Hundreds of people braved torrential rain to converge at the Richmond Agricultural Hall to pay tribute to the town’s slain municipal manager‚ Sibusiso Sithole.
So packed was the hall that even its overflow area could not accommodate all the mourners‚ with a small marquee having to be erected outside.
Sithole‚ who was due to start his new job at Umngeni Municipality in Howick next week‚ was gunned down in the Richmond CDB on Monday morning‚ raising fears of renewed political tension in once strife-torn KZN Midlands town.
Inside the teeming hall on Thursday‚ the who’s who of local government‚ including mayors‚ municipal managers‚ ANC and alliance partner leaders‚ DA officials‚ academics‚ farmers‚ municipal employees and residents remained united in grief. The emotionally-charged service was punctuated by occasional wailing amid an array of gospel and struggle songs.
Speaker after speaker recounted how Sithole changed their lives‚ and the lives of those who come into contact with him.
“In moments like these it would feel like death has won but it has not‚” said municipal employee Ntokozo Sibiya.
Dr Mpilo Ngubane‚ speaking on behalf of municipal managers and the Institute for Local Government Management‚ praised Sithole for the work he did both as the provincial treasurer of the organisation and Richmond’s head honcho.
Under Sithole‚ the small council received two clean audits.
“Let’s celebrate S’bu’s life. His work speaks volume. It was comforting that for once people recognised the work done by municipal managers.
“We wish to know these people who are killing us and tell them we are not fighting. All we know is to fight using a pen‚” said Ngubane.
The SA Municipal Workers Union’s Mandlenkosi Shelembe praised said Sithole was selfless in the service of Richmond’s people. He said it was rare to find municipal managers who go along with political principals‚ opposition parties and employees.
“He was humble and his administration leadership was humble. He was someone who came down to your level. He was like a relative to all‚” he said.
A projected slideshow playing by the stage showed hundreds of Sithole pictures be it in the workplace‚ mingling with construction workers and grass cutters in the field‚ presenting awards at schools‚ speaking in national conferences‚ graduations and many other occasions it summed up the life of a man who was in tune with his people.
Richmond mayor Joe Mchunu said he received the call of his municipal manager’s murder when he was driving to Pietermaritzburg.
“He was a fine young man‚ a leader and an intellectual. Even if you never agreed on something he never lost his smile‚” said Mchunu.
Tears and rain fall at slain KZN city boss's memorial
Hundreds of people braved torrential rain to converge at the Richmond Agricultural Hall to pay tribute to the town’s slain municipal manager‚ Sibusiso Sithole.
So packed was the hall that even its overflow area could not accommodate all the mourners‚ with a small marquee having to be erected outside.
Sithole‚ who was due to start his new job at Umngeni Municipality in Howick next week‚ was gunned down in the Richmond CDB on Monday morning‚ raising fears of renewed political tension in once strife-torn KZN Midlands town.
Inside the teeming hall on Thursday‚ the who’s who of local government‚ including mayors‚ municipal managers‚ ANC and alliance partner leaders‚ DA officials‚ academics‚ farmers‚ municipal employees and residents remained united in grief. The emotionally-charged service was punctuated by occasional wailing amid an array of gospel and struggle songs.
Speaker after speaker recounted how Sithole changed their lives‚ and the lives of those who come into contact with him.
“In moments like these it would feel like death has won but it has not‚” said municipal employee Ntokozo Sibiya.
Dr Mpilo Ngubane‚ speaking on behalf of municipal managers and the Institute for Local Government Management‚ praised Sithole for the work he did both as the provincial treasurer of the organisation and Richmond’s head honcho.
Under Sithole‚ the small council received two clean audits.
“Let’s celebrate S’bu’s life. His work speaks volume. It was comforting that for once people recognised the work done by municipal managers.
“We wish to know these people who are killing us and tell them we are not fighting. All we know is to fight using a pen‚” said Ngubane.
The SA Municipal Workers Union’s Mandlenkosi Shelembe praised said Sithole was selfless in the service of Richmond’s people. He said it was rare to find municipal managers who go along with political principals‚ opposition parties and employees.
“He was humble and his administration leadership was humble. He was someone who came down to your level. He was like a relative to all‚” he said.
A projected slideshow playing by the stage showed hundreds of Sithole pictures be it in the workplace‚ mingling with construction workers and grass cutters in the field‚ presenting awards at schools‚ speaking in national conferences‚ graduations and many other occasions it summed up the life of a man who was in tune with his people.
Richmond mayor Joe Mchunu said he received the call of his municipal manager’s murder when he was driving to Pietermaritzburg.
“He was a fine young man‚ a leader and an intellectual. Even if you never agreed on something he never lost his smile‚” said Mchunu.
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