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The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU) mourns the passing of the Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and African National Congress (NEC) National Executive Member, Comrade Jackson Mphikwa Mthembu, due to COVID-19 complications. 

NEHAWU conveys deep and heartfelt condolences to the Mthembu family, the ANC and his friends. We wish his family strength while confronted by this dark hour. 

Cde Mthembu will forever be remembered for his unassuming character and for being a people’s person. He exuded humility and dedicated himself to his work without reservation. He served both the ANC and the people of South African with integrity and unrelenting devotion. Just recently, the leadership of the national union worked with him when we were demanding a meeting with the President to raise sharply the issues contained in our memorandum of demands from our 3rd September 2020 National Day of Action. 

He was appointed by the President recently to form part of the Inter-ministerial Committee (IMC) to focus on the roll-out of the vaccination programme for COVID-19. His death is a great loss to the people of South Africa. The COVID-19 pandemic has robbed us of many loved ones and continues to claim more lives during the current second wave of infections.

In this regard, we once again appeal to all our people to continue to exercise and follow best practices and ways to avoid getting infected by the coronavirus including staying at home, observing social distance, wearing masks that covers both the mouth and nose, and washing hands with soap for 20 seconds or using alcohol based sanitisers.

As NEHAWU, we say “Lala Ngoxolo Mvelase, indima yakho uyidlalile, The Struggle Continues!!!”

Issued by NEHAWU Secretariat