Johannesburg - As thousands of people are expected to pay their last respects to ANC stalwart Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, the ruling party has agreed to her two main wishes before laying her to rest.
Mompati has instructed the ANC to allow her church, the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa, to conduct her sermon in her honour and to allow ordinary members to be part of her final send-off on Saturday afternoon at Huhudi cemetery, outside Vryburg.
Family spokesman Darkie Africa on Friday reiterated it was her aunt’s wish for her body to be taken to the church which she attended after returning from exile, including while serving as mayor of the Ruth Mompati District Council, until her retirement.
Mourners from different parts of the country and the world had descended on the small town which was buzzing with visitors yesterday.
On Friday, diggers were at work preparing her resting place next to her sister Grace Ngaba and husband Kenneth Ngaba.
Mompati’s two sons, Mompati and Tebogo, also former members of Umkhonto we Sizwe, are also buried there.
The funeral proceedings will start with a prayer service at her home and the procession will then proceed to the church in Huhudi. Mompati’s coffin will be draped in ANC colours.
“It was Mama’s wish that her sermon be handled by her church. She was a devout Christian. While in exile, she never abandoned her beliefs.
“Mama believed the ANC was founded by Christian people,” Africa said.
According to Africa, the North West provincial leadership was made aware of her wishes before they built a statue in her honour.
“She has also insisted that no one must be barred from attending her funeral, including the state-organised session,” Africa said.
He said the SANDF would take over the proceedings after the church service. The coffin would then be draped in the South African flag and soldiers would carry it to the Vryburg showgrounds for the official state function.
President Jacob Zuma will deliver the eulogy. The dome erected at the showgrounds was expected to accommodate 5 000 mourners. Two other big marquees were erected outside the official venue to accommodate more than 11 000 people expected to view the proceedings from the screens set up.
On Friday, the Saturday Star also spoke to Motlalepule Seichoko about her fond memories of Mompati. The pair grew up together as siblings. Their fathers were brothers and Seichoko’s parents sent her to live at her uncle’s home with Mompati and her brother, Poloko Seichoko.
While the age difference between Seichoko and Mompati was five years, to this day she calls her “Ausi” – big sister.
“I watched her grow older. I could not play with her. She was my older sister. She was born in 1925 and I was born in 1930. I only played with Poloko. He was born in 1928.
“She helped me grow up and she also taught Std 2 at Dithakwaneng Primary School in Tlapeng village in Ganyesa.
“She used to be beat me when I was naughty in class. She treated me like any other pupil in class,” Seichoko remembered.
Seichoko was unable to pursue tertiary education after Std 6 owing to financial problems and she opted to do domestic work.
“Sisi wanted me to complete my education but I fell pregnant,” she said, adding that she was happy that her family did not persecute her.
“The last time I saw my sister was in the 50s. She just disappeared. We did not know where she went to. The police bothered us about her whereabouts. They did not believe us when we told them that we did not know her whereabouts,” she insisted.
She was adamant that she was not aware that Mompati was working as a typist for Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo’s law firm in Joburg.
“We only learnt later that she was in Zambia, Lusaka and Tanzania,” she said.
Seichoko described Mompati’s passing as a loss to their family.
“She was our only surviving sister. She was our pillar of strength. She loved our family and the nation. She was our shepherd,” Seichoko said.
Saturday Star