Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday deliver the eulogy at the Special Official Funeral of the late business leader Dr Richard Maponya in Johannesburg, Gauteng.
Maponya died on January 6 2020 a few days after celebrating his 99th birthday following a short illness. His career as a pioneering entrepreneur spanned over fifty years.
Ramaphosa has honoured Maponya with a Special Official Funeral Category 2. The National Flag has been flown at half-mast from last Friday and will remain until the evening of the burial.
The funeral is set to take place at the University of Johannesburg, Soweto Campus, Johannesburg from 8:00. The funeral programme will then be followed by the burial at West Park Cemetery.
The community of Soweto honoured Maponya at a memorial service which took place at Maponya Mall in Soweto on Monday.
Maponya Mall centre manager Howard Kekana, who affectionately called Maponya 'Papa' said the businessman proved to him that he mattered as a contributing citizen in SA. “Papa created that hope that there was a place for me in SA. He was living proof that we can be who we want to be.”