President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a Special Official Funeral Category 2 for Jessie Duarte. Duarte passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning after battling cancer. She was 68. She will be laid to rest at the Westpark Cemetery on Sunday afternoon.
“President Cyril Ramaphosa has, as a mark of reverence, designated the funeral of struggle stalwart and Ambassador Yasmin “Jessie” Duarte, as a Special Official Funeral Category 2, which will be held on Sunday, 17 July 2022,” notes a statement by the Presidency.
Duarte passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning after battling cancer. She was 68. She will be laid to rest at the Westpark Cemetery on Sunday afternoon.
Ramaphosa’s Spokesperson, Vincent Mangweny says “President Cyril Ramaphosa has as a mark of reverence and in accordance with Chapter 1.5.2 (a) of the State, Official and Provincial Funeral Policy Manual, designated the funeral of struggle stalwart and Ambassador Yasmin “Jessie” Duarte, as a Special Official Funeral Category 2, which will be held today.”
She was admitted to the hospital last year with gastrointestinal complications which required various investigations, an interventional procedure and other treatment.
President @CyrilRamaphosa has, as a mark of reverence, designated the funeral of struggle stalwart and Ambassador Yasmin “Jessie” Duarte, as a Special Official Funeral Category 2, which will be held on Sunday, 17 July 2022. https://t.co/IKBaaiiOb4#JessieDuarte #RIPJessieDuarte pic.twitter.com/xr2LkUtWhN
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) July 17, 2022
This is where President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to be delivering the Eulogy, right at the Westpark Cemetery. It’s where the late ANC Deputy Secretary General Jessie Duarte will be laid to rest. #SABCNews pic.twitter.com/Ars5PqNRNL
— Abongile Dumako (@AbongileDumako) July 17, 2022
Video: ANC media briefing following ANC Deputy Secretary General Jessie Duarte’s death
Jessie Yasmin Duarte: 1953 – 2022
Jessie Yasmin Duarte was born on the 19th of September in 1953. As a long time anti-apartheid activist she has served as a special assistant to former President Nelson Mandela and was also a member of the Gauteng provincial government as MEC for Safety and Security in 1994.
Duarte also served as the country’s ambassador to Mozambique. Before she assumed her current post as ANC Deputy Secretary-General in 2012 she was serving as the ANC spokesperson.
The ANC and its alliance partners has sent condolences to her family and is expected some of it’s top brass will visit her family on Sunday morning and also attend her funeral.
Video: Jessie Duarte I Looking back at Duarte’s political journey
