The family of the late Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa, never saw her as a person of status, but as a family member. This is according to Edna’s brother Fana Mmethi, speaking at Molewa’s memorial service in Pretoria.
This is one of many activities geared towards celebrating Edna Molewa’s role in the struggle for the liberation of the country and her role in the democratic government.
Molewa passed away last month aged 61 at a Pretoria hospital.
Mmethi says the family loved Edna Molewa very much. “On behalf of my siblings I want to say we love this beautiful lady. To us she was not a minister. She was not a premier. We love her more than we can explain or we could explain.”
Higher Education Minister, Naledi Pandor says they never imagined they would be mourning Molewa at this time, since they were with her in China just three weeks ago.
Pandor says they have lost a warrior woman of the people in the prime of her life.
Meanwhile, residents of Mampatile and Mazakhele townships in Bela Bela say they are touched by the death of Molewa. Thabo Mokwena says Molewa and his mother were childhood friends.
“She was a friend of my mother and they have always been there for each other. She was caring and she had that love of a mother, plenty of people are mourning now as I am speaking.” Additional reporting by Katlego Nyoni
