Chicago: President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid a deeply emotional tribute to civil rights leader, Reverend Dr. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr, describing him as a man whose voice carried hope across continents, and whose unwavering solidarity helped sustain South Africa’s struggle against apartheid. The President was speaking at Rev. Jackson’s homegoing celebration (funeral) on Saturday, which was held in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States of America. Rev. Jackson passed away on 17 February 2026 at the age of 84.
According to South African Government News Agency, President Ramaphosa said South Africa was not only joining the world in mourning the global figure, but was also ‘claiming him as one of their own’. He acknowledged that Rev. Jackson’s bond with South Africa was forged not by birthplace but by his commitment to justice and his decision to stand with oppressed people during the darkest years of apartheid. President Ramaphosa said Rev. Jackson helped to transform the anti-apartheid struggle into a truly global movement. In November 1985, Rev. Jackson marched in London alongside then African National Congress (ANC) President Oliver Tambo and anti-apartheid campaigner Trevor Huddleston in one of the largest demonstrations ever held against apartheid, where more than 150,000 people took part, demanding sanctions against the South African government and the release of Nelson Mandela.
Rev. Jackson, President Ramaphosa said, also used his influence in diplomatic circles to lobby world leaders. He personally urged Pope John Paul II to visit South Africa to encourage change. He also pressed Mikhail Gorbachev to sever Soviet ties with Pretoria, and confronted British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher over her reluctance to impose sanctions. President Ramaphosa told mourners that belonging is not defined by geography, but by the causes a person chooses to champion. During the decades when apartheid silenced many South African voices, Jackson chose to speak out.
President Ramaphosa recalled Rev. Jackson’s first visit to South Africa in 1979, shortly after the death of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko. During that visit, Rev. Jackson drew huge crowds in Soweto and famously declared: ‘This land is changing hands.’ At a time when the administration of Ronald Reagan pursued a policy of ‘constructive engagement’ with the apartheid government, Rev. Jackson advocated openly for strong sanctions and international pressure.
Jackson also led protests in the United States and was arrested outside the South African Embassy in Washington in 1985 along with his sons, Jesse Jr. and Jonathan. As police detained them, they sang ‘We Shall Overcome’, a song that had become a powerful anthem of both the American civil rights movement and South Africa’s struggle. President Ramaphosa reminded the world that justice in the United States and justice in South Africa were connected struggles.
When Mandela finally walked free in 1990 after 27 years in prison, Rev. Jackson was present in Cape Town to witness the historic moment. President Ramaphosa said Jackson described the atmosphere as a ‘release of glee and joy’, as millions celebrated the birth of a new era. Rev. Jackson also attended Mandela’s inauguration as South Africa’s first democratically elected President in 1994. Even after apartheid ended, Jackson continued to visit South Africa, long after many other international supporters had turned their attention elsewhere.
President Ramaphosa said Rev. Jackson’s life demonstrated that the fight for justice stretches across generations. He described it as a relay in which the torch of freedom passes from one courageous leader to another. The President also addressed Rev. Jackson’s family, including his wife Jacqueline and their children, thanking them for sharing him with South Africa and the world. In recognition of his contribution to the struggle for freedom, South Africa awarded Rev. Jackson the Order of the Companions of OR Tambo in Silver in 2013.
President Ramaphosa called for Rev. Jackson’s legacy to continue to inspire South Africans to defend justice around the world. He urged people to honour Rev. Jackson’s memory by living the values he championed: justice, equality, dignity and service to others. On behalf of the nation’s 62 million citizens, the President expressed deep gratitude for Jackson’s lifelong commitment to South Africa’s freedom.