Mourners at the funeral service of former North West Education MEC, Reverend Johannes Tselapedi, have described him as a man who believed in truth and loved education.
Tselapedi died at the age of 65 after a short illness, last Sunday. His funeral was held in Mahikeng on Friday.
In the video below his daughter, Grace Khoza, pays tribute to him
Tselapedi was accorded a special official provincial funeral by the North West province. Among those in attendance was the Premier of the North West Job Mokgoro, members of parliament and the provincial legislature, leaders of different church denominations and members of the African National Congress (ANC), mayors and councillors.
Tselapedi held three government portfolios that included transport, education, and agriculture. He later became the Speaker of the provincial legislature.
Prior to his passing, he was a councillor in the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality. He has been praised as a person who believed in honesty and truth.
His son is Thapelo Tselapedi says: “He was a very engaging person. That is quite important for him, be expressive and be honourable to truth, always seek justice and do right unto others. Given that he was a person of the cloth, he loved the bible and church. So he instilled particularly Christian values in all of us.”
His former colleague says he was instrumental in the municipality’s turnaround strategy. Justice Makolomakwa is the executive mayor for Ngaka Modiri Molema.
“We were able to implement projects of R100 million. Presently we were able to pay all our creditors. We are only left with Sedibeng that we still have a dispute with but we are still working on it.”
Tselapedi was also a member of the ANC’s Interim Provincial Committee in the North West. Hlomane Chauke, Co-ordinator for ANC’s Interim Provincial Committee says, in order to honour him, it will try to improve the state of municipalities in the province.
“In honouring Tselapedi it is for the people of the North West and the membership of the ANC in the province to embrace what comrade Tselapedi stood for. Because when we do that we will be really honouring his commitment to bring about development. He loved his people. I think that’s one thing that we want to see, municipalities where we deployed him, we want to see development in Ngaka Modiri Molema. We want to see the development of water, roads and job creation. We want to see the municipality intensifying developments in our people.”
However, the provincial government says if communities can invest in education, it will assist to transform their lives. Premier Job Mokgoro elaborates
“There are two things that are missing in our government and in broader society. The one is valuing education and the other is valuing values that have been bequeathed to us by our forebears. If we could do those two things we will go very far.”
Tselapedi’s name was among three submitted to lead the North West, following Supra Mahumapelo’s resignation as Premier. He leaves behind his wife and six children.
For more on the funeral watch video below:
