It was with mournful sadness and burgeoning sorrow to learn of the untimely passing of Stephen Mbedzi.
Upon receiving such depressing news, I struggled to believe and accept that the great Stephen was no more. He was an amazingly humble, greatly sociable and brilliantly thoughtful personality. His unfailing and undiminished sense of humour was truly unearthly.
He once shared a highly sophisticated joke about a media agency whose name I can’t mention. That monumental joke interfered with my commitments because I spent the whole day laughing and relishing the comical contents of the joke.
Mbedzi was that kind of cosmopolitan thinker who believed in the humanity of all people. His utter dislike of racism, tribalism and discrimination was instructive of his firm belief that “we are all human before the eyes of God”.
My official and professional encounter with Mbedzi began in late 2010 when he was editor of Capricorn Voice.
That was the exact time I started writing opinion pieces for this newspaper in my capacity as political analyst.
In print journalism, an opinion piece is sent to a newspaper editor for editing and fact verification purposes. That explains the genesis of my professional encounter with the great Stephen.
His vast editorial prowess and journalistic diligence were phenomenal and greatly inspiring. I never failed to marvel at his prolific mastery of “editorial substance” and “revolutionary journalism”. He was never hesitant to offer editorial advice in relation to some of the opinion pieces I sent him.
Most importantly, I admired his resilience, tenacity and sheer courage in handling complex challenges and problematic situations.
Humility, tolerance, respect, thoughtful tact and resilient persistence were the trademarks of his great personality. His untimely passing has left us poorer in spirit, thoughts and hopes.
In Mbedzi we have seen a marvellous pearl of wisdom and brilliance.
In Mbedzi we have seen a towering embodiment of revolutionary journalism and diligence.
In Mbedzi we have observed an amazingly humble and sociable human being.
I wish to convey my saddest commiserations to the entire Mbedzi family, his former employers, colleagues and the people of Limpopo.
The beautiful flame of Mbedzi’s contribution to nation building shall continue to brighten our firmament and lighten our horizons.
Rest in peace my brotherly compatriot, Stephen Mbedzi.
Elvis Masoga
Political analyst
