Very often when one hears of the passing on of someone like Cde. Dan Montsitsi, one feels inadequate to write a tribute to him. This is because his knowledge of him might not even be a chapter in the life of someone as great as Cde. Sediane Danny Montsitsi. 

Cde. Sedibane Danny Montsitsi was the third President of the Soweto Student Representative Council. He succeeded Khotso Seatlholo who himself succeeded Tsietsi Mashinini. He immediately assumed a name which he was to be mostly known by-Sechaba. He took over leadership of the SSRC after most of its leaders had either gone to prison or exile. He was part of a core of young students who, even when an opportunity to leave the country presented itself, they chose to remain in the country and take the battle against apartheid forward. 

Besides being President of the SSRC, Cde. Dan was part of what was called a Shadow Committee. The Shadow Committee was a group of students and non-students which dealt with the day to day running management of the affairs of the SSRC and community at large. The Committee included among others, Billy Masethla, Murphy Morobe. 

This was a group which was mostly responsible for information gathering and it is not surprising that later in life Cdes Paul Langa Billy Masethla were later involved in the security environment. 

It was this group that exposed the operation by the apartheid security forces of a secret burial of bodies of people at the Doornkop Cemetery. These were bodies of people who were shot in the battle with police in Soweto. They followed a helicopter that was hovering in the skies at night and noticed it ended in the cemetery. Upon further inspection they discovered empty graves which when they came the next day they found filled. This incident happened in the evening mostly. 

The night watchman who was prepared to give evidence on the activities of the helicopter, disappeared mysteriously the day an appointment was set with him to lead them to the areas where the helicopter usually landed. Nobody could account for that nightwatchman. As a result the investigation was aborted. No concrete proof could be produced that the police were in essence burying bodies in Doringkop.

During those years many of those involved were not necessarily members of any political party but this group with the involvement of Cde Paul Langa, who was already ANC/MK operative, became ANC. 

The student activists had approached him to train them militarily because they were tired of running around and being shot and killed by the police. They were tired of running away from their homes and living lives of fugitives. Though Cde. Paul refused to give them full military training because he did not have permission from the ANC, to do so., he however agreed to work with them. They then formed what was to be then known as the Suicide Squad. 

The Suicide Squad was not part of the SSRC but rather an initiative of few activists. The Suicide Squad was responsible for several attacks os sabotage on strategic targets such as the Jabulani Police Station. Ultimately Cde. Paul was arrested and had to spend time on Robben Island for some of those activities. 

The other activities of the Suicide Squad are better described in the TRC Amnesty hearing of Cde. Dan. 

Cde. Dan must be remembered as another face of the June 16 Generation of young people who at a tender age, put their lives on the line against a brutal machinery of apartheid. 

Their level of selflessness sacrifice in the face of almost certain death was not only patriotic but revolutionary. Cde. Dan was an outstanding revolutionary who served the ANC and the people of South Africa at different levels. Cde. Dan sacrificed his youth to defend his people and ended on Robben Island for that. He has departed this earth let us deep our revolutionary banners in honour of this outstanding, selfless and dedicated revolutionary. 

We had our own moments my comrade and I cherish each one of those moments. 

Hamba Kahle Mkhonto