The Order of Mendi for Bravery in

Silver

Peter Sello Motau aka Paul Dikeledi (Posthumous) Awarded for:

His excellent contribution to the liberation struggle. His selfless sacrifice, braver y and thirst for freedom led to democracy at the ultimate cost of his own life.

Profile of Mr Peter Sello Motau

Mr Peter Sello Motau aka Paul Dikeledi was born to David Motau and Salome Motsoaledi in Soweto on 17 Januar y 1955. He attended the Isaac Morrison High School in Soweto and was prompted into activism for social justice when he witnessed daily injustices committed against the oppressed. He became a dedicated young activist who joined the liberation movement in the mid-70s.

He underwent military training in the former Soviet Union, the old East Germany and Angola. Motau was trained as a Brigade Commander in artillery in the Soviet Union. In 1977 he became the secretary for the Regional Military Committee (RMC) under the chairpersonship of the late Mr Joe Slovo, which was responsible for the Mozambique and Swaziland front into South Africa. In 1978 he became a member of the Regional Political Bureau of the South African Communist Party (Mozambique-Swaziland-Internal).

The RMC was responsible for the Transvaal Rural Machinery, the Transvaal Urban Machinery, the Natal Rural Machinery and the Natal Urban Machinery. During 1981 when the ANC structures were reorganised, he became a member of the Regional Political Military Committee. This new structure combined the political and military  machineries operating inside the country. He rose through the ranks of the organisation and ran the ANC machinery in the then Transvaal while based in Swaziland as an exile. He was responsible for the Eastern Front operations via Swaziland.

Motau and his comrade Cassius Maake, were assassinated in Swaziland when the taxi in which they were travelling was ambushed by three South African agents who were in a car with South African registration numbers.