FORMER Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Sicelo Shiceka will receive a special official funeral.

President Jacob Zuma declared yesterday that the late Shiceka, who will be buried on Saturday May 12, will receive a Special Official Funeral Category 1.

This category is reserved for distinguished persons specifically designated by the president.

Shiceka died on Monday in an Eastern Cape hospital following a long illness.

"All national flags will fly at half-mast at all flag stations in the country from Monday, May 7, until the evening of the burial," the Presidency said in a statement.

He will be buried in Midrand.

Outpourings of condolences were expressed following news of Shiceka's untimely death at the age of 45.

The former cabinet minister, who was appointed to the post in 2009, had been on sick leave since February last year before being fired by Zuma last October.

Shiceka was expected to contest Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's findings that he had misused state funds.

Madonsela found, among other things, that Shiceka had used over R1-million in public funds for himself and his friends, which violated the Ministerial Code of Ethics.