Maponya hailed as embodiment of business struggle and triumph
Gauteng Premier David Makhura has hailed late entrepreneur Richard Maponya as the personification of the tribulation and triumph of the black businessman in South Africa.
Maponya died at the age of 99 on Monday last week following a short illness.
His funeral took place at the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto campus on Tuesday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa - who will deliver the official eulogy – declared a special official funeral for the veteran businessman.
Makhura told mourners that it is apt that his funeral is in Soweto, as he was loved by the people of the township.
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"The people of Soweto loved Ntate Maponya. Various universities honoured him for his resilience, for his mark of black excellence, for breaking new ground and for him as a symbol for economic transformation in our country.
"Dr Maponya was the embodiment of tribulation and triumph of black businesspeople in or motherland. He was a walking monument that told the story of the irrepressible potential of a township economy.”
Makhura said the best way to honour Maponya is to ensure the development of townships.
"The best tribute we can pay to him is to never to tire against the fight of economic freedom.
"We will never tire in our efforts to create a society that embodies all our people and an economy that includes all our people. We will never to tire in our efforts to transform our townships into thriving centres educational, artistic, cultural and business centre.”