The founder and leader of the National Freedom Party (NFP), Zanele KaMagwaza-Msibi, has passed away. She was 59 years old. NFP MP Ahmed Shaik Emam confirmed to eNCA her passing, saying she died on Monday morning at a Durban hospital.
“I’ve always been motivated by the way she’s conducted herself and how she selflessly served the interests of the most vulnerable and the poorest in the country, particularly in areas where she governed as a mayor like in Zululand.
“In November 2014, she had a massive stroke and she had not really recovered from that. However, despite her challenges, she continued to serve our people,” he said.
Family spokesperson Canaan Mdletshe confirmed that KaMagwaza-Msibi passed away due to cardiac arrest.
KaMagwaza-Msibi had not been well for some time after suffering a stroke back in 2014.
She previously served as the country’s deputy minister of science and technology between 2014 and 2019.
KaMagwaza-Msibi’s biography
KaMagwaza-Msibi spent most of her political career as a member of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) before breaking away from the party in 2011 to form the NFP. She was also the national chair of the IFP and its candidate for the premier of KZN in the 2009 general election.
KaMagwaza-Msibi is a former school principal and she has occupied several senior administrative positions in municipal councils as well as serving as the mayor of Zululand District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.
Cause Of KaMagwaza-Msibi
In a statement released by her political party on Monday, the 59-year-old’s death was linked to a cardiovascular attack, a medical condition she has struggled with since her first stroke in 2014.
NFP caucus leader Ahmed Munzoor Shaik-Emam confirmed that Gumede’s mom was recently admitted to a hospital in Durban after she fell ill.
Funeral of KaMagwaza-Msibi
Family spokesperson Canaan Mdletshe stated that plans were underway to finalise funeral arrangements and that more details would be revealed in due course.
“Ms Magwaza-Msibi was an exemplary leader, an activist and an advocate of our democracy. She lived her life fighting and championing the cause of the poor, vulnerable and downtrodden. She was a loved and greatly respected leader, whose passing leaves many at a loss.”
At the time this article was published, Gumede, a renowned actress, had not released a statement on the death of her mother.
Age of KaMagwaza-Msibi
The 59-year-old has garnered a reputation as a very influential woman in KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) regional politics. Her political ideology was carved by the teachings of longtime leader of the IFP, Mangosuthu Buthelezi.
Political career of KaMagwaza-Msibi
For 15 years, since 2000, Magwaza-Msibi served as mayor of the Zululand District Municipality, a role not suited for the faint-hearted.
In 2014, former president Jacob Zuma welcomed Magwaza-Msibi as Deputy Minister of Security and Technology, a position she happily accepted under the strict condition that she would be granted untethered anonymity.
Magwaza-Msibi saw a greater challenge at the NFP and she jumped ship, where she was taken in as the party’s leader. In 2016, however, the party was barred from participating in the general elections due to funding issues.
In response to this setback, Magwaza-Msibi focused her entire career on rebuilding the political identity of the party. Sadly, she would not live to see its full potential.
Tributes have been pouring in on social media following the news about her passing: