Tendamudzimu Ratshitanga laid to rest

One could be forgiven for taking Tendamudzimu Robert Ratshitanga for granted. He was a quiet man, but a man with a huge influence on the area - the qualities which made Pres Jacob Zuma decide to accord the man an official state funeral.

Premier Cassel Mathale praised president Zuma at the funeral service at Tshidimbini outside Thohoyandou for having accorded Ratshitanga a full provincial state funeral. Flags at all government buildings in Limpopo on Saturday flew at half mast.

”When he was asked to become Chief Whip at a municipality, he did not complain or say he was once an MP in parliament. Yet this is the man who did so much for this country,” Premier Mathale said during the funeral.

Minister in the Presidency for Performance and Evaluation Collins Chabane said while the ANC prepared to celebrate 100 year of existence, it had a lot to thank Ratshitanga for. “Most of the branches in Limpopo were started by him. We worked together with no car, no money and we relied on public transport,” said Chabane.

Ratshitanga was one of the biggest literary giants in Limpopo. In 1988, while he was in prison serving a five-year term for harbouring ANC guerrillas, one of Ratshitanga’s works, Masase, won the CNA literature award. Some of his books were prescribed in several schools and universities.

Before his death, he said that he was writing a book on Venda history. He had also started a newspaper called The Bugle, during the height of apartheid.

Ratshitanga died recently at Tshilidzini Hospital at the age of 70 after a short illness. His brother, Thiofhi, told mourners that he had told family members before his death that he had lived life to the full. He said his brother would be remembered as a gallant fighter who fought for freedom of the people for the rest of his life.

Ratshitanga held the following positions: Head of the National Intelligence Agency in Limpopo, one of the first to be an MP in Cape Town after the dawn of democracy, councillor at Thulamela, Chief Whip of the Vhembe District municipality, treasurer of the provincial MKMVA and he also worked for various institutions in the country.

News - Date: 01 October 2010

Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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