Durban - Tributes flooded in on Saturday for Durban businessman Donald Bongani “Don” Mkhwanazi who died from a suspected heart attack at Netcare uMhlanga Hospital.
Mkhwanazi, 63, was at a private function at businessman Michael Dlamini’s house on Friday night when he felt ill and was taken to hospital. His wife, Zodwa, is overseas.
Spokesman for the family, Moses Tembe, told the Sunday Tribune that Mkhwanazi’s death had come as a huge shock.
“What is even more shocking is that he was not sick. His family is trying to cope with the loss. I was not at the function but I am told that he was in a jovial mood. But they noticed he had difficulties when he sat down. They took him to hospital where he later died.”
Former Greytown mayor Philani Mavundla and Durban businessman Vivian Reddy were among the guests at Dlamini’s home.
Mavundla said: “I was with him last night and he was fine. I had not heard of his passing. This is shocking.
Reddy said he had invited Mkhwanazi to his marquee at the Greyville Racecourse to enjoy the Vodacom Durban July Handicap.
“I am terribly shaken, to say the least. His passing is devastating.
Reddy said Mkhwanazi was in good spirits when he last saw him.
Reddy said he met Mkhwanazi more than 30 years ago.
“He helped me to enter the black business market.”
He described Mkhwanazi as a fearless businessman who had pioneered broad-based black economic empowerment.
“He was a dynamic, diligent, fierce businessman and master of social cohesion who has sat with me during our project to dismantle racial stereotype. We fought gallantly against the scourge of xenophobia. He fought racism with all his guts,” said Reddy.
Mkhwanazi was an ally of President Jacob Zuma. His links with Zuma could be traced back even before he was appointed as MEC for economic development in KwaZulu-Natal.
The businessman was central in forming the Friends of Jacob Zuma Trust to raise funds for Zuma when he faced corruption charges in 2005, before he became president.
On hearing of Mkhwanazi’s death, Zuma said: “Our cause of radical economic transformation has lost one of its major champions. I extend our deepest condolences to his family.”
The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Willies Mchunu, who grew up with Mkhwanazi in Chesterville said: “On behalf of the KZN government, we bow our head in respect for this son of the soil. On a personal level, I will remember him as a brother, a friend and a community activist as we grew up together in Chesterville and we were both involved in community development activities.”
Dumisile Cele of the Durban Chamber of Commerce said its president, Zeph Ndlovu, was shocked.
Reacting to Mkhwanazi’s death, vice-president of the Black Business Council, Sandile Zungu, said the recent meeting he had with Mkhwanazi would be etched in his mind as a farewell of his mentor.
“We discussed at length many issues ranging from Brexit to state capture. He was very humble.
“He told me that we need to remain loyal to the president. It feels like we were having a farewell chat.”
Mkhwanazi was a dignified entrepreneur who tackled matters of black business ownership, he said.
“When he spoke everyone listened and sometimes he made enemies with his frank statements on empowerment. But he did not care that much because he wanted to see changes in the state of the economy, which a large part of is still in the hands of the few,” Zungu said.
The ANC described him as a “towering figure” in the business sector.
“His passing deals a great blow to the ANC of which he was an active and committed member, as well as to the black business fraternity in which he was a towering figure - playing a formative role in driving BEE,” said party national spokesman, Zizi Kodwa.
Mkhwanazi founded the Black Management Forum and was central in advocating for the rights of black business people.
In 1990, he was appointed the ANC’s senior economic adviser and, until 1994, worked closely with the ANC, with former president Thabo Mbeki, on international business relations.
Before 1994, Mkhwanazi held a string of positions including that of chairman of the Apartheid Debt Co-ordinating Committee at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
He went on to chair a number of corporations, BBBEE business organisations and state entities, including the Central Energy Fund and the National Empowerment Fund.
He also served as a member of the Presidential Black Economic Empowerment Council from 2009 and served on the boards of various companies as a director, advancing good corporate governance.
“He will be remembered for paving the way for countless numbers of aspirant black business people and radically transforming the heavily racialised business landscape in our new democracy,” Kodwa said.
He leaves his wife and five children.
Sunday Tribune