A former mayor of the Makhado Municipality, Mr Brighton Tlakula, passed away at the Medi-clinic in Polokwane on Sunday evening, after battling with diabetes for some time.

Tlakula became the first mayor for the Makhado Municipality on 5 December 2000 and was at the forefront of the team campaigning for the name change of Louis Trichardt to Makhado. Tlakula, however, did not finish his term as mayor and resigned at a later stage.

Makhado Municipality's mayor, Cllr David Mutavhatsindi, said that the death of the 72-year-old Mr Tlakula had saddened the municipality and the community at large. He then comforted the family by using the expression “madi a tevhuwa o tevhuwa”, which means that it is of no use to weep for situations or incidents that cannot be reversed or changed.

“We take comfort in the good work and services which this great son of the soil had done for people within the area of the Makhado Municipality,” Mutavatsindi said mournfully. “I remember him as a jovial man and a workaholic, who served the ANC with dedication and faithfulness. How can we forget his light jokes?”

All the visitors, among them Municipal Manager Isaac Mutshinyali, Cllr Tebogo Mamorobela, Cllr Lindiwe Mogale, municipal spokesperson Louis Bobodi and Cllr Dzawele Ratshikuni, nodded at Mutavhatsindi's words.

Tlakula's family expressed their gratitude to the municipality after the visit. They said that they appreciated the fact that the municipality had demonstrated that the relationship still existed between the family and the municipality, even when Tlakula had long left the municipality. “My father was a dedicated member of the ANC and he always reminded me to stay focused as a foot soldier,” said the deceased's son, Languta Tlakula.

Tlakula will be laid to rest on Saturday at 07:00. The funeral service will be held at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of SA in Elim.

He is survived by his wife and four children.