Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 16-04-2018
Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba has told Radio Islam he couldn’t attend the funeral of late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela because he had other commitments which couldn’t be cancelled.
Madikizela-Mandela was laid to rest at the Fourways Memorial Park on Saturday after her funeral at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto which was attended by thousands of mourners including a number of dignitaries.
Mashaba has come under severe criticism on social media for not attending Madikizela-Mandela’s funeral.
Mashaba says he had an IDP legislative process meeting on the day of the funeral which was approved by the city council and was bound by law to attend and therefore could not cancel.
Mashaba says he was given the opportunity to speak to the audience at Madikizela-Mandela’s home in Soweto.
“For me as an individual, the Mandela family which I had a relationship with Mama Winnie personally. That is why when I went during the week, the family gave me an opportunity to speak to the people who were there.”
Mashaba confirmed that Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane represented the party at Madikizela-Mandela’s funeral.
He says the city of Joburg also provided forty buses to ferry residents to the funeral.
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