Mlaba, Mpumalanga township
29 July 2006
Programme Director
Members of the Dr Mlabaâs family
Members of the Legislature present
EThekwini Mayor Mr Obed Mlaba
All Mayors and Councillors present
Amakhosi present
People of the Mpumalanga Community
In the book of Revelations 3:5 it says: âHe who conquers will, like them, be
dressed in white, I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but
will acknowledge his name before my father and his angelsâ¦â
Today, we have gathered here in a very sorrowful occasion, to pay our
tribute to Dr Sipho Mlaba and his family. It is quite sorrowful to lose such a
patriot and a catalyst of change. We all mourn his untimely departure to the
divine life.
But this day will also be spent to celebrate and salute this hero and a
conqueror, which we are anticipating his divine recognition of being clad in a
white robe, and that his name will never be removed from the divine
register.
Peace Hero.
We shall all miss you, Ximba. We shall miss the role which you played with
Dr Mechack Radebe tirelessly fighting for peace and stability here at
Mpumalanga.
These two comrades who belonged to different political affiliations,
committed themselves to sacrifice all what they had and said that the spilling
of blood in this township was enough. They both ventured out into a campaign of
staging a war against violence. They preached the gospel of peace,
reconciliation and stability.
Our province had gone through a tense period when thousands of people lost
their lives due to their political affiliations and intolerance. This is an era
when Dr Mlaba together with Dr Radebe said, âEnough is enough!â
They ventured out in an aggressive campaign of preaching âpeace,
reconciliation and stabilityâ. That campaign was a great success because up to
now we have irreversible peace in this Mpumalanga township. We are not going to
go back to the era of bloodbath, but we are going to forge ahead in sustaining
and strengthening the bonds of peace and stability in the entire KwaZulu-Natal
province.
Their campaign was not confined to Mpumalanga only, neither was it confined
to KwaZulu-Natal only, but, like a veldfire, their campaign spread to the
entire continent and even beyond. Their profound success in bringing peace and
stability to this Mpumalanga township was globally recognised and applauded by
even countries overseas.
It was because of this achievement that the University of Cape Town honoured
them with Honorary Doctorate degrees. It was because of this achievement that
these men were invited to places like Burundi and Northern Ireland as
ambassadors of peace and reconciliation. That is the reason why I say we have
come to celebrate the achievements of the hero and conqueror.
To Dr Sipho Mlabaâs family, I must assure you that you are not the only ones
who have suffered a loss in your family. We have all lost by the departure of
this profound hero. The whole province of KwaZulu-Natal is grieving today.
Man of his time
We all know that Dr Sipho Mlaba was a staunch member of the Inkatha Freedom
Party. When he joined NADECO (National Democratic Convention) he became a
member of the National Executive Committee. His immense contribution was
clearly displayed when NADECO entrusted him with a responsibility of
representing it in the highest hierarchy at National level.
When he died, Dr Sipho Mlaba was a member of the council of Durban Metro.
What is sad to know is that Dr Mlaba is the fourth executive member of NADECO
who has died over a very short space of time.
He was a great thinker and a philanthropist. He was teacher, a father, a
manager, a peacemaker and a problem solver. He was a protector, a comforter, an
advocate and a passionate leader.
We are paying tribute to a revolutionary fearless giant who would bravely
face any situation he was confronted with. He was a great patriot and a
catalyst of change. He worked tirelessly for the emancipation of the vulnerable
groups. He was a true cadre who served the community without wanting reward. He
was a strategist and a visionary leader.
He advocated that political power was worthless without peace and stability.
His spirit and legacy will live for ever. He played a vibrant and brilliant
role in the transformation of political ideologies. He had great passion for
the poorest of the poor. He instilled and inspired confidence in people he
worked with. He was a progressive thinker who was innovative and proactive. He
was a much disciplined person who strongly observed and respected his
superiors. He was known and will be remembered for his robust debates.
The hero has fallen. We must then pick up his spear and forge ahead with the
fight against crime and violence. His belief was that when you enlighten
people, you actually empower them.
Lalani ngenxeba mndeni wakwaXimba. Akwehlanga lungehlanga! May you be
comforted and be strong during this period of trial.
Job 19:26 says: âNalapho sesishabalele isikhumba sami ngiyakumbuka
iNkulunkulu ngikhululekile enyameni yamiâ¦â
âA great old soldier never dies, but he is recalled to the eternal
lifeâ¦â
I thank you
Issued by: KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
29 July 2006
