Eusebius McKaiser hailed as 'intellectual rockstar'

Friends, colleagues and family of McKaiser gathered in Parktown on Tuesday for a memorial service to pay tribute to the late media icon.

McKaiser died last month after suffering an epileptic seizure at home at the age of 44.

McKaiser worked for Talk Radio 702, Power FM, TimesLIVE, while he also contributed to the Mail & Guardian and Sunday Times amongst others.

"He was an intellectual rockstar, looking at what we do today [podcast], I think he was our plan. There are so many things we wanted to do with him that we are not going to be able to do,” said TimesLIVE editor Makhudu Sefara.

"There is no one that we are going to find to replace Eusebius, he is not replaceable. You can find bits, pieces elsewhere in other people but you will not find what he brought to the table as an individual.

"He was a true patriot, not ANC and DA defined patriots, but a true patriot because he wanted what was good for the country. His last tweet talks to that."

McKaiser published several books, including A Bantu In My Bathroom and Run, Racist, Run.

Fellow Broadcaster Joanne Joseph called on the mourners to take the literary legacy forward.

"I ask all here to do something substantial for the course of literacy in memory of Eusebius, he accomplished so much in this short space of 44 years. We no longer him but we still have his words, and we will still have the essence of you in them."

Close friend and renowned broadcaster Redi Tlhabi told mourners that Eusebius had an “agenda” to bring change to society.

"Eusebius had an agenda, and I say that without any fear of contradiction. His agenda was to speak out for the underdog, amplify his voice against bigotry, was to put himself between that fatal strike of power and corruption.

"Between the protagonists and those who would be victims of such a strike, including a South Africa that was progressive, thriving, delivering for people and that was home to all of us. That is what Eusebius's agenda was."

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