A former political activist, Mr Ndikandafhi Daniel Mabitha Ramudzuli (67) of Makonde village, was laid to rest during a memorable funeral at the weekend. He recently died in 1 Military Hospital.

During the apartheid era, Mabitha was a highly wanted individual because he was regarded as a terrorist by the then government.

Also known as Hwala, Mabitha could lift his opponents and hit them against the wall when he applied discipline to community troublemakers. He used to run an 80km return journey from Makonde to Thohoyandou daily while exercising.

A political activist and member of the ANC, Mabitha received his military training at Chikwalakwala in Zimbabwe in 1968. After his training in Zimbabwe, he proceeded to Zambia where he continued to learn more about the military with the aim of overthrowing the apartheid government.

He then went to Mozambique to continue with his mission with his friends, but they were captured by Portuguese soldiers. All his friends were thrown into the Zambezi River and perished, but Mabitha was handed over to the South African authorities. In chains, Mabitha was transported back to Louis Trichardt and later sent to a Pretoria prison where he spent years after he was found guilty of terrorism. He was released from prison in 1979 and came back to settle at his home village of Makonde, where he was involved in ANC underground work.

He worked at the then famous De Paradise Night Club in Thohoyandou as a security official. In the early eighties, Mabitha silenced the Varara Boys, a gang that terrorised villagers in Makonde and the surrounding villages. He did this by hunting the gang members individually.

He also worked at Donald Fraser Hospital as a boiler, had a stint with the Venda Defence Force and also worked at Protea Furnishers as a salesman. In the nineties, he worked at the Department of Water Affairs as a pump operator.

As a close relative to the Ravhura royal house, Mabitha played a very important role in building up the Ravhura dynasty. At one time he saved the life of his uncle, Mpandeli Wilson Ravhura, who was a regent to the Ravhura throne by advising him not to eat food that was prepared at the royal kraal. The food was then given to dogs, cats, fowls and cats that died instantly. It was later discovered that the food had been poisoned.

Mabitha is survived by three wives (Avhashoni, Josephine and Constance), nine children and 11 grandchildren.

Tributes from all corners of the country were sent to the family.