Bojabotsheha served alliance with dedication
His analysis have had impact in the party’s caucus
Born: November 3 1972 Died: April 30 2017 Funeral: Sunday at Simonsberg Primary School in Kraaifontein, Cape Town Burial: Kraaifontein
South African Communist Party (SACP) Western Cape first deputy provincial secretary Tumisang Bojabotsheha was a brilliant intellectual who contributed to the ANC parliamentary caucus over the past 11 years.
His writings and analysis have had profound impact on documents that today guide the ANC parliamentary caucus and whose study and interpretation of case law has helped the ruling party deal with legal complexities on a wide range of matters.
Bojabotsheha was born in the rural outskirts of Sterkspruit in Eastern Cape in 1972. His primary school years were undertaken at Uyenze eDiphana, Witterbergen and Cancele in the Sterkspruit area until Grade 8.
He moved to Lesotho where he did his grades 9 and 10, and finally back to Sterkspruit Senior Secondary where he matriculated.
He enrolled at the University of Fort Hare and later graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree. Thereafter, Bojabotsheha obtained a teaching diploma and moved to Gauteng to work as a teacher in mathematics and science.
For the next 10 years he dedicated himself to teaching in Dobsonville, Soweto, where he served on the regional executive committee of the South African Democratic Teachers Union. He was also a branch chairman of the ANC in his area.
During this time he and his partner were blessed with his first child, Thlolo.
In 2006, he applied and was successful for the post of researcher in the ANC parliamentary caucus. In 2009, he was deployed as part of its electoral rapid response team (RTT) to the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro during elections held in that year.
He was given responsibility for specific areas under the RTT and served with distinction with the ANC recording major victories across the metro and part of the national and provincial elections.
Bojabotsheha was to be called upon later to perform the same duties in Western Cape under the direction of Luthuli House, the ANC headquarters in Johannesburg.
During this time he met his wife-to-be Thozama – a community development worker in Motherwell.
They married a few years later and had two children, Lona and Monelo.
In 2010 he was promoted to senior researcher in the ANC parliamentary caucus – a post he held until he became policy adviser to the chief whip. He became a chief political adviser to the chief whip last year.
Bojabotsheha was given the additional responsibility of chief of staff this year and he held both positions at the time of his death.
He also served on the provincial executive committee of the SACP from 2010 and in 2013 was elected deputy provincial secretary – a position he held until his death.
He will be buried on Sunday in Kraaifontein, Cape Town from 8am.