05/06/1962 – 13/06/2005

By Cde Simphiwe Hashe

Cde Fanele Myaleni was born on the 05 June 1962 in Port Elizabeth. He was a family man who had six children from his two marriages. His first wife gave him four children before she passed on. 

Azapo was brought to him through the influence of his late elder brother, Cde Getse Myaleni. When he joined Azapo in 1983, it never occurred to him that, as a result of their (him and his elder brother) association with Azapo, he would have to lose his non-political brother who was killed during the inter-organisational conflict that prevailed at Port Elizabeth in 1985. He never went beyond primary education but his eloquence at interpreting and teaching of the Black Consciousness ideology would have you believed otherwise. He died a committed BC and Azapo cadre. He led Azapo at different leadership positions in the Port Elizabeth branch. His commitment to struggle had to be tested when he took the decision to join the armed wing of Azapo, Azanla and engage in its activities. This decision led him to leave his family into hiding. He was hunted like an animal. He had to forsake his job at Stellenbosch where he was working.

Cde Fanele was a shrewd trade unionist who despite his lack of education would represent workers and their interests well at the unions where he worked. When he came back from hiding, he joined the National Liquor, Hotel, Retail and Restaurant Workers Union, an Azapo affiliated union, and later joined Nasgawu where he worked with the late Cde Monwabisi “Wariri” Twana. Is it co-incidental that they both had to die on the same day?

At the time of his death, he was working for the Professional Transport Workers Union.

His passing is a huge loss to Azapo and the workers that he represented with aplomb. 

May his spirit continue to live and his soul rest in peace.