The chief financial officer of the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB), Nthabeleng Khabutlane, has died. The MDB announced Khabutlane’s untimely death in a media statement issued on Tuesday.
Khabutlane (45), a formidable businesswoman who is the founder of Fezi Auditors and Consultants, died on Sunday at a hospital in Gauteng after a short illness.
The MDB, in the short statement, said it was paying tribute to the life and legacy of Khabutlane, who worked to the top to become one of South Africa’s top businesswomen in her own right.
“Her dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment will always be remembered. May her soul rest in eternal peace,” said the MDB in a statement.
Humble beginnings
Khabutlane was born in Brandfort, which was officially renamed Winnie Mandela in 2021, a small agricultural town in the central Free State. The deceased was also known for her philanthropic work through her initiatives of empowering young women in the country.
As an accountant and business executive, her company had worked extensively with the government and private sector, where Fezi would render financial services.
Khabutlane was married to Free State businessman, Thebe Mochochoko. She is also the ex-wife of former Gauteng ANC provincial secretary, Jacob Khawe.
Khawe and Khabutlane’s lavish wedding, attended by top ANC politicians and tycoons, took place in 2020 at the exclusive Bella Monte Estate in Bloemfontein; however, two years later they drifted apart and divorced.
Rising to the top
A resilient woman who pushed all the boundaries to build her empire, the businesswoman was also featured in the Sunday World Heroic Women supplement in 2023.
Khabutlane served on various boards such as Free State Gambling and Racing Board, the Free State Development Corporation, the Financial Fiscal Commission, and the Free State Black Business Council.
Through her work, Khabutlane also chaired audit committees where she held executive positions in portfolios such as the Black Management Forum and the Association for the Advancement of Black Chartered Accountants in South Africa.
At the time of her death, she was holding an MBA, attained cum laude.
Khabutlane’s sister, Masello Maloisane, requested for the family to be given privacy as they mourn.
“We are unable to comment at this point in time as we are mourning the loss of our family member,” said Moloisane.
