Feud mars Mompati funeral

President Jacob Zuma and his wife Bongi Ngema, deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa and speaker for the National Assembly and Chairperson of the African National Congress Baleka Mbete, seated during the funeral service of ANC stalwart Ruth Segomotsi Mompati’s Vryburg show grounds, North West. Picture: Itumeleng English

President Jacob Zuma and his wife Bongi Ngema, deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa and speaker for the National Assembly and Chairperson of the African National Congress Baleka Mbete, seated during the funeral service of ANC stalwart Ruth Segomotsi Mompati’s Vryburg show grounds, North West. Picture: Itumeleng English

Published May 24, 2015

Share

Johannesburg - The “towering” role played by struggle stalwart Ruth Segomotsi Mompati in bringing democracy to South Africa was marred by family feuds openly displayed at her funeral held at the Vryburg Showgrounds in the North West province on Saturday.

Since her death, local residents in the small township of Huhudi gossiped about the appointment of former North West MEC Darkie Africa as a family spokesman – an appointment which apparently caused rifts within the Seichoko family.

Seichoko was Mompati’s maiden surname.

On Saturday, Mompati’s niece, Sindi Ngaba, confirmed the divisions including the query on Africa’s appointment.

Sindi was speaking in her capacity as a family representative, more particularly a descendant of the Seichoko family. Before thousands of mourners, including President Jacob Zuma and his deputy, Cyril Ramaphosa, she said the Seichoko family was born from a relationship between Baby and Gaonyatse Seichoko, the biological parents of Mompati.

“Out of that relationship, five children were born. Mama Ruth was the fourth of five children. Unfortunately, two of the boys died at a younger age. Three remained. They were Mama Ruth, Poloko and my mother, Diana,” Sindi said.

She said her mother and her two sisters collectively worked to give their children, herself and Mompati’s two children, Mompati and Tebogo, a proper upbringing. She said the three of them were raised as if “they were from the same womb”.

Between them, Sindi told mourners that eight children were born “but, unfortunately, my two brothers died”.

“That left me to be the only surviving member of the second generation of the Seichoko family.”

But during her speech, Sindi made no reference to any other relatives or their existence.

She further stunned mourners when she said Ruth Mompati was a “Seichoko”, saying: “Mompati was a surname she adopted while in exile”.

No single mention was made about her husband – except an acknowledgement in her obituary: “When she got married in 1952 she lost her job as a teacher. Under apartheid, married black female teachers were not allowed to teach.”

Sindi left the mourners hanging on that particular matter.

Mompati died at a military hospital in Cape Town on May 12. She was 89. Her colleagues and comrades celebrated her life as a “mother, teacher and nurturer of young people”. They spoke fondly about her ability to take care of her neighbours’ children, especially while in exile before 1990.

On Friday, The Sunday Independent spoke to one of the surviving members of the Seichoko family.

In the interview, Motlalepule Seichoko, 84, said she and Ruth grew up as sisters. Their fathers were brothers. Motlalepule said, by agreement between the families, she grew up in the same household as Ruth and Poloko.

Strangely, Motlalepule also made no mention of Sindi’s mother, except to reveal that Ruth would be buried alongside her sister and brother-in-law.

Motlalepule also said that she, Ruth and Poloko grew up as a unit but she was closer to Poloko because the age gap between them was less.

“Ausi (sister) was older than me. She was born in 1925. I was born in 1930. I was only able to play with Poloko because she was born in 1928. Ausi looked after us. She was also my teacher. She taught me while I was doing Std 2 at Dithakwaneng Primary School. She beat me when I was naughty in class. She treated me like any other pupil in class,” Motlalepule said.

Prior to Sindi’s controversial comments – mourners were kept waiting for more than an hour for the service to begin.

Minister in the Presidency, Jeff Radebe, appealed for patience, explaining that they were sorting out seating arrangements for Mompati family members.

It was not the first delay. Mompati’s remains arrived late for the church service at her United Congregational Church of Southern Africa.

The delay annoyed the church’s elders, particularly the Reverend Alistair Aranus, as they were forced to drop some of their church elders from the line-up of speakers.

Sindi also drew a picture of Mompati reorganising the family unit soon after her return from exile. Describing Mompati’s role in the family, she said: “She was our pillar of strength.”

The Sunday Independent contacted Africa to ask him for a response to Sindi’s controversial comments.

He downplayed the controversy and said that Sindi meant she was the only surviving child from Baby and Gaonyatse family tree. “There are a lot of Seichoko’s family. They are present at the funeral. Some of them are married and have other surnames.

“What Sindi meant was that in respect of this unit, she was the only surviving member,” Africa said.

On the Mompati surname, Africa said Ruth chose to use her first-born son’s name as her surname.

“Mompati was Mama’s nom de plume in exile but she chose to use it as her surname.

“She wanted to be known like that,” Africa said.

Sindi also defended the decision to appoint Africa as a family spokesman. She told mourners that Africa was part of the family because he was in the “struggle with her mother”.

Despite Africa’s denials of a family feud, Sindi painted a picture of Mompati only confiding in her about serious family matters.

None of the ANC leaders, who spoke after her, reacted to her comments, including those on the issue of her surname.

This was despite the fact that most knew her from the days when she worked as secretary for Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo’s law firm in Joburg as well as her life in exile.

Political Bureau

Related Topics: