United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa has expressed condolences on the passing away of struggle stalwart and former African National Congress MP Zola Skweyiya.

Writing on his Facebook page‚ Holomisa said another giant had fallen just three days before his birthday.

“He was a thinker and a man given to pause. As a long-serving member of the African National Congress’ disciplinary committee‚ he and Penuell Maduna would always tease me after I had left the ANC and said: ‘Aaahh kwedin’‚ we chased you away neh!’.”

Holomisa was expelled from the ANC in 1996 for bringing the party into disrepute after he told the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that the late former public enterprises minister Stella Sigcau had accepted a R50‚000 payment from former Transkei ruler Chief George Matanzima. The R50‚000 was reportedly part of a R2 million payment to Matanzima by hotel magnate Sol Kerzner.

In his post‚ Holomisa said Skweyiya was a competent man when he served as minister of public service and administration between 1994 and 1999.

“As minister of social development (1999 – 2009) he was the great architect of the new public administration‚ its transformation ethos and the social security system that responded to the millions of the most vulnerable of our citizenry. The almost 18 million beneficiaries of this system owe their sustenance to him‚” Holomisa said.