Tributes pour in for Lindiwe Mabuza

TRIBUTES continue to pour in for former ambassador and Order of Ikhamanga recipient Lindiwe Mabuza following her long battle with cancer.

Mabuza died on Monday at her home, surrounded by her family.

Former president Thabo Mbeki described the stalwart as a strong supporter of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation.

“Mabuza was a self-effacing, guileless, and humane person, who served our country and its people with distinction for well over half a century in various capacities during both the Struggle for our liberation and in the democratic dispensation,” Mbeki said.

Mabuza was born in Newcastle, KZN in 1938 and studied at Roma University in Lesotho. After graduating, she taught English and Zulu literature.

In January 1977 she started working for the ANC on a full-time basis. At the movement's headquarters in Lusaka, she was assigned to work as a radio journalist with ANC Radio Freedom, broadcasting into South Africa.

She became editor of the journal, Voice of Women, and chairperson of the ANC cultural committee with the assignment of ensuring the development of the Amandla Cultural Ensemble, which toured six countries twice. .In 1979 she was appointed by OR Tambo as chief representative of the ANC to the Scandinavian countries, and was based in Sweden until 1987.

She opened an ANC office in Denmark in 1985, one in Norway in 1986 and one in Finland in 1987, and was transferred to the US where she opened an ANC office in Washington DC.

She served as the ANC chief representative to that country from 1989 to 1994. During her tenure in the US, the first visit of the United Democratic Front delegation led by Albertina Sisulu and the historic visit of Nelson Mandela took place.

With the dawn of democratic South Africa, she served from 1994 to 1995 in the arts and culture and foreign relations committees in Parliament.

Former president Nelson Mandela appointed her as ambassador to Germany from 1995 to 1999.

During Mbeki’s presidency she was appointed as high commissioner to Malaysia and Brunei, and as non-resident ambassador to the Philippines (based in Malaysia) from 1999 to 2001.

“She received numerous awards, including … the South African National Order of Ikhamanga in Silver, for her tireless work as a cultural and arts ambassador,” ANC national spokesperson Pule Mabe said.