A few years ago, Sophie de Bruyn, the last survivor of the four women chosen to present the petition from the 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on August 9, 1956, related to us an important aspect of that day.
Firstly, she recalled that being only 21 years old, she was by no means a leader in the women’s league.
However, because of the strong character of the ANC as a multiracial organisation that truly believed that South Africa belonged to all its people, she was drawn in because the show of a people united against oppression across artificial racial boundaries was very important.
She was plucked from the crowd to join the other leaders on the stage and the image of all those women representing all of South Africa remains one of the most potent symbols of the Struggle.
That, for me, is an aspect of our unity that we overlook at great peril. Of late, everyone who takes to a podium repeats the same platitude of unity in the ANC.
In essence, what they are referring to is the unity of the factions of the ANC. That is no doubt an important matter to resolve but the unity most overlooked is the unity of all of our people in their diversity, united by one common cause, namely freedom in our lifetime.
Freedom from want, from hunger, from oppression of one race over another, freedom of oppression of women and an end to patriarchy. Freedom in our lifetime from corruption and moral decay.
And ultimately a return to the ANC where all races were at one in their quest for all of these things.
Letting that symbol of unity resonate with our people now, so that all of us, black and white, fight to eliminate all forms of oppression and inequality.
The second matter that I learnt from her experience has particular relevance to ANC morality and is particularly apt for the times in which we find ourselves.
She told how each one of the 20 000 women who were there on the day had to find their own way there.
How they had to carry their own provisions, find accommodation and finance their way back home.
That was the ANC then, a movement where because the conviction was so strong no special arrangements and incentives were required to get people to a common purpose.
Our experience today is different.
So different that money is used very freely to get people to do what they would ordinarily use their freedom for - to vote for a candidate of their choice. Now it is common knowledge that money talks, an indication of just how far down the moral scale we have come.
Today, we are told that money gives one access to government ministers.
The popular view is that money gives one access to just about anything, while millions of our people still live in abject poverty.
That our government has done a great deal to change the lives of our people is not in dispute but all of that is nullified by the allegations that our government is held captive by a single family.
Thirdly, and unstated but very clear is that none of those women - some of whom walked for days to Pretoria and slept in the open - had any fear that they might be molested, violated or killed, because in those days our society was bound together by basic norms.
Today, our women and girl-children are not safe, because our society has degenerated.
In just this last couple of weeks we experienced a horrific scene, with Deputy Higher Education Minister Mduduzi Manana involved in an apparent furious beating of a woman.
We must stop violence against women. It has become endemic and we must all fight against it.
I joined the many and was very vocal in condemning this, and no sooner had I done that than I received news that my own nephew was accused of assault.
Even though he denies the allegations, I am glad he was charged.
We, the ANC, have a responsibility to put that right and, to correct this, we must put ourselves right. We should not tolerate the erosion of our morality, traditions and all of that which served as a compass to get us here.
And here we are in the 24th year of democracy preparing for the ANC's 54th conference to elect a new leadership and we have a challenge to examine what qualities we require of people to lead and represent us - not only to carry us forward but to lift us up from where we are.
We need leaders who represent the spirit and character of the struggles as we are in a continuous struggle for a better life of all our people.
Leaders are first and foremost chosen for their commitment to serve the people. A good leader must love the people they lead and put the country first, as well as embrace it with all its diversities.
A credible ANC leader must possess an outstanding understanding of the party itself, its past and present, and equip and modernise it for the future. A sound leader must command a clear vision for the future and lead by example to unite and guide the movement to be the best it can be at all times.
He/she must have a clear understanding of governance, show a clear record of diligence and hard work, must reflect continuity of the revolutionary tradition and inspire our people to achieve greater things.
The ANC has entered a phase of open lobbying and this has the potential to create diverse views which can have negative impact and increase factionalism.
The important point to make is all of us have the responsibility to lobby responsibly. It is of paramount importance that all members of the ANC at every level must lead by example and not indulge in divisive foreign tactics such as gate-keeping, buying of members, implying all those members of branches who have been bought should be encouraged to return the money.
The ANC is not for sale. This emerging tendency where members are intimidated for the choice of candidate must be condemned by all members of the ANC. Elections are meant to be free and fair and that is the constitutional right of everyone.
This in a nutshell is what the ANC seeks to do in the document, Through the Eye of the Needle. We are on an anti-corruption drive because we have seen how pervasive the perception of corruption is.
We are against corruption without limits, arrogance, nepotism, loss of the sense of reality, impunity and hypocrisy.
Let us open up the way for women to achieve their full emancipation.
Let us open up for the youth to re-energise the ANC to new heights. Like the African society that we are, our elders have a very special place to guide and we owe them all the respect we can give. Guard against factionalism. It is a very destructive force.
Together let’s make the glorious movement of our people - of Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Albert Luthuli, Lillian Ngoyi, Ruth First, Ruth Mompati, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Solomon Mahlangu - proud of its resilient leaders.
From them, we learnt four concepts that will live inside us for ever, and which should govern our daily lives, namely honour, dedication, commitment and hope. The ideal of freedom is at the centre of everything we represent.
It forms the basis of our humanity and what makes the ANC it is. We are no ordinary political party, we are the conscience of the people, their hope, and their symbol of victory over evil. If we lose any aspect of that, we cease to be that glorious movement that moved heaven and earth to take us out of bondage.
* Sisulu is Human Settlements Minister and a member of the ANC national executive committee.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.