Staff Reporter
Former Newcastle Mayor Nkululeko Ntuthuko Mahlaba, a KwaZulu-Natal MPL and chairperson of committees in the provincial legislature, died early on Saturday after being struck by a vehicle while jogging in Newcastle, the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal said.
Mahlaba, also a former MEC for Sports, Arts and Culture and Public Works and Human Settlements, was serving as a member of the ANC’s Provincial Task Team at the time of his death.
“The news of his sudden departure has cast a dark, painful, and impenetrable cloud over the entire province and the broader liberation movement. We are frozen in disbelief that a life so full of vigour, promise, and revolutionary commitment could be extinguished so abruptly at the dawn of the morning,” the ANC said in a statement on Saturday.
The party said Mahlaba had held several senior political positions in KwaZulu-Natal, including chairperson of the ANC in the Mbuso Kubheka Region, formerly eMalahleni, and former provincial treasurer of the ANC. He had also previously chaired the ANC Youth League.
“Death has robbed us of a revolutionary doctor, a fearless youth leader, and a disciplined cadre who commanded the respect of friends and political foes alike,” the ANC said.
“We have lost a titan of the working class, Cde Dr. Mahlaba’s life was a masterclass in organic leadership. Rising through the fiery ranks of student politics, he was a leader who never outsourced his revolutionary responsibilities.”
The ANC said Mahlaba’s leadership had strengthened the party’s presence in the province’s hinterland and that he had left “an indelible mark on infrastructure development and community upliftment”.
“In his latest deployment as Chair of Chairs in the KZN Legislature, he demonstrated absolute fairness, parliamentary astuteness, and an unshakeable adherence to holding governance accountable to the citizens of KwaZulu-Natal,” the party said.
The ANC extended condolences to Mahlaba’s wife, Dr Busi Mahlaba, their children, his family, comrades in the Mbuso Kubheka Region and members of the public.
“The banners of the ANC fly at half-mast today in honour of a man who gave everything to the struggle for a better South Africa,” it said.
“The ANC humble request the members of the public and media to give the family privacy while dealing with this tragedy.”
INSIDE POLITICS
