Ex-Lejweleputswa mayor Sebenzile Ngangelizwe passes away after long illness

Former Lejweleputswa district municipal executive mayor Sebenzile Ngangelizwe has passed away after a long battle with illness.

Ngangelizwe who has previously served as the mayor for Matjhabeng local municipality and Lejweleputswa lost the battle to undisclosed disease at the Bloemfontein Mediclinic yesterday, March 29, where he was admitted.

Ngangelizwe has been described as selfless, dedicated, loyal and hardworking political activist during at the prime of his political career, whose political career kickstarted underground during the late 1970’s.

Ngangelizwe who was recently sworn in as SALGA deputy president, after vacating his position as Lejweleputswa mayor, completed his grade 12 (N3) at Welkom College where he participated in the student structures.

He was in possession of a Certificate Programme in the Development and Management of Local Government (CPMD), which he acquired at Wits University.

He was also confined with a Certificate in Public Administration from Unisa, a Mining Blasting Certificate and a Certificate in Political Education from the Cuban Political School.

Ngangelizwe was a respected activist in trade union activities in his earlier years, especially in the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) where he served since its inception. He further served in a number of NUM portfolios, both on branch and regional level, and in Cosatu Local from 1989 – 1999.

In 1995, NUM deployed him to the Welkom Transitional Local Council (TLC) due to his leadership potential and skills. His negotiation experience and skill in the trade union movement led him to be selected as a member of the Free State Goldfields Forum (FGF), a forum which was responsible for the local economic development of the Goldfields.

He played a vital role in the amalgamation of the six TLC’s in the former Goldfields (Welkom, Virginia, Ventersburg, Hennenman, Odendaalsrus and Allanridge) to form Matjhabeng in 2000.

His sheer determination and willingness to serve the people led to his election as a Councillor of Matjhabeng municipality from 2000 to date.

He became the chairperson of Technical Services Committee on Roads Infrastructure and was also elected to serve as the first Council Whip of Matjhabeng municipality from 2001-2006.

During his tenure as executive political head at Lejweleputswa, Ngangelizwe succeeded in turning the municipality around from qualified audit reports to an unqualified audit report for the 2008/2009 financial year. 

His experience in local government matters and governance, led to leadership positions in SALGA Free State where he served as chairperson of the Finance Working Committee from 2006 – 2008. 

Since 2008 – 2016 he led SALGA Free State as the provincial chairperson. 

Messages of tributes have began pouring in for the late Ngangelizwe, who is remembered as one of the champions of development and service delivery.