Awards
Isithwalandwe / Seaparankoe
The Highest Award of Honour
Isithwalandwe/Seaparankoe is the highest honour awarded by the ANC to those who have made an outstanding contribution and sacrifice to the liberation struggle. Isithwalandwe, literally translated, means “the one who wears the plumes of the rare bird” and was traditionally bestowed only on the bravest warriors of the people, on those who distinguished themselves in the eyes of all the people for exceptional qualities of leadership and heroism.
Chief Albert Luthuli, Dr Yusuf Dadoo and Father Trevor Huddleston were the first leaders to received Isithwalandwe / Seaparankoe, at the Congress of the People in 1955. The most recent recipients, in 2014, were Ruth Mompati and Gertrude Shope.
| Name | Year |
| Albert Luthuli | 1955 |
| Father Trevor Huddleston | 1955 |
| Yusuf Dadoo | 1955 |
| Moses Mauane Kotane | 1975 |
| Govan Mbeki | 1980 |
| Bishop Ambrose Reeves | 1980 |
| Lilian Ngoyi | 1982 |
| Oliver Reginald Tambo | 1992 |
| Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela | 1992 |
| Walter Sisulu | 1992 |
| Helen Joseph | 1992 |
| Ahmed Kathrada | 1992 |
| Harry Gwala | 1992 |
| Elias Motsoaledi | 1992 |
| Andrew Mlangeni | 1992 |
| Raymond Mhlaba | 1992 |
| Wilton Mkwai | 1992 |
| Joe Slovo | 1994 |
| Ray Alexander Simons | 2004 |
| Chris Hani | 2008 |
| Ruth Mompati | 2014 |
| Denis Goldberg | 2019 |
| Sophie De Bruyn | 2019 |
| John Nkadimeng | 2019 |
| Winnie Madikizela-Mandela | 2019 |
| Ahmed Timol | 2019 |
| Albertina Sisulu | 2019 |
| Charlotte Maxeke | 2019 |