LIVE FEED: Funeral service for Minister Jackson Mthembu

Cape Town - The funeral for the Minister in the Presidency, Jackson Mthembu will be held at the Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Ackerville, Emalahleni in Mpumalanga on Sunday morning.

Mthembu succumbed to Covid-19 related complications in hospital on Thursday. The service is scheduled to begin at 9am.

The memorial event was originally planned for yesterday, but was been postponed following consultation between the presidency and the late minister’s family.

President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the eulogy at the funeral which will take place with strict adherence to the Covid-19 regulations pertaining to funerals and the prohibition on public gatherings.

Deputy President David Mabuza will deliver a keynote tribute at a memorial event on Monday, 25 January 2021, in honour of Mthembu.

The State, Official and Provincial Official Funeral Policy accords Official Funerals Category 1 to serving Ministers.

WATCH FEED HERE

The national flag has been flown at half-mast at every flag station in the country from Saturday, and will continue until this evening.

“Minister Mthembu contributed immensely to the liberation struggle as an anti-apartheid activist, student leader and unionist, for which he was subjected to harassment and detention by the apartheid security forces,” the presidency said.

“He occupied several strategic and leadership roles in the democratic South Africa. He served the African National Congress as its spokesperson from 1995 to 1997 and from 2009 to 2014.”

Mthembu contributed to the development of South Africa’s democratic constitution and served as an MEC in Mpumalanga, and has been a member of the ANC National Executive Committee since 2007 and served as the ANC’s Chief Whip in the National Assembly from 2016 to 2019.

He was appointed as Minister in the Presidency after the 2019 general elections.