Portfolio Committee member and former MEC Mzikayifani Elias “Mzi” Khumalo has passed away following a short illness, the government has announced.
Khumalo, who passed away on Monday, August 10, was a prominent political figure in Gauteng.
Until the time of his passing, he served as Chairperson of the Gauteng Legislature’s Portfolio Committee on COGTA. He also served as executive mayor of the Rand West City Local Municipality until 2019, and was later appointed as MEC for COGTA, e-Government, Research and Development.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said his absence would be deeply felt among municipalities as they prepare for the Local Government Elections in November.
“He served the people of this province selflessly. He understood that public service is about listening to people’s concerns, responding to their needs and working to build communities in which people can live with dignity and hope,” Lesufi said.
“It is therefore particularly touching that Mzi’s passing comes on the eve of the Local Government Elections. He would have continued playing an important role in the oversight of the province’s municipalities as they prepared for a new local government term,” he added.
Khumalo’s work on the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance included overseeing municipal governance, traditional affairs and local government compliance across Gauteng. To that end, he conducted oversight visits to municipalities, engaged with local government structures and monitored service delivery to communities across the province.
Lesufi extended his condolences to the Khumalo family, his colleagues, friends and all those whose lives were touched by his contribution to public life.
“On behalf of the Gauteng Provincial Government, I extend our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Khumalo family, his colleagues, friends and all those who knew and worked with him. We hope that, in this difficult time, you will find comfort in knowing that his life had meaning, that his service mattered and that he leaves behind a legacy that will continue to live on in the people and institutions he served,” Lesufi said.
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