‘Son of the soil’ buried
DEPUTY ANC chairperson for Limpopo and MEC for public works and infrastructure, Jerry Ndou said a cleansing ceremony needs to be arranged for the northern (Vhembe) part of the province, "as cadres are always dying here". He spoke during the funeral of former Limpopo member of legislature and ANC member Maxwell Nemadzivhanani.
THOHOYANDOU – DEPUTY ANC chairperson for Limpopo and MEC for public works and infrastructure, Jerry Ndou said a cleansing ceremony needs to be arranged for the northern (Vhembe) part of the province, “as cadres are always dying here”.
He spoke during the funeral of former Limpopo member of legislature and ANC member Maxwell Nemadzivhanani outside Thohoyandou on Saturday.
“Not too long ago, we buried the MEC for education, Thembi Nwedamutswu and more recently, the late minister, Collins Chabane.”
Ndou said when the history of the struggle for freedom and emancipation of the people of South Africa, in particular blacks, is finally written, the name of Nemadzivhanani will feature prominently.
‘Nemadzivhanani was not a mafikizolo in the struggle for liberation. See, he did not join the struggle because he failed matric, and therefore needed a tender. He was not power hungry.”
Speaker after speaker described Nemadzivhanani as a soldier, a visionary and a patriot.
He died aged 59 in Polokwane after a long illness.
He resigned as a member of Limpopo Legislature after the May 2014 elections to pursue business interests.
His older brother, Khuliso described him as true revolutionary comrade and a seasoned politician, “he was a servant of the people, he loved and live politics”.
Reading from the obituary, Ndou said Nemadzivhanani was born in Vhufuli village outside Thohoyandou.
He attended school in Vhufuli Primary and Tshivhase Secondary respectively and passed gr. 12 in 1976. He joined the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) under the late stalwart Josias Madzunya in 1975 and in 1977 he left the country to go into exile.
He was granted political asylum in Botswana and concurrently joined the Azanian People’s Liberation Army (Apla). He returned to South Africa in 1992.
He also served in many PAC structures and joined Limpopo Legislature in 2000; joined the ANC in 2004 as was a serving member until his death.
He served Limpopo Legislature for almost a decade. Nemadzivhanani is survived by the wife, Tshililo, sons Madzanga, Muthundinne, Shakalanga, Khakhathi and daughter Velly, his older brother, Khuliso, and two sisters, Lufuno and Maitele.
