congress he was elected in our Central Committee. He was re-elected in the Central Committee at the 12th and 13th congresses of the Party, in 2007 and 2012 respectively, and served in this capacity until he met with his death.
Cde Crosby served as one of our full time Central Committee Members. In this capacity, he also served as an ex-officio Member of our Politburo. He was later deployed by the African National Congress (ANC) to Parliament. A disciplined cadre of the SACP, a communist to the front, he understood that the struggle takes place in all key sites of power. Committed to exemplary leadership Cde Crosby honoured his deployment by the ANC, and in line with our Medium Term Vision and programme the South African Road to Socialism. In Parliament he served in education portfolio committee.
Cde Crosby was committed to the strategic thrust of our Medium Term Vision and programme, in terms of which the SACP seeks to build working class hegemony in all key sites of power under the guidance of Marxist-Leninist principles.
Cde Crosby was one of the best calibres that our revolutionary movement has ever produced. He was an embodiment of our revolutionary alliance. A long standing ANC activist, he previously served in its Provincial Executive Committee and as Deputy Provincial Chairperson in Mpumalanga Province. As a worker he became a trade unionist, pioneering worker unity and solidarity under progressive trade unionism as led by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu).
Cde Crosby was a member of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), rising organically and qualitatively over a period time in the ranks of the union. He previously served NUM Shaft Steward and Branch Secretary at Maatla Colliery, Regional Chairperson of the union in the Highveld Region and finally Vice President until 2009.
Cde Crosby was also an activist in our civic movement, and when the South African National Civics Organisation (Sanco) experienced challenges he was deployed by the SACP to assist in rebuilding its structures.
In memory of Cde Crosby the SACP will deepen its work to advance and deepen the unity of our alliance and our programme to build working class hegemony in all key sites of power.
Cde Crosby is survived by his wife Nokwakha, three sons Manyano, Nkqubela, Bonga and two daughters Nonkosi and Bongeka, eight brothers, and two sisters.
May his fighting spirit live on!
Lala kahle qabane!
Issued by SACP
Alex Mashilo - Spokesperson
Mobile: 082 9200 308
Email: alexmashilo.sacp@gmail.com