Sorrow has engulfed the Chris Hani municipal area following
the death of one of its political leaders.
Mzoxolo Peter, known as Mzo, died on Sunday, 12 September at Frontier
Hospital after he was involved in a car accident on Saturday evening. This was confirmed by Enoch Mgijima Local
Municipality (EMLM) executive mayor, Luleka Gubula, in a statement.
Peter
was a councillor responsible for budget and treasury at EMLM.
“Enoch Mgijima Local Municipal mourns the untimely passing of Councillor
Mzoxolo Peter, the Portfolio Head for Finance. He was involved in a car
accident which occurred on Saturday evening (11 September) between Komani and
Cacadu towns and came out severely injured. He was taken to Frontier Hospital
in Komani, but succumbed to his injuries on Sunday,” Gubula said.
Gubula said Mpemvu, as he was affectionately called by his clan name, leaves a
huge void in the municipality.
“He was one of the young, vigilant and vibrant
leaders of Enoch Mgijima who had risen through political youth formation ranks
and more was still expected from him. This is a deep wound for the family and
as the municipality we send our deepest condolences to his family, relatives,
comrades and colleagues,” she said.
He will be remembered for his leadership role in both the erstwhile Lukhanji
Municipality and Enoch Mgijima, Gubula said.
Peter joined Lukhanji Local
Municipality as a PR Councillor in 2011 and served as a portfolio head for
Finance. After the establishment of Enoch Mgijima Municipality in 2016, Peter
served as a speaker and later moved to the position of portfolio head for
finance again. Before joining the Municipality, Peter worked for the
Department of Agriculture.
“The 41-year-old was born and raised in Cacadu and his family later moved
to Tambo village in Whittlesea. He is survived by his wife and daughter.
Funeral and other details will be communicated later, after consultation with
the family,” the executive mayor said.
The ANC, his political home, was also saddened by Mzo’s
untimely passing. Regional secretary Lusanda Sizani said Peter grew up and came
of age within the structures and ranks of the ANC. Peter was the regional
secretary of the ANC Youth League and a member of the regional executive
committee.
“He was a disciplined and advanced cadre of the
movement. In his role as a councillor, comrade Mzo was a very humble and
diligent servant of the peoole who championed the plight of his community
excellently,” Sizani said.
He said Peter believed in personal development through
education. “The ANC structures and members in Chris Hani region convey
their most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the Peter family; friends,
colleagues and comrades in the broader ANC family,” he said.
Peter cut his political teeth as a member of the
South African Students’ Congress at the erstwhile Eastern Cape Technikon. The
municipality said funeral arrangements will be communicated after consultation
with the family.
