Durban - Praise for late NFP president Zanele Magwaza-Msibi’s selflessness and exemplary leadership was the theme of her memorial service on Thursday in her hometown of Ulundi.
Magwaza-Msibi passed away on Monday morning at the Umhlanga Hospital in the north of Durban reportedly from a cardiac arrest.
Her party’s leaders took turns to hail her leadership qualities and knack for putting forward the service delivery needs of her community.
Nkokhelo Msomi, of the NFP Youth Movement, said Magwaza-Msibi was a fearless leader who led with integrity and care.
“As I speak today, South Africa has never had a female president and it looks like it is still going to take time because they don’t have person of VZ KaMagwaza Msibi’s calibre in leadership.
“Of all the female leaders in South Africa she was far ahead, a leader who has never been painted with corruption and nepotism. The NFP has never protested outside courts because she has embezzled money belong to Zululand, that has never happened because she never did that,” Msomi said.
NFP provincial secretary Zandile Myeni leader said that KaMagwaza-Msibi left footprints, not only in the IFP and NFP but also abroad.
“We are talking about Zanele KaMagwaza Msibi who when she was a deputy minister, said that her programmes would be steeped in uplifting women. We are here to talk about Zanele KaMagwaza Msibi who when she was mayor of Zululand did what had never happened before and said ‘Yes I understand politics, but I stand for my people’. She said she would build schools even though they were not part of the commitment of local government.
“We are talking about Zanele KaMagwaza Msibi who when she arrived in the NFP said that ‘I am nothing without you’,” Myeni said.
Myeni lamented that Covid-19 restrictions had limited the number of people who could attend the memorial service.