Beloved advocate is laid to rest

ADVOCATE Ailwei Mushavhanamadi was described as one of the greatest men to have ever emerged from the Ngovhela area in Vhembe.

Speaking during his funeral in Thohoyandou, which was attended by thousands of mourners on Saturday, University of Venda (Univen) vice-chancellor and principal, Prof Peter Mbati said Mushavhanamadi was a hard working, dedicated person whose team always progressed.

“It is with a deep sense of sorrow that we bid farewell to such a dedicated and hard working person. We were in constant meetings a few days before his death about security services on campus and he left us while there were still many programmes and projects we needed to carry out,” Mbati said.

Mbati added that the university was proud to have been associated with someone of Mushavhanamadi’s calibre, adding that he had left his mark and would be difficult to replace.

Speaking on behalf of the Mushavhanamadi family, chief Nndwakhulu Mushavhanamadi, said his brother had been extremely dedicated to his work.

He said he was also known for encouraging young people to take education seriously.

“We are proud as a family that even the University of Venda recognises his good work.

“Because of his hard work, he contributed to the upliftment of his community and the university in particular,” he said.

Mushavhanamadi died unexpectedly last week while attending a training course in Johannesburg.

The family still awaited the results of the post mortem to pinpoint the cause of his death, although no foul play was suspected.

Mushavhanamadi attended secondary school at Guvhukuvhu and Mphaphulu, where he matriculated in 1981. He joined the police in 1984 in Sibasa and worked his way up to the position of police spokesperson of the Vhembe area.

While in the service of the police, he obtained his BA degree in criminal justice in 2002, followed by his honours degree in political science in 2003

In 2010, he joined Univen as head of risk and security services. While at Univen, he continued with his studies and he received a master’s degree in law.

His voice was well known on the airwaves thanks to his programme on how to fight crime that was broadcast first by the then Radio Thohoyandou and then PhalaPhala FM.

Mushavhanamadi is survived by his wife, Betty Mulaudzi, three children, his mother Sarah, and his brothers.