Mutenda Piet Radzilani, a respected elder and pillar of the community, died on 12 February at the age of 85.
Born in 1940 at the Manthada homesteads in the Kutama area, Radzilani later relocated with his family to newly designated residential stands. Although the area retained the name Manthada, it became widely known as Manavhela following the amalgamation of different homesteads.
After completing primary school, Radzilani joined many young men of his generation and went to the Reef in search of employment. He worked in the construction industry at Elandsfontein until 1976, when he joined the South African Railways. He dedicated more than three decades to the railway service before retiring in 2008.
Upon returning home, Radzilani devoted himself to community development. He became a driving force in the Manthada community and played an instrumental role in restructuring community committees, particularly in matters of financial management, to align them with modern standards of development and accountability.
He was widely recognised as a community leader in the Manavhela area and served as an adviser to the chief. His leadership and guidance contributed significantly to the development of the area. He was also regarded as a principled political figure who consistently put the interests of his community first.
He is survived by his wife, Tshinakaho Mamafha, six children, 25 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
His son, Robert Radzilani, said the family would always remember their father as a caring leader.
“Our father will always be remembered as a community leader who cared deeply for the people. He was a brave politician and a legend in our family.”
A memorial service will be held at his home in Manavhela on Friday at 13:00. The funeral service will take place on Saturday, 21 February, at 06:00 at his home, before burial at Manavhela Cemetery.