Mbeki (91), died on Thursday after a long illness and would be buried at Zwide, Port Elizabeth on 8 September. Further details about the funeral would be made available next week.

Those who paid tribute to Mbeki included ANC general secretary Kgalema Motlanthe, his SA Communist Party counterpart, Blade Nzimande, Congress of SA Trade Unions president Willie Madisha, and SA National Civic Organisations president Mlungisi Hlongwane.

International guests included Yvonne Scruggs-Leftwich of the Black Leadership Forum in the United States and Rigoberto Menchu, a Guatemalan activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner. Motlanthe said Mbeki would be happy to know that thousands of people had met in Durban to deplore exploitation and racism in all its forms.

"We should all of us seek to emulate this selfless giant of our people. He attained international stature and recognition as a scholar, as a freedom fighter, as a revolutionary and most importantly, as an organiser," said Motlanthe at the memorial service at the Natal Technikon sports fields.

"And his name will forever be etched on our hearts. We cannot mourn his death, comrades, because like a good teacher, he expects us to know how to struggle.

"All of us should pledge that we shall not fail Oom Gov, we shall take the struggle against oppression, racism, discrimination and exploitation head on until it is defeated.

"I am sure Oom Gov, even in his eternal sleep, would be smiling to know that you are gathered here today (Saturday) to march against racism and all forms of discrimination," he said.

Motlanthe said the World Conference against Racism offered South Africa an opportunity not only to thank foreigners who supported the ANC against apartheid, but to recommit the ruling party in its fight against racism and other forms of intolerance.

"Comrade Govan was the very epitome and embodiment of the best values in our entire movement (the ANC)."

Madisha called on the protesters to create an anti-racism movement which would fight the scourge throughout the world, while Nzimande said the only way to remember Mbeki was to intensify the struggle against racism.

"When a communist is born, problems disappear. So apartheid indeed did disappear after the birth and struggle of Govan Mbeki," said Nzimande.

"And when a communist dies, he leaves a rich legacy of the struggle against racism, gender inequality and capitalism."

"That is the SACP's tribute to Govan Mbeki, a leader, a revolutionary and, of course, a communist.

"One of the biggest obstacles in our struggle against racism is the US government and US imperialism. Today, we are saying we must deepen the struggle against Israeli aggression and the genocide against Palestinian people," he said.

Protesting under the banner of the Global March Against Racism, the demonstrators took to the streets of the city chanting and waving placards. Some of the posters read: "There is only one caste, the caste of humanity", "Colin Powell you have a short memory and serve your racist master Bush well", "Crush racism" and "Unite against the demon — racism".

They handed over a memorandum of grievances to Andrew Goledzinowski, a special assistant to UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson, outside the International Convention Centre (ICC), where the WCAR was in its second day.

Goledzinowski said he would convey the document to Robinson. The march was led by ANC leaders.

Mbeki was a renowned fighter in the military wing of the ANC and spent many years behind bars for his opposition of the apartheid government. - Sapa