The daughter of one of the legendary veterans of the Seventh-day Adventist faith, the late Mr Titus Nemakonde, said she was ready to pick up his baton and continue the work he had dedicated his life to. Deborah Nemakonde made the remarks during her father's funeral, following his peaceful death in his sleep on 16 March at the age of 89.
Nemakonde was laid to rest at the Shayandima cemetery on Sunday, 23 March. A memorial service was held in his honour at his home on Friday, 21 March. The funeral was attended by church members, members of the Shayandima community, church pastors and officials, including church presidents from the Trans Orange Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The well-known Pastor Jerry Nemaranzhe performed the burial rites. He said Nemakonde would be remembered for the often heated debates about the Sabbath on Univen Radio's religious talk programme. He will also be remembered for his passion for Bible study, establishing church branches and Pathfinder training.
Paying her respects on behalf of her siblings, Deborah Nemakonde described her late father as a great teacher who had imparted many lessons to them. "When my mother passed on, we felt the pain of God's love, and when my sister Edzi passed on, we also felt the pain of God's love and today it is my father. Indeed, God's time is not our time," she said. She described her father as her greatest motivator and personal adviser in life.
"During the course of this week, somebody asked if there would be anyone who could carry on and take his baton. I think I am ready to take it," she said.
Mr Peter Tshotheli, an elder from the Tshakhuma church, said the congregation was fortunate to have had someone of Nemakonde's stature. "As a church, we lost a great leader in ministry and music. We excelled in door-to-door evangelism because of him. When we heard of his illness, we went to his home for prayer. After the prayer he gave us a verse. The old man said his bye-byes," he said.