Official succumbs to Covid-19
The head of legal services of Oudtshoorn Municipality, Pumzo Tofile (55), succumbed to a Covid-19 related illness on Saturday 27 June. In a statement issued during the weekend
Ntobeko Mangqwengqwe, Communications Officer of the Municipality, said that Tofile joined the Oudtshoorn Municipality in 2012 as head of legal and contract services and lost his battle against a Covid-19 related illness after having been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at a Cape Town-based hospital. Tofile is the first official of the Oudtshoorn Municipality to succumb to Covid-19.
Mangqwengqwe said messages of condolences from colleagues and councillors have been pouring into the municipal internal WhatsApp groups and social media following the news of Tofile’s passing.
“We are deeply saddened by a loss of a person of Tofile’s calibre,” said Mwati,
Acting Mayor of the Greater Oudtshoorn. She added, “Since I met him in 2016, Tofile displayed characteristics of diligence, obedience and friendliness, as he could absorb any pressure with ease, despite all the challenges he had to face in his demanding position of being a legal advisor for the Council.” Oudtshoorn Municipality’s Acting Municipal Manager, Reginald Smit, who holds the position of Director for Corporate Services whom Tofile was directly reporting to, described Tofile as a soft-spoken, dedicated official who performed his work with a high level of professionalism and diligence.
“Tofile became ill in Cape Town when he returned home for the last time during the Level 4 period. I spoke to him a few times during the time that he was ill. My last discussion was on the Saturday when he was admitted to the Vincent Palotti Hospital.
He is survived by his wife, Gcotyiswa, and two children aged 10, and 23 months.