MPUMALANGA PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT MOURNS THE DEMISE OF IKOSI MAHLANGU

16 July 2021

The Mpumalanga Provincial Government is reeling with shock the passing on of the Chairperson of the National House of Traditional Leaders (NHTL), Ikosi Sipho Mahlangu. His death was announced by the President, His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa. The Provincial Government says Mahlangu’s death has robbed the nation a towering figure who was committed to the cause of improving the socio-economic conditions of communities in rural areas.

Mpumalanga Premier, Ms Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane says Mahlangu will be remembered as a champion of rural development. “Ikosi Mahlangu advanced the cause of rural communities by ensuring that their aspirations find space in the developmental agenda of the country. The Agrarian Revolution, the Sustainable Comprehensive Rural Development Programme and the Rural Development Strategies designed to intensify the fight against the high levels of poverty and food insecurity in rural areas, introduced during his tenure as Chairperson of the NHTL, attest to this. This endeared him as the mouthpiece of the previously marginalized communities,” Mtshweni-Tsipane lamented.

Ikosi Mahlangu served as Chairperson of the Mpumalanga Provincial House of Traditional Leaders (MPHTL) between 2007 and 2012 and subsequently joined the NHTL in 2017. Mtshweni-Tsipane remembered Ikosi Mahlangu as a humble servant of the nation. She says although his demise is a loss to the entire nation, however, communities in Mpumalanga, are the hardest hit. “We join the President, His Excellency Cyril Ramaphosa, the National House of Traditional Leaders and the nation as a whole, in mourning the demise of Ikosi Mahlangu. He was a rare breed and an embodiment of servanthood leadership, selfless and trustworthy. He belonged to the generation of leaders who served our communities in Mpumalanga with humility and dignity, and further represented the province in the highest echelons of our country with excellence,” says the Premier.

She further lamented the timing of Ikosi Mahlangu’s passing. “He passed away at the time when we needed him the most. We consulted him as one of the key leaders in our society and an important stakeholder of government, not only on cultural and traditional affairs, but on matters related to the fight against the marauding COVID-19 pandemic. He made a meaningful contribution in this regard. May his soul rest in peace,” the Premier said. The Premier has sent condolences to the Ndzundza-Mabusa Traditional Council and the NHTL on behalf of the Provincial Government.

ENDS...


Issued by the Mpumalanga Provincial Government

Enquiries:

(A) Provincial Government Spokesperson: George Mthethwa
Tel: (013) 766 2242
Mobile: 083 302 2774
E-mail: gpmthethwa@mpg.gov.za