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Funeral service of the late Ambassador Mninwa Johannes Mahlangu, September 6, 2025.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile has reflected on the life of the late Mninwa Johannes Mahlangu, highlighting the pivotal role he played in the formidable years of building democracy in South Africa.
Mashatile delivered the eulogy at the Special Official Funeral Category 2 at the Steve Tshwete Banquet Hall in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, on Saturday morning.
Mahlangu died at the age of 72 last month, after a short illness. He was the former Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and a long-serving diplomat.
The Deputy President called for integrity and a sense of duty amongst the country’s leaders, irrespective of political affiliation.
He says the country is honouring a man who played a key role in the fight for freedom and building the nation’s democracy.
“In numerous ways, his life has embodied what it means to specifically re-imagine what a new SA after apartheid rule would look like through his contributions to the democracy building project on one hand. And his global championing of SA as a country that becomes for change on the world’s biggest stages. In the year that SA hosts the G20 summit, we can unequivocally say the toil and dedication of ambassador Mahlangu towards SA becoming the regional and global payer that it is has indeed paid off.”
Mashatile says Mahlangu’s legacy is a reminder that leadership is not about positions or privileges.
“Honouring Ambassador Mahlangu’s legacy is to continue the work he had started. It is to recommit ourselves to the spirit of unity and renewal that he represented – putting aside political differences and placing the needs of South Africans at the centre of our work. It is to strengthen our democracy, not only in institutions, but also in people’s daily lives: in jobs created, in services.”
VIDEO | Deputy President Paul Mashatile delivers the eulogy:
