Johannesburg – Four days before the Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Nkosiphendule Kolisile, died in a tragic accident along with his driver and bodyguard, he sent a message to all his staff and told them that they were the umbilical cord between the public service and the people of Gauteng.
Reading a tribute to Kolisile at a packed Johannesburg City Hall on Wednesday, where the MEC’s memorial service was held, Albert Chanee, Gauteng’s Economic Development acting HOD, said his late political principal was “hands-on”, punctual and that he always put the people’s views before his own.
The memorial service comes after Kolisile, his bodyguard Sergeant Tebogo Motsie and his driver and bodyguard Constable Tshepo Jobo, were killed in a head-on collision on Saturday, 20 July 2013, while on their way to a funeral in the Eastern Cape.
Chanee said all the principles that Kolisile encouraged them to embrace would remain in the department that is key to creating jobs and improving the economy and socio-economic conditions in Gauteng – South Africa’s economic hub.
“20 July 2013 marked a very sad day for economic development and the people of Gauteng. No words can express the pain … that is felt by the family and all of us at the department,” he said.
Kolisile was appointed as MEC a year and four days ago, after Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane made changes to her cabinet, with an aim to turn around her administration.
During his very short tenure, the province’s unemployment rate dropped notably, which was attributed to several public-private partnership initiatives that Kolisile oversaw. In his last budget vote in May, Kolisile announced that his department was in the process of rolling out youth enterprise hubs aimed at boosting job creation around Gauteng.
Kolisile was also in the process of formalising the informal traders industry, and was at the time of his passing busy interacting with members of the public.
Chanee said Kolisile was easy to work with, as he knew the department and all of its entities like the back of his hand, and that he was an “open book”.
“He had the ability to relate to anyone, from the cleaners and security guards to CEOs and other captains of industry. MEC Kolisile would want us to march on … and we will. The working spirit that he left in the department lives on.”
Chanee said Kolisile spent most of his time in office in public participation sessions to gather input from the public on service delivery.
Kolisile recently oversaw the legislation of the Liquor Bill, which was aimed at reducing the impact of substance abuse in the province. After considering submissions from the public, Kolisile considered public concerns on one of the proposals – banning Sunday sales of alcohol products – and removed it from the draft bill.
Dr Vincent Maphai, the Executive Director of Corporate Affairs and Transformation at SAB Limited – who spoke on behalf of business – described Kolisile as a “selfless leader”.
“The message was very clear: to get the economy to work for the ordinary people. He was not going to allow the economy to grow for the sake of growing without considering the needs of the people.
“Nothing was about him. There was always a bigger picture – the country. He excited us about our province. A true gentleman. He had a wonderful way of distinguishing nonsense from what was value adding. He was always last, and put all of us in the front.
“We will continue with his success. We want to thank him for trusting us. We will miss this very humble man, this gentle giant. Most importantly, we will miss his ambition, not aimed for his personal gain, but for the people of this country.”
Premier Mokonyane later told the families of Kolisile’s driver and protector that the province will always appreciate their contribution and service “without asking questions”.
“The people who brought us here today were our protectors. We would like to thank you, the families of Jobo and Motsie for giving these men to us. Their jobs are thankless jobs because their jobs … [included] taking a bullet on our behalf.
Mokonyane went on to describe Kolisile as a “giant” who was always accessible and demonstrated excellent leadership.
Mokonyane said while Kolisile had family responsibilities, he was so committed that one day, he sacrificed his weekend and went to meet with with Maphai at a filling station to finalise a public-private partnership agreement worth R30 million.
“That is why today this house is so full because here is a man who never believed in individualism, but in working together. He believed in partnerships.
“He also introduced systems of lending financial support to even a person who sells peanuts at corner Bree and Jeppe streets [in central Johannesburg]. When we asked him how he would recoup the money, he just said, ‘Premier let us trust our people, we have to help them’.”
Mokonyane also told of how she and other MECs developed friendships and shared light moments, and how she would tease Kolisile about his dress sense.
“When we attended our first Lekgotla, he rocked up wearing a white suit with a white shirt and a white tie, and I remember calling him to the side to tell him that he must wear a darker tie,” Mokonyane said.
Kolisile will be laid to rest at a funeral service at his place of birth, the Majola Village in Port St John’s in the Eastern Cape. – SANews.gov.za
