Evangelical Lutheran Church Presiding Bishop to be laid to rest on Friday

The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa, Molwane Ubane, will be buried in Rustenburg in the North West on Friday.

He died of COVID-19-related complications last week at the age of 60.

A memorial service for him was held on Monday.

Bishop Ubane, who presided over the Lutheran Church across, Swaziland, Lesotho, Botswana and South Africa, was also an executive member of the South African Council of Churches.

Ubane was elected the presiding Bishop in January 2019.

He has been at the helm of the church, led the church until his untimely passing.

Some prominent religious leaders from across the country are expected to attend the funeral service. The South African Council of Churches General Secretary, Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana, will be the keynote speaker.

Ubane leaves behind his wife and three daughters.

Shock

Ubane’s family say his death came as a shock. They say besides being a Bishop, he had a love for his family and relatives.

Family spokesperson Ethel Masilo says they will remember him as a unifier.

“He was a brother to others and a grandfather. The love that he has given to us, the unity that he was preaching. We will always remember him that he was a pillar of strength. He was actually everything to us.”

His Deputy Dean, Kedibone Molete, says Ubane had a vision for his church.

“Bishop Ubane was an open man, a loving man who was open to advice, a father to everybody, to young people in the church. We have lost indeed and we were still enjoying him and we have so many hopes.”

GBV

Last year September, Ubane took part in a protest march aimed at fighting corruption of Personal Protecting Equipment and Gender-Based Violence in Mahikeng.

During that march, the late Presiding Bishop said, “As the church, we cannot keep quiet when we see our people suffering and people are busy looting in the coffers of our country. We are not going to allow that and that is why we are here as the church been the voice of the poor. We are here to say enough is enough and corruption will not be our heritage and we will never allow that.”