OUDTSHOORN NEWS - Oudtshoorn's Mogolodi 'Corra' Dikgacwi, ANC stalwart and former member of parliament, recently passed away and will be laid to rest in Ashton where he has settled in recent years.

The ANC in the Western Cape described Dikgacwi in a press release as a hero of the liberation struggle.

"Dikgacwi was among the generation of activists that led the struggle in Oudtshoorn and the broader Southern Cape region, rising against the unjust system of Apartheid. Together with the likes of the late Reggie Oliphant, Mbulelo Grootboom and many other leaders of the region, he braved the onslaught of the notorious Security Branch Police by ensuring that they mobilise the communities in the small towns into areas of residence. He also participated in opposing the forced removal of people in Lawaaikamp in George during 1985/86. He was detained without trial under Section 29 of the Internal Security Act in 1985 and was influential in the formation of the underground structures in the Western Cape.

Corra was also amongst the leaders that would form UDF structures in the Southern Cape. He was part of the generation that formed Saamstaan (a progressive newspaper in the area of Oudtshoorn) that made the security branch to clamp down on its operations. The newspaper was a voice of resistance and played a critical role in galvanising communities and reinforcing the liberation movement."

According to the press release, Dikgacwi became one of the organisers of the ANC in the Western Cape, a position he held with extreme precision.

"During his role as part of the organising department, he established branches of the ANC in the province and also played a role as part of the overall ANC organising machinery. He later rose within the ranks of the ANC and became a member of parliament during President Thabo Mbeki's tenure. He was also a member of the portfolio committee on sports and recreation in the National Assembly and served as a whip. The ANC in the Western Cape lowers its banner and extends its condolences to the Dikgacwe family, the community of Oudtshoorn and the Southern Cape as well as the broader community of the Western Cape for the monumental loss of this colossal giant of our struggle and leader of our people."

Upon his retirement from parliament, he relocated to Ashton where he stayed with his family and remained a community activist and a veteran whose counsel continued to make a positive impact within the movement and in the broader community.

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