Ramaphosa vows to honour Mthembu’s corruption-fighting efforts

Ramaphosa delivered an emotional tribute at Mthembu’s funeral in Mpumalanga on Sunday. 

Mthembu was admitted to the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg earlier last week and died of Covid-19-related complications on Thursday. 

The various speakers at his funeral consistently described Mthembu as an honourable leader. 

Ramaphosa told the socially-distanced mourners that Mthembu’s intolerance of corruption had not gone unnoticed. 

“Minister Mthembu was a kind and gentle soul, but when it came to corruption, to self-serving leadership and to brazen abuse of power, you would see another side to him. He was never deceived by the false smiles and empty promises of those who sought to enrich themselves at the expense of the poor and the weak. He called them out, and he didn’t care if they were more powerful than he was,” said Ramaphosa. 

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He urged the country’s leaders to take a leaf out of Mthembu’s book by putting the needs of the people ahead of their own.  

“As we pay homage to him today, let us remember him for what he was, a servant leader who loved the people of this great land, and put them above love of party, of leader, and of self. It is not enough to eulogise our departed comrade.

“We must complete what he was not able to finish in his lifetime: the cause of renewing and rebuilding his beloved movement, of restoring the nation’s faith in this government, and of building an ethical state that is led by men and women of honour, of principle and of conviction.” 

He further called for politicians and members of society alike to continue the work of Mthembu. 

“We may have lost his principled strident voice, but his spirit lives on in the countless young men and women that he mentored and trained over the years. Many have gone on to occupy valued positions within society. 

“His spirit and work will live on.”