Dear Editor,
It is with profound sadness that I write this letter to express my sincere condolences to the wife, children and family of Mr Rawlewayne Christopher Payne. I knew Mr Payne for more than two decades; we served as leaders in the PNCR youth arm and later as party comrades at the various levels of the PNCR and at the national level. For those of us who knew Mr Payne we will remember his ability to initiate a rigorous debate, provoke some of the most controversial discussions and, as I would say, argue until the sun goes down. What was noteworthy was the fact that he stuck to his guns and stood for what he believed, regardless of whether his views were the only ones trending in a particular direction. This, for me, demonstrated that Rawlewayne was simply a leader. I must admit that we did not always see eye to eye on every issue, but at least we respected each other enough to listen to each other’s viewpoint.
Beyond the GYSM we developed even more understanding of each other’s position. My most memorable moment of our camaraderie came in 2010 when he called me at my home and requested that we meet at Banks DIH Campsite’s for a conversation. It was during this conversation that we talked about all our prior misunderstandings and “political fights.” We laughed and talked about the infamous ‘Denis Glasgow’s task force’; we laughed about him (Payne) always wanting to become the next General Secretary of the PNCR; we talked about the good old days of tag team Sydney Williams/ Lurlene Nestor; he reminded me of how my often insistence on discipline in the GYSM attracted the wrath of some comrades; we talked about the many protest actions we were engaged in and he laughed about the role I played. Oh, we had quite a conversation. Before I knew it I had more than two beef patties and a fruit juice. Our one-hour meeting turned out to be quite a few hours. We talked about the plight of the country and how the PNCR could be improved, and he vowed that there is nothing that could make him change his allegiance to the PNCR.
My impression of the late Rawlewayne Payne is that he was dedicated and committed to the ideals of the PNCR. He was always ready to debate why his party is second to none in Guyana. I believe this was the common belief which bonded us even more. Before we left for home I remember saying to him I respected his frankness and that there was no need for an apology for past actions. I admitted that we have both grown older and wiser. However, he insisted that he needed to have this conversation with me. I respected his honesty and his frankness. I was humbled by his gesture which demonstrated the warm, appealing and humble side of him.
It will be difficult to talk of Comrade Rawlewayne Christopher Payne in the past tense; this is a comrade gone way too soon. His passing is a great loss to the PNCR, a party he truly loved. I will most definitely miss him at party functions.
May his soul rest in peace.
Yours faithfully,
Lurlene Nestor
