Programme director
The Mphafudi Family and friends
Our Priests
The community of Hammanskraal
Mokgapa o mogolo o wele!
A hero has fallen! We are confronted by a familiar truth which has always been difficult for all sentient beings to accept. In its own nature, the hand of death finds a way to weaken the strongest people, but also to render helpless the most powerful ones.
Today, we feel weak and helpless because death has robbed us of a community builder, a caring member of our society. On this day, we feel a deep sense of loss because a caring heart has ceased to beat. It is, therefore, fitting that we pay tribute to Ntate Jacob Mphafudi, who touched our lives, and mine personally, as a father, a teacher, a mentor and a role model. We do so mindful that words of mouth will never be enough to comfort us, nor to illustrate the large and eventful life he led.
Those of us who knew and lived with him will attest that his physical appearance hardly depicted a man who touched so many lives, one who made a difference, one who inspired and one who motivated. This is because his humility has always and correctly guided him not to blow his own horn, nor to seek glorification for his good actions.
We will always remember him as a true citizen who did not seek accolades regardless of his personal achievements and the positive impact he made in the lives of others. We pay homage to a man who, despite his successes, remained rooted within the proximity of ordinary people. Until his last breath, he remained one of our own, who did not see himself in isolation of the community around him.
Thus, we can proudly proclaim that “Oom Jakes” stood tall to defy any form of categorisation that would classify him above his own people. And because he touched us in different ways, it must be understood that the tears we shed and the sense of helplessness we feel are a direct result of the void he left in our lives. Yet, we owe it to his spirit never to allow the reality of death to wipe away the memory of moments we shared and the journey we travelled with him.
To some, he will be remembered as a teacher who helped mould the future of many children through education. At the same time, others will remember him as a torchbearer who broke barriers to assert himself as a businessman under harsh conditions of apartheid.
But to all of us, he remains a pioneer who truthfully disregarded any attempts by the apartheid regime to suppress both the human triumph and potential of black people. Even as he sought to venture into new horizons of business, he understood very well that he was laying a solid foundation for the future conquest of his people.
“Oom Jakes” belonged to a generation of pioneers such as the late ABC Motsepe and Dr Nthato Motlana, who personified discipline and integrity in asserting the role of black businesses under apartheid. I have no doubt that “Oom Jakes” himself would agree that those who today occupy space in business have a responsibility to expand that space for the benefit of others.
This they must do even as they preserve the space that they, themselves occupy. It is important that this space, which emerged from the womb of his toil, must be safeguarded as it constitutes the offspring of his legacy. Indeed, we are fortunate that “Oom Jakes” leaves us a legacy premised on important ethos of discipline, commitment, dedication and hard work. These are the values he espoused with passion, convinced that they would at all times be central to the realisation of his dreams. Born and bred under oppressive circumstances, “Oom Jakes” never believed that any form of regime, no matter how oppressive, would stunt his growth or arrest his ideas.
We stand proud of him, for he was a visionary who saw beyond the narrow view of the apartheid regime. As such, he always took initiative and refused to be a spectator in the game that he himself was supposed to play. Not even poverty, fear and misery deterred him from his objective to acquire education. This is because he had a dream that upon getting such education, he would himself contribute towards educating those around him.
In his honour, we have the responsibility to become active citizens, whose activism in the life of our country is premised on the values he stood for. As he did, we must serve our people and assist the needy without any preconditions. The question that we must ask ourselves is whether we, ourselves understand and practice community service as “Oom Jakes” did!
Today, we need passionate citizens, especially the youth, who will contextualise community service within the challenges of our times. Just as much as “Oom Jakes” served as a role model to me and many others, today we need young professionals or business people who will play a similar role to our children and the youth.
These must be people who have managed to succeed in their lives through the very ethos that “Oom Jakes” embraced such as discipline, hard work, commitment and dedication. I know that there are many upcoming business people that have in many occasions sought different form of advice from “Oom Jakes”. To them we say: Whatever guidance he gave you, follow it and when you succeed, the way to honour him is to make a difference in your community.
Indeed, his life tells a story of love to his family, selflessness to his community and passion to his work. Today, let us celebrate the life of “Oom Jakes”, a life lived with honour and dignity. When the future generations take a stand to reflect on those who contributed to the development of humanity, he will be counted among the frontrunners. For this reason, we are here to say to “Oom Jakes”: you ran a fulfilling race and lived your dream, your thoughts and dreams spanned limited imaginations.
Even in your still life, we want to assure you that these thoughts and dreams, by their unlimited nature, will perpetually be pursued. Your untimely departure has saddened us, but we gather strength from your words of wisdom, which taught us unity, perseverance and respect.
We are fortunate that you have been part of us that we shared both moments of joy and sadness with you. On this day, the truth that we battled to accept, dawns on us that we will never see you again. But because of the love you gave us, you will forever live in our hearts and minds. We thank God for giving us such a loving parent, a caring husband, a selfless community leader and a luminary teacher of the people.
May his soul rest in peace!
Thank you
Issued by: Department of Social Development
24 January 2010
Source: Department of Social Development (http://www.dsd.gov.za/)
