Kebby Maphatsoe lauded as ‘unifier’ at funeral

Maphatsoe was laid to rest in Soweto on Sunday.

Johannesburg Mayor Jolidee Matongo said he wanted the funeral to be a sight of unity.

“He was passionate about his convictions even in defending what he stood for, such people are never universally popular.

“There will be no point in pretending that there was a universal view of who and what he stood for that however should not be seen as a weakness of the movement that he gave up his youth and the rest of his life to. He specifically asked that his funeral be a sight of unity rather than divisions,” said Matongo.

Former North West premier Supra Mahumapelo says he had a last meeting with Maphatsoe before his passing.

“He is hurt that under democracy you can have people being jailed without a trial, and the example he made was that of former president Jacob Zuma, it shouldn’t be because it is Jacob Zuma. As a democracy, we shouldn’t have court arrive at a decision to put a person in jail without a trial. Those things only happen under apartheid

It shouldn’t just be about president Zuma, every citizen should not phase what Zuma is facing now.”

Mahumapelo says Maphatsoe died fighting for unity in the ANC.

“He said the unity challenges of the ANC can only be resolved by the last line of defence of the revolution and he said that the last line is the branches of the ANC.”

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