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Dr Pule Elias Matjoa’s funeral service in Free State
Dr. Pule Elias Matjoa has been hailed as a revolutionary, a healer and an embodiment of values and principles of the struggle. Dr. Matjoa was the last surviving member of Nelson Mandela’s legendary “12 Disciples” and an uMkhonto we Sizwe combatant, who once guarded Cuba’s coastlines.
He passed away on the 1st of May at the age of 88, in Bloemfontein.
African National Congress (ANC) Free State Chairperson, Mxolisi Dukwana called on political leaders to honour the death of the ANC struggle stalwart by prioritizing ethical leadership.
Dukwana was speaking at the funeral service of Dr Matjoa in Bloemfontein.
“Dr Matjoa has been hailed for bravery as he was part of young men who heeded the mobilisation of Nelson Mandela to join the armed struggle. Conscientised at the then Bantu High School they went to exile, traversed continents for the liberation of South Africans and helped build ANC structures. To his family he represents the last generation of those, who entered into politics prepared to lose anything.”
To Dr. Nepo Masithela, a neighbour of the late Dr. Matjoa he was a loving and supportive person. Dr. Masithela says the deceased was an empathetic man who believed in helping one another in times of grief.
“He never referred to me as a neighbor but saw me as his brother, that is the richness of bein African. We had each other’s backs, when he smiled I smiled. Last year he supported me when I lost my mother, he said he felt my pain.”
The late Dr Pule Matjoa has been described as a pioneer in the Free State dentistry department. pic.twitter.com/DoY6Qp1idh
— SABC News (@SABCNews) May 9, 2026
Owing to his unwavering commitment, many remembered him as a devoted servant of the people, contributing across the medical, dental and political fields. A former colleague described him as a pioneer in the Free State Dentistry Department.
Dr Teboho Makenete says through his diplomacy and political background, Dr. Matjoa worked hard to convince those in government that oral health was important.
“Through his influence and diplomacy we were able to have a specialist health care facility here at Pelonomi Hospital, offering Orthodontist services for the first time in Free State. We also have a programme where we can send our dentists to universities that are identified in Gauteng. Through this programme we now have dentists who are specialists here, this is highly commendable as the province does not have a dental school. This is the legacy that Dr. Matjoa leaves behind.”
The ANC Veterans League has described the late struggle stalward as a symbol of putting the people first. Playfair Morule says the country is at a critical time where unity is important.
To his party, Dr Matjoa was one of the last leaders with rare political ethics of service without spectacle.
VIDEO | Funeral of ANC struggle stalwart Dr Pule Matjoa is underway in Bloemfontein
