A councillor attached to the Makhado Municipality died in a car accident last Friday night. Mr Mukosi Nelson Makhado (48) was travelling along the Louis Trichardt-Tshakhuma road when he lost control of his Mazda bakkie and collided with an oncoming truck. He died on the scene.

The spokesperson for the Levubu police, Warrant Officer Solly Mukhola, confirmed the incident. According to Mukhola, the incident occurred at about 20:15 last Friday night.

"Makhado, a resident of Ha-Mutsha village, was travelling alone when he lost control of his bakkie next to the Royal Macadamia Farm along the Tshakhuma-Louis Trichardt road and collided with a truck," he said. Mukhola said that Makhado was on his way to Ha-Mutsha when the accident happened.

According to Mukhola, a case of culpable homicide had been opened with the police, while investigations are still continuing.

Cllr Makhado was regarded by many as a gallant fighter, a charismatic, disciplined and dedicated leader. He was a member of the African National Congress and a branch executive committee member of Gwamasenga ANC branch from 2000. He was a member of the Ha-Mutsha Sanco. Cllr Makhado was also a member of the Levubu SAPS Community Policing Forum.

The mayor of Makhado Municipality, Cllr Mavhungu Luruli, expressed her shock and sadness at the untimely death of one of her councillors. "We have really lost a leader in our municipality and it will be very difficult for us to replace him," she said.

She added that Cllr Makhado´s death left a gap within the municipality. "We really valued his contribution to the municipality and the community at large. Losing a great leader like this also affects service delivery, because there were so many projects which he was facilitating in the community," said Luruli. She sent her condolences to the bereaved family.

Cllr Makhado was a very active member of the South African Teachers Union and was a teacher at Mugoidwa Secondary school at Vuwani.

His close friend, Cllr Albert Matodzi, said he was saddened by Cllr Makhado´s death. "This is not only a loss to the family, but to the community as a whole. Makhado will never be replaced. He will always be remembered for his good work in the community," he said.

Cllr Makhado is survived by his wife and three children. He will be buried at Ha-Mutsha cemetery tomorrow (Saturday).