The funeral service of slain Free State government official Noby Ngombane will be held in Bloemfontein on Monday, a statement from Premier Beatrice Marshoff’s office announced on Friday.
Spokesperson Paul Mahlatsi said the funeral would start at 9am at the Boet Troskie Hall at the Central University of Technology.
Ngombane (38) was shot outside his Bloemfontein home on Tuesday night after going to investigate when a car pulled into his driveway in Hillsboro.
He died shortly afterwards at the city’s Hyrdromed Hospital and police have included the possibility of a political motive in their investigation.
A funeral committee would be set up to finalise preparations. A separate statement from public works MEC Seeiso Mohai appealed to political parties and commentators to act and speak responsibly over Ngombane’s death and leave investigations to the police.
Noby Nyova Ngombane was born on 7 February 1966 in Bloemfontein and later became involved in politics through the Congress of SA Students.
He went on to study at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and was active in student political bodies, being elected president of the Students Representative Council in 1987.
He was involved in transformation processes at the UWC and after completing his studies there obtained a higher diploma in education from the University of the Witwatersrand.
His career included stints with the Institute for Multiparty Democracy in Cape, Caltex Southern Africa, Institute for Democracy in South Africa in the Free State and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance in Sweden.
He has been a special adviser to former premiers Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri and Winkie Direko.
He was the provincial coordinator of an interim leadership core appointed to restructure the ANC in the Free State and an ex-officio member of the ANC national executive committee.
At the time of his death, he was head of the Free State government’s policy monitoring and evaluation unit in Marshoff’s office, was her spokesperson and close confidant.
Ngombane had been embroiled in a number of impasses in the department of tourism and economic affairs before being appointed in Marshoff’s office, where his widow Nokwanda works as her personal assistant.
He had previously served as a coordinator on an ANC leadership committee tasked with rebuilding its Free State structures.
The Free State has recently experienced a spate of protests against what residents are calling poor service delivery.
Along with his wife, Ngombane leaves two children Khanya and Zandile.
— Sapa-AFP