Family, friends and congregants are mourning the tragic death of well-known Bishop Wilson Hlungwane (68) of the Shekinah Tabernacle Church. Hlungwane was killed in a freak accident when the tree he was cutting down fell on him. The accident occurred at his home in Louis Trichardt last Thursday (19 January).
Hlungwane was a member of the Louis Trichardt Council of Churches. His son, Mr Lufuno Hlungwane, confirmed the sad news. "It is true that our beloved had passed on. It came as a shock to all of us."
Lufuno said that, although the family members were in deep mourning, they comforted themselves with the fact that Hlungwane had touched many lives during his lifetime. "His love for the community came first before anything else. He was loved by many and created a very long chain of friends who loved his frank way of life. To our family, he was a pillar of strength. His departure is a terrible loss to us, the church, and the Makhado community," he said.
The Makhado Municipality's mayor, Cllr Samuel Munyai, sent his condolences to the Hlungwane family. "Bishop Hlungwane participated in many of the municipality's programmes and supported government initiatives through thick and thin. We feel very sad when we continue to lose community builders like him because this leaves our municipality poorer," Munyai said.
Police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo confirmed that the police are investigating the incident in which Bishop Hlungwane died.
A funeral service will be held for Bishop Hlungwane at his home in New Town, Louis Trichardt, on Saturday, 28 January. The service starts at 06:00.