Dabalorivhuwa's leader laid to rest

Speaker after speaker described the late Mr Tshimangadzo Johannes Tshiololi, better known as “TJ”, as a giant tree that had fallen. Tshiololi died on Tuesday night, 5 January, in the Mediclinic in Tzaneen after a short illness that was confirmed to be Covid-19 related.

Tshiololi (75) was the chairperson for the Vhembe Concerned Pensioners, also called Dabalorivhuwa. This group endeavoured to receive full compensation from the former Venda government employees’ fund.

Tshiololi’s memorial service was held on Friday, 8 January, under strict Covid-19 regulations, followed by his burial in his home village, Mulenzhe, outside Thohoyandou the next day, where only family members and close relatives were allowed to bid him farewell.

One of his children, Mr Khumbelo Tshiololi, said that his father had taught them how to be good children with morals and love and compassion for others. He also taught them to take education seriously, as this was something that he valued.

Tshiololi was born in Duthuni village and obtained his BA Degree in 1973 from the University of Turfloop, now the University of Limpopo.

He started formal work as a senior library assistant at the University of Limpopo in 1976 and was also employed as a teacher at Mphaphuli High School in 1979. He was then employed by Radio Venda as an announcer/journalist/producer.

“He became the first manager of the then Radio Thohoyandou, which was under the Department of Information and Broadcasting and was instrumental in establishing the said station from the ground. After the abolition of the apartheid government, he was instrumental in the discussion to amalgamate all the TBVC broadcasting institutions into the SABC, and then became the first general manager of SABC Limpopo in 1991,” Khumbelo said.

Tshiololi became heavily involved in the Vhembe Concerned Pensioners Group, which he chaired to assist many former Venda government employees to receive their proper pension pay-outs.

In a statement from the office of the Public Protector, Advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane said she was saddened by the passing of Tshiololi, who was one of the three complainants in a 12-year pension dispute affecting dozens of former employees of the erstwhile Venda homeland.

“They alleged that the Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) and National Treasury acted improperly during the privatization of the Venda Pension Fund, thereby prejudicing members of the fund. They also alleged that, as a result of the said privatization, they were not entitled to full pension benefits in terms of the Government Employees Pension Law,” Mkhwebane said.

Mkhwebane added that it was sad that Tshiololi, like several former civil servants from the defunct Venda administration, passed away while still awaiting justice, even after successfully obtaining the assistance and intervention of an independent constitutional institution.

One of the retirees, who has worked in administration with the late Tshiololi in the Vhembe Concerned Pension Group, Ms Rose Ambani, said that life would never be the same without Tshiololi, especially when fighting for the rights of the former Venda pension fund members.

 Tshiololi is survived by his wife, Molly Tshiololi, siblings, children, and grandchildren.

News - Date: 15 January 2021

Silas Nduvheni

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