Gauteng Premier, David Makhura says the death of Acting Director-General in his office, Thabo Masebe, marks a huge loss of a servant of the people.
He says it’ll be difficult to find a good government communicator to the stature of Masebe, for he didn’t shy away from telling the facts as they are when he was interviewed by the media.
Masebe has been accorded a Provincial Official Funeral by President Cyril Ramaphosa. He died on Monday, aged 58 years.
Makhura delivered the eulogy at the Kempton Park Civic Centre, where Masebe’s funeral took place on Saturday morning.
“Thabo Masebe’s presence enriched and improved the government’s work. It has enhanced the quality of government work and service delivery. But his sudden and unexpected departure leaves us grief stricken. And many have said this, we are heartbroken. He leaves a big gap in government and the ANC for the work that still needs to be done,” says Makhura.
Video: Thabo Masebe Special Official Provincial Funeral
A real “product and creator of history”
Former President Kgalema Motlanthe says government communicator, Thabo Masebe is a real “product and creator of history” within the African National Congress (ANC).
He has paid tribute to the late Acting Director-General in the Office of the Premier of Gauteng.
Motlanthe says it was for the generation of Masebe that the young people of this country are now enjoying the fruits of democracy.
“Comrade Thabo is at once the product and creator of history, though selflessly facing – his heart was filled with fire and shared in the actions and paths of his time. He distinguish himself in the role that he played first as a student and a youth and an activist in the turbulent 1980 and early 1990s,” says Motlanthe.
Video: Former President Kgalema Motlanthe pays tribute to the late Thabo Masebe
Willing to listen and learn from those he worked with
Thabo Masebe was always and has always been willing to listen and learn from those he worked with during the dark days of Apartheid in South Africa. That’s according to Febe Portgieter, who represents the Young Lion Generation within the ANC.
She says if it wasn’t for the likes of Thabo Masebe, the interests of the youth would have probably been forgotten during the negotiations with the Apartheid Government of the day, which subsequently saw the country graduate into a democratic state in 1994.
The Acting Director-General in the Gauteng office of the Premier passed away on Monday. He was 58 years old. Portgieter says Masebe was a real fighter for the rights of the youth of his generation.
“We were part of a long and illustrious tradition of struggle, we were thought to know and preserve our history or understand and learn from the past, it’s Ups and downs, better to inform our paths to the future. Masebe as we said before was well mannered, always willing to learn and engage with such curiosity and a wide range of interest.”
A loving man, says Masebe’s son
The son of the late Acting Director-General in the Gauteng office of the Premier, Thabo Masebe, Chamaano Masebe says his father was a loving man, who gave all in making sure they they had the best as his sons.
Chamaano Masebe says their father respected his work in government and was never shy to answer the so called difficult questions from the media. He says they will forever be grateful for the role his played as a father to them.
“A few things that I also admired about my father were his dedication, he was also disciplined, calm and very level headed with everything that he did, especially his work. He never switched up when it comes to an interview, whenever he was asked very challenging questions according to many of us here.”
A a unifier, says brother
The brother of the late Acting Director-General Masebe, Homolang Masebe, says as the family they are proud of the fact that he was never involved in controversy, but worked hard as an enthusiastic government communicator.
Homolang Masebe says his brother was a unifier.
“When we talked about his work and politics he’s say ‘Hai suka Bagafa ba’. Then you know he doesn’t like what they are doing. When a minister speaks on TV he’d call me to say, ‘what is this guy’s saying?’ coz he wanted things to be done the correct way,”says Homolang Masebe.
