Dr Mdlalose to be laid to rest on Thursday

The funeral for KwaZulu-Natal’s first Premier, Dr Frank Mdlalose, is due to take place on Thursday in Madadeni outside Newcastle.

Premier Sihle Zikalala announced that Mdlalose will receive a provincial official funeral category 2.

The police will be taking part in the ceremony, while flags will fly at half-mast in the province on the day.

Mdlalose died at the weekend of COVID-19-related complications at the age of 89. He served as premier from 1994 to 1997.

Various quarters have hailed him for the role he played during South Africa’s transition from apartheid.

Former ANC president Jacob Zuma is the latest to pay tribute to Mdlalose. Speaking on SABC’s Ukhozi FM Vuka Afrika breakfast show, Zuma said Mdlalose was committed in bringing about peace in the once violent province. Zuma says peace talks needed men who were brave in preaching peace to their parties as well.

“Dr. Mdlalose was a man known for being principled in politics, he was an IFP leader in KZN and he was also a chairperson, I knew him well and have worked with him well during peace talks in the province trying to end bloodshed between ANC and IFP members, he was committed in bring about peace, we managed to end violence in the province, that task needed us to brave because it was a huge and hard task to preach peace then in our respective political parties and the entire community because violence affect many people,” said Zuma.

KwaZulu-Natal’s first Premier Dr Frank Mdlalose remembered: