By: Nosipho Haya-Komisa
Buffalo City Metro Executive mayor Xola Pakathi said the annual Mayoral Cup sports tournament will be named after the late Metro Speaker Skuta Alfred Mtsi as part of honouring him. Pakati was speaking at the funeral of Mtsi at East London City Hall today.
He told mourners that Mtsi was a sports fanatic and he loved community development.
“We will ensure that the legacy of comrade Mtsi is honoured in our actions and deeds. Comrade Mtsi has left a strong mark in our hearts and minds and it is our duty to preserve his legacy,” said Pakati.
Mtsi succumbed to a COVID 19 related illness at Beacon Bay life hospital last Sunday. Pakathi said the late Mtsi carried out all his tasks and deployments with distinction and diligence.
“When the ANC wanted to bring stability and confidence and in the wake of the Nelson Mandela funeral scandal, it deployed him as an executive mayor with me as his deputy, he remained true to his revolution and served the people of Buffalo City with distinction, he was a seasoned law maker and at the time of his passing he was a speaker of council discharging this duty meticulously and for the benefit of all the people of the City.
“High ranking politicians and government officials attended the funeral service. Speaking to the mourners, Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane described Mtsi as a true revolutionary and a dedicated public servant.
“He was an epitome of what the public servant should be, Always tries his best to solve all of the challenges of the people, he was a true disciplined cadre of the movement who never questioned the collective decision and instruction of the ANC. He was a hard worker, always ready to take any task given to him by the ANC no matter how difficult it looked,” said Mabuyane.
His children paid an emotional tribute to their late father. His son Zamani, described his late father as the best human being created by God.
“I will always miss the conversations, the morning jogs and your deep voice when saying Zamani come here boy and by being around you I knew that I can depend on you with anything and you always came through for me.”
“However we all know that you did not do this alone there was a person who was always there for him, this is the person who moulded us into what we are today and this person is always referred to as (Mnkam) my wife Mimi, Mhlobo wam, mhlekazi and Mamiya I want to thank you for everything,” said Zamani.
Mtsi has been laid to rest at Greenfields cemetery in East London.