Rocky Malebane-Metsing

Rocky Malebana-Metsing was born in Rustenburg on 23 August 1949; he attended various schools in and around Rustenburg such as Rampeile, Bleskop, Tlhabane, Odi and Monakato Primary School before proceeding to Rauwane High School for his secondary education in 1970, where we was involved in student politics. Because of his student politics Rocky Malebana-Metsing left school in 1972 and continued his high school studies through private studies and completed matric in 1985.

In 1969 before going to high school Malebana-Metsing was employed with the Dept of Public works In Tlhabane Township as a clerk and within a few months he was promoted to the position of deputy superintendent and posted to Monakato Township to head the office there.

Rocky Malebana-Metsing married Violet Tlhalefang Kapari in 1974 and they are blessed with five children.

At the end of 1972 Malebana-Metsing was employed at Rustenburg Platinum Mines as a clerk and was periodically promoted to various positions within the Mine. Positions he held include Senior Clerk, Printing Supervisor and Admin Secretary in the Office of the Mine Secretary. It is during his employment at RPM that he seriously engaged himself in workers affairs by organizing workers and representing them in labour disputes which was lily white then. In those days all black workers were not allowed to sleep outside the hostel except in the case of a select few who were housed in married quarters.

Workers who went out without permits faced imprisonment. Rocky Malebana-Metsing began to mobilize workers and enlighten them of their rights. It was during this time that Rocky Malebana-Metsing was detained without trial on numerous occasions. On the advice of his mentor Kgosi Lebone Molotlegi he joined Mangope’s BDF so that he can continue to fight against injustices within the former Bophuthatswana Bantustan. In 1975 there was a serious assassination attempt on Rocky Malebana-Metsing by a certain Captain Du Plessis who fired several shots on his motor vehicle, a case of attempted murder was opened, strong evidence was provided but the police refused to pursue the case.

In 1980 Malebana-Metsing resigned from RPM. It during this period that his entrepreneurial skills were evident, he established the following businesses; Texcoff Linens, Rotelicu crafts, Rocky’s hardware, Tswana metals, Bop Tyres and Noord Kaap engineering.

In 1982 Rocky Malebana-Metsing was elected Member of Bophuthatswana parliament representing the Bafokeng constituency on the benches of Bophuthatswana Democratic Party but within 12 months there was a fallout between Rocky Malebana-Metsing and Lucas Mangope because Rocky was not relenting in trying to persuade Kgosi Mangope to engage with the broad liberation movement in order to create a non tribal, non racial new South Africa. Rocky Malebana-Metsing was left with no option but to resign from the BDF. Kgotha-Kgothe (mass gathering) of the Royal Bafokeng Nation in consultation with Kgosi Molotlegi and Rocky Malebana-Metsing resolved to secede from Bophuthatswana and rejoin South Africa. Kgosi Molotlegi was placed under house arrest. A judicial commission of inquiry was established to determine whether Rocky Malebana-Metsing was a Motswana with the aim of expelling him from the Bophuthatswana Bantustan.

In February 10, 1985 he formed and led a new organization, the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP). He then became the only opposition member of Bophuthatswana Parliament until 1987 elections when the PPP won 8 seats. The Kabwe conference of the ANC in exile resolved that internal mass organizations within Bantustans should intensify their attacks on Homeland governments and make them ungovernable.

When the 1987 rigged elections could not bring positive results, a decision was made that the only way to bring to an end the reign of terror led by Lucas Mangope was by removing him by force of arms.

On the early hours of 10 of February 1988 Rocky Malebana-Metsing, John Lamola, Sgt-Major Timothy Phiri and others led a successful, popular military coup with less than 200 soldiers. the coup would be recorded as the only conventional armed conflict between the apartheid regime and a liberation army inside South Africa. The coup was later suppressed by the full might of the then South African Defense Forces led by PW Botha and PIK Botha after a fifteen hour standoff. During the military engagements with the South African Defense forces 5 people lost their lives and numerous others were injured including General Turner who was an ex Rhodesian General. Many soldiers who participated in the Military coup were arrested and stood trial including Colonel Kobedi who later went into exile. Rocky Malebana-Metsing who was helped to skip the country by Winnie Mandela then went to Lusaka.

As the leader of the Military coup Rocky Malebana-Metsing agreed to subject himself to a civilian court to hear the justification of the Military Coup.

In Exile Rocky Malebana-Metsing was later joined by his family and quickly involved him in the underground structures. He was housed at Joe Modise’s residence and was daily trained in the use of fire weapons as well as ANC policies and vision. Zakes Tolo was brought in to deepen political education and Ntate John Nkadimeng who lived next door within the same compound assisted with workers politics and mobilization training. Towards the end of the said year, Malebana-Metsing family was deployed in Harare, Zimbabwe and began recruiting for MK and setting up structures of the ANC inside the country. Many Comrades were sent for Military training and were sent back into the country. Rocky Malebana-Metsing was incorporated into the Harare Military Command structure of Umkhonto we Sizwe along with Cde Benjamin Mangalo (aka Sibanda) Nkabinde and others.

Rocky Malebana-Metsing was also incorporated into the internal Political and Military Committee headed by Joe Slovo, Mme Ruth Mompati, Chris Hani, Joe Modise, and Macheka for periodic Political and military reports of operatives in the then western Transvaal, Bophuthatswana and Northern Cape.

President Oliver Tambo requested Rocky to further his studies. He then organized that he Move to the United Kingdom and study at the University of Liverpool. He was enrolled for a Diploma in Administrative studies which he completed in 1991 In England. This was a time became seriously involved in the Anti-Apartheid movement in London led by among others Father Trevor Huddleston

When the exiles returned back into the country Rocky Malebana-Metsing continued to build structures of the ANC in the country.

Rocky Malebana-Metsing was given a task by among others Walter Sisulu and Nelson Mandela to raise funds for the ANC in preparation for the forth coming General elections, Rocky Malebana-Metsing traveled extensive around the world to raise funds for the ANC during this period to countries like China, Taiwan and the United States of America just to mention but a few.

In 1991 July Malebana-Metsing was elected into the National Executive Committee of the ANC. He together with Sydney Mafumadi, Steve Tshwete, John Nkadimeng, Elias Motswaledi and Wilton Mkwayi would lead the National organizing department of the ANC. A position that took him to all corners of the country building and organizing branches for the ANC during a very serious and challenging period of struggle in our country, where political violence was rife and out of control.

It is during this period that he was assigned the responsibility of assisting in the formation of the Patriotic Front. This assignment by President Nelson Mandela took him to various capitals of Bantustans such as Lebowa, Venda, Ka Ngwane and Qwa-Qwa trying to bring all Bantustan leaders into the front. Others did agree like Clarence Makwetu of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania while others like Oupa Qozo and Mangope refused.

As a member of the National Executive committee of the ANC he was involved in many other tasks such as demobilization of MK forces in foreign countries; in some instances he accompanied Cde such as Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Chris Hani and Elias Motsoaledi to such countries.

In 1994 Cde Malebana-Metsing was elected by the conference into the national list to Parliament, Senate (NCOP) and the North West legislature. He was ultimately deployed to the North West legislature and was further appointed an MEC for agriculture but both positions were held only for a period of one year. Mr. Popo Molefe who was the then Premier ensured the political demise of Cde Rocky at all costs. A stage was set for the NEC to expel him from the ANC. He was suspended for a year after an attempt by President Mandela had intervened and was appointed Special advisor to Popo Molefe.

Rocky Malebana-Metsing resigned from both the legislature and the ANC out of frustration and pressure from within the organization. He chose to reestablish the Peoples Progressive Party and work towards returning to active politics. This led to the short alliance with the federal alliance which lasted only during the 1999 general elections. There after Cde Rocky steadily built the People Progressive party in preparation for the 2006 local elections. In 2006 Malebana-Metsing was elected to Rustenburg Local Council and crossed the floor to the ANC. He was later appointed member of the Mayoral Committee responsible for Local economic development which was responsible from the hosting of 2010 Soccer World Cup.

The ANC NEC disbanded the North West ANC structures which effected changes to the RLC which led to the removal of Rocky Malebana-Metsing and others from serving full time in council. In 2011 he was returned as an ANC PR councilor and midterm was again appointed an MMC for Local Economic development and later MMC for infrastructure. The request by him for the NEC to intervene and reinstate these comrades enraged the PEC and he was once again removed from the Mayoral Committee and continued to serve as an ordinary ANC councilor for ANC in Rustenburg.

His son Khumo Malebana-Metsing died in a mysterious car accident just a few hours after being elected provincial treasurer of the Young Communist league in the North West in 2013.

In June 2015 the National Committee of the Young Communist League requested that Rocky Malebana-Metsing Host the first Annual National Memorial lecture for his son, Khumo Malebana-Metsing which he did and it was addressed by the National Secretary of the YCL C Mluleki Dlelanga.

During the 2016 local government elections Rocky Malebana-Metsing was regarded as “The unifier of Rustenburg” by all the Major Political parties such as Economic Freedom Fighters, the Democratic Alliance the United Democratic Movement and ANC members in the Rustenburg local Council.

Rocky Malebana-Me passed on in his home town Rustenburg in the North West Province South Africa