Late KZN MEC Meshack Radebe described as pillar of strength

Meshack Radebe outside court Picture: Doctor Ngcobo/African News Agency(ANA)

Meshack Radebe outside court Picture: Doctor Ngcobo/African News Agency(ANA)

Published Feb 6, 2021

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Durban - THE ANC’s Moses Mabhida Regional Task Team (RTT) in KZN says it has lost a pillar of strength and a well of wisdom after the death of former Agriculture and Environmental Affairs MEC Meshack Radebe who died in hospital on Friday.

The news of Radebe’s death was confirmed by the ANC’s KZN spokesperson, Nhlakanipho Ntombela, just after 1pm, although it is unclear what caused his death.

Radebe, 71, was described by Mandla Zondi, co-ordinator of the regional task team of the ANC’s Moses Mabhida region, where he hailed from, as an accessible leader who was always ready to assist with whatever challenges were faced in the region.

“This is really sad news for us as a region because he was part of our region and he has been a prominent leader within the ANC for a long time, so we are deeply hurt as a region because he was one of the elders from whom we got counsel and wisdom in whatever we did,” Zondi said.

He said that the RTT leadership was still making preparations to visit Radebe’s family in Maqongqo, 25km outside Pietermaritzburg, to express their condolences.

“We would like to extend the region’s condolences to the family, we are with them at this sad time. We will remember him as someone who spoke his mind,” Zondi said.

He added that Radebe had been a peacemaker across the KwaZulu-Natal province at the height of political violence before and after the dawn of democracy.

“Whenever there were challenges that needed conflict resolution, he was one of the deployees who would be sent out to go assist in those areas. As a region we were drawing our strength from him as an elder in the region.

“Whenever we faced challenges within the region we would seek Bhungane’s counsel because we always knew that he would assist us in solving whatever challenges we were seized with,” Zondi added.

Political Bureau

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