Johannesburg – President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed minister of small business development Khumbudzo Ntshaveni as acting minister in the presidency for planning, monitoring and evaluation until further notice.
Ntshavheni’s appointment comes after the death of Jackson Mthembu, who succumbed to Covid-19 last week.
Mthembu was buried last Sunday in Emalahleni in Mpumalanga last Sunday.
“Minister Ntshaveni will continue to perform her responsibilities as minister of small business development while acting as minister in the presidency,” the presidency said in a statement.
These were among the glowing accolades attached to the life of the Minister during a virtual memorial service on Monday. The Minister was buried on Sunday in Emalahleni after succumbing to COVID-19 related complications last Thursday.
In a eulogy, Deputy President David Mabuza said Mthembu’s death was not only the passing of an individual, but a “premature departure” of a representative of the great generation.
Also read: Mthembu remembered as a committed, humble public servant
“Our country is in the deep throes of pain. Death keeps striking. In this instance it struck in the Cabinet. The likes of Minister Mthembu…pass this way once. In their wake, they leave us the gifts of liberty and freedom. In their commendable journey, they leave footprints of a well-fought struggle against apartheid and a well-trodden journey to build the foundations of democracy in South Africa.
“It falls upon a special generation to fight for freedom and achieve it. He belongs to this eminent group and deserves to be cherished,” Mabuza said.
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