Shot Thembu leader to have military funeral
TRIBUTES continue to pour in for the late Ngangelizwe royal house spokesman and South African National Defence Force brigadier-general Lindokuhle Daludumo Lennox Mtirara.
Mtirara, 51, was found dead on Friday at his home in Pretoria.
He worked as director air force acquisition at defence headquarters and will be given a military funeral at his home village of Xhongora outside Mthatha on Saturday December 10.
SANDF spokesman Siphiwo Dlamini said the circumstances surrounding Mtirara’s death are still unknown and subject to investigation by the South African Police Service.
The chief of the SANDF, General Solly Shoke, who is expected to attend the funeral service, conveyed his “heartfelt condolences” to the family, relatives, friends and colleagues of Mtirara.
Mtirara was integrated into the SANDF from the Transkei Defence Force in 1995. He held various positions during his career, which included training manager at air force mobile deployment wing and senior staff officer acquisition command and management projects.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday, former head of the Transkei Defence Force and UDM leader General Bantu Holomisa described Mtirara as a “courageous and fearless warrior” and a straight talker.
“He loved his military profession but what one could notice on him is that he was a straight talker – he never beat about the bush and I am sure he was annoyed by the longrunning internal feud within the kingdom of abaThembu over the kingship.
“We respect the process where the police are investigating.
“Let us hope that there is no foul play [in his death].”
Holomisa said the news of Mtirara’s death was confirmed to him by former president Nelson Mandela’s grandson Chief Mandla Mandela after Holomisa had called him to confirm the breaking news on television.
House of Traditional Leaders’ chairman Ngangomhlaba Matanzima said Mtirara was a disciplined person who had a keen interest in and great respect for royalty. “A sense of loss and hopelessness has been brought upon us by his untimely death, and has left us asking ourselves what will happen without him.
“To his family, wife and children, his brothers and the entire Ngangelizwe family and the nation of abaThembu, I would like to pass my deepest condolences to them and urge them not to lose hope – God is alive.”
Mtirara is survived by his wife NoItaly Mtirara, 44, and three children Siwaphiwe, 30, Inga, 20, and Sakhi, 19.
Mtirara family spokesman Zwelithobile Mtirara said royal families, traditional leaders and government leaders are expected to converge on Xhongorha village for the funeral.
Mtirara led a faction that supported King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo’s younger brother Mthandeni Mankunku Dalindyebo to take over as acting king of abaThembu.
He was strongly opposed to Dalindyebo’s son, Azenathi, taking over as acting king.
His death followed the withdrawal of an urgent court application to interdict last Friday’s coronation by Mankunku.
It is not clear at this stage whether the two matters are related.