Mourners who attended the funeral of the late granny Johannah Phadagi, mother of the Limpopo MEC for Safety Security and Liaison, George Phadagi, were told their voting in the forthcoming municpal elections would make her rest in peace.

Granny Phadagi (89), who was hailed for her role in the struggle for liberation, was laid to rest in the Tswinga cemetery on Saturday, during a service described by all speakers as a celebration of a life well lived.

The MEC for Local Government and Housing, Soviet Lekganyane, who was acting as the premier of the province, said the granny died at a time when she was needed most as she would be leading others to the polls. He said it made him happy to hear that the granny would wake up at 01:00 during election time, to prepare herself for the elections. He added that it would be a fitting honour to the granny if people went in their numbers to the polls and vote for their parties.

“We all have an obligation as South Africans, to go out in our numbers and cast our votes for the parties of our choice, in order that we deepen and strengthen our hard-fought democracy. In countries where there is no chance of voting, people are being killed and some are maimed for life, due to some unnecessary clashes. Voting is good for democracy, so let us all go out and vote," he said.

The MEC for Education, Mr Dickson Masemola, said Limpopo was not mourning, but was celebrating a life well lived. “She has seen everything possible. She participated in the struggle. We are now celebrating her contribution to the struggle," he added.

The funeral was characterised by a mixture of ANC and Christian songs, as Ms Phadagi was a devoted Christian.

She was born on August 28, 1922 at Luonde outside Makhado, and was a victim of forced removals by the former government at an early age, when her family was moved to Musibi outside Sekgosese. She later married Simon Phadagi of Tswinga and they were blessed with six children. Her husband died in 1986.

She died on March 16 at the age of 89 and is survived by six children, grandchildren and great-children.