Tributes pour in for North West MEC Kegakilwe who died due to Covid-19 complications (original) (raw)

• The ANC, Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and North West Premier Job Mokgoro paid tribute to the province's COGTA MEC Gordon Kegakilwe.
• The MEC died on Monday after being transferred from the Vryburg Private Hospital to a facility in Klerksdorp.
• Kegakilwe has been praised for being a committed activist who selflessly served the people of the North West province.

North West Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Gordon Kegakilwe, who died after contracting Covid-19, has been lauded as someone who selflessly contributed to nation building and a hard-working servant of the people.

Kegakilwe died on Monday evening after being admitted to a hospital in Klerksdorp for Covid-19 related pneumonia.

North West Premier Job Mokgoro said in a statement that Kegakilwe had been admitted at the Vryburg Private Hospital on Sunday and then moved to Klerksdorp on Monday morning.

READ MORE | North West MEC Gordin Kegakilwe dies after getting Covid-19

In paying tribute to the MEC, Mokgoro said Kegakilwe had "distinguished himself as one of the finest to have come from the ranks of the governing ANC and a tried and tested leader".

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma praised Kegakilwe.

She said in a statement that the two of them had established a good working relationship over the past year.

Kegakilwe had been appointed as COGTA MEC following the 2019 general elections.

Dlamini-Zuma said he understood the importance of the department he served and carried out his responsibility with dignity.

"MEC Kegakilwe was passionate about the issues affecting the poor and the most vulnerable section of the population. He was a committed activist who has served the province in various roles before his appointment as the MEC," said Dlamini-Zuma.

She said he led his portfolio in effective planning, coordination and supported the development of habitable integrated human settlements and worked tirelessly to preserve, protect and develop the institution of traditional leadership in the North West province.

The ANC's national spokesperson Pule Mabe said in a statement by the party that Kegakilwe served the organisation in various capacities, including as a provincial deputy secretary and as a regional chairperson for the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati region.

He was also part of its interim provincial committee, which was set up to try and bridge the gap between its opposing factions in the North West.

"The best tribute we can pay in honour of this outstanding servant of the people is to intensify our war on Covid-19 by encouraging all South Africans to adhere to health safety protocols," said Mabe.