The African National Congress, its youth league and family members of Peter Mokaba on Monday criticised the media for announcing his death before his next-of-kin had been informed.
At a media conference at Mokaba’s house in Wendywood, north of Johannesburg, the ANC Youth League president Malusi Gigaba lashed out at the media, saying the youth league was ”enraged” when the media ran stories about Mokaba’s death without confirming it with his family first.
ANC representative Smuts Ngonyama also criticised a Johannesburg radio station for broadcasting the news of Mokaba’s death before his family had been informed.
Ngonyama said Mokaba’s daughter heard on the radio that her father was dead and was very distraught.
Mokaba’s brother-in-law, Danny Msiza, appealed to the media to treat Mokaba with the respect he deserved.
”Our family lost a guardian, father and brother… treat him with respect so that his soul may rest in peace.”
Gigaba said that the youth league was ”deeply shaken” by the death of its founding president.
”He was the epitome of the defiance and fearlessness of the youth,” he said.
”He was defiant to the end, believing that nothing, not even illness, could suppress him.”
Gigaba said Mokaba always urged the youth to learn.
He said the youth league would be mobilising the country’s young people to take part in Mokaba’s funeral service.
Ngonyama said the ANC had lost a true revolutionary.
”He was a tiger of the revolution… from his young days he was in the centre of the struggle.”
In a biography, the ANC said that Mokaba had been involved in the student uprisings of 1976 when he was a leader of school boycotts in Mankweng outside Pietersburg. Mokaba was expelled from school but managed to complete matric on his own in 1978.
In 1987 Mokaba was elected president of the South African Youth Congress (Sayco) and he also became a founder of the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa).
After the unbanning of the ANC in 1990, Sayco was dissolved and the ANC youth league came into existence, with Mokaba as its president – a post he held until 1994.
He was one of the first ANC members of parliament and served as the deputy minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
He was elected as member of the ANC’s National Executive Committee in 1991 and re-elected in 1994 and 1997.
Mokaba was recently appointed to head the ANC’s preparations for the 2004 elections.
Ngonyama said he had last seen Mokaba at the ANC’s headquarters at Luthuli House, Johannesburg, last week.
The New National Party said although Mokaba was known as a controversial politician, he enjoyed wide support in his party.
NNP representative Renier Schoeman conveyed his party’s sympathy and condolences to Mokaba’s family, friends and colleagues.
Mokaba (43) died at his house in Wendywood on Sunday about 9.30am, of ”natural causes”, the ANC said in its statement on Monday.
On Sunday night Ngonyama said that Mokaba had suffered from acute pneumonia and respiratory problems.
The ANC said Mokaba’s funeral would take place in Pietersburg on Sunday, Youth Day. Memorial services would be held countrywide this week. – Sapa