The wishes of the Smith couple, who in the previous dispensation fought fiercely against the policy of separate development, were recently fulfilled when part of the ashes of Dr Ellen Smith was buried next to her husband at Tshilidzini.

Dr Nico Smith, a theologian, and his wife, Ellen, a medical doctor, spent a large part of their lives uplifting the communities of Mamelodi and Tshilidzini. At Tshilidzini, they founded a hospital and a church in 1956 and worked for many years before they relocated to Pretoria, where they founded a church in Mamelodi.

To show their commitment to changing and challenging the status quo, they settled in the black township of Mamelodi.

Dr Nico Smith passed on in 2010 and, in accordance with his wish, the family buried half of his ashes in Mamelodi and the rest at Tshilidzini. His wife, Ellen (87), passed on earlier this year and half of her ashes were buried at Mamelodi and the rest next to her husband at Tshilidzini.

The handing over of the ashes and subsequent burial took place during an emotional church service at Tshilidzini a fortnight ago.

The couple’s daughter, Maretha Laubscher, said her parents had requested them to do that before they died. “Our family has been part of these communities and we felt that we had to honour our parents’ wishes and unite them with the people they lived with, even in death. We are greatly heartened by the reception we received here,” she added.

Tshilidzini Hospital CEO Mr Mufamadi thanked the family for contributing towards the development in the area. “Through this family, many received education in this area and are now contributing positively to the country, continue the connection and hold on to the great works done by your parents,” he said.

On behalf of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa's Tshilidzini congregation, Rev Anderson Magwira thanked the family “for bringing light and fighting the demon of apartheid when it was not fashionable to do so”.

During the service, the church received memorabilia from the Smith family dating back to 1956, when the hospital and church were started.