MKP MP Edward Mzikayise Ntshingila, who will be buried on Sunday, praised for leaving political legacy in his party and parliament.
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Pule Kubheka has been without a political home for years after abandoning ANC and DA memberships, but for the coming local government elections, he will campaign for the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) in honour of his late cousin Edward Mzikayise Ntshingila.
Thousands of mourners, including MPs from various political parties are expected to grace the burial of Ntshingila, the former MKP MP, which will start with a service at the Johannesburg City Hall on Sunday morning.
Kubheka, the grieving family’s spokesperson, said Ntshingila, a Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI) member, would be laid to rest at Westpark Cemetery, the resting home of struggle veterans Alfred Nzo, Joe Modise, Ahmed Kathrada and child HIV/AIDS activist Nkosi Johnson.
Others buried at Westpark include former ANC secretary-generals Duma Nokwe, former Defence minister Joe Modise and former ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte.
MKP MP Edward Mzikayise Ntshingila to be buried at Westpark Cemetery along with prominent figures.
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Ntshingila died at a Johannesburg hospital on June 4 after a long battle with illness, which kept him in a coma during his last days.
Kubheka said out of respect for the late MKP elections manager, he would from now on campaign for former president Jacob Zuma’s party to win the November elections.
He said although it was unfortunate that Ntshingila died when the MKP needed his campaigning skills in the lead-up to the elections, he believed the party would continue to use his ideas and strategies during the campaigns.
“I will join them to mobilise the people to vote for the MKP and to keep his legacy.
“I want MKP to win the local government elections,” said Kubheka.
Kubheka said he and Ntshingila grew up being activists of the ANC before he defected to the DA and Ntshingila joined Zuma to form the MKP.
He said his cousin was fond of giving his family members political advice such as the one he gave him after he had joined the DA.
“He said to me ‘brother, you are taking the wrong direction, let us focus, leave this party and return to black parties,’ and by that time MKP did not yet exist.
“He said to me, ‘With president Jacob Zuma we are coming up with something interesting,’ and ultimately in 2024 I realised that what he was talking about was MKP,” said Kubheka.
He said Ntshingila's insistence that he leave the DA led to serious arguments.
“At the time of the argument, he was wearing an ANC T-shirt and I tried to reason with him that after being disappointed by the ANC, the DA was an alternative for me.
“But he said ‘hang in there, we are coming with something’ and they came up with the MKP, which performed well in the 2024 general elections because of his hard work and contributions,” said Kubheka.
He said even after Ntshingila was assigned to Parliament in Cape Town, they continued to debate about joining the MKP.
“I am now going to join the MKP to fulfill his wishes,” he said.
He said all he knew about Ntshingila was that he had always been an ANC activist before MKP.
“But generally, he was a great man in the family,” said Kubheka.
He said his cousin, whom he referred to as his brother, had immense love for the family despite that as a politician, he did not spend much time with it.
“A person of his calibre is always busy and does not have much time with the family.
“Sometimes when he attended the family traditional ceremonies, he would receive important calls and suddenly leave us.
“But he loved unity in the family, and he would always attend family events,” said Kubheka.
Kubheka was hoping that leaders of various parties would attend the funeral service.
“I even presume Julius Malema will attend, but I am not sure, and I sure that the whole provincial leadership will be there,” he said.
Addressing thousands of MKP supporters at the memorial service held at the Johannesburg City Hall this week, Zuma said despite the fact that Ntshingila was still a young man, he had a bright future in the country’s politics.
Zuma said Ntshingila was among many people who contributed ideas in the formation of the MKP.
“I was putting together men and women, but I noticed this hero within a short period of time.
“When we were discussing the MKP, I saw he was among those who led the process, I realised his intellect and said we are going far with him,” Zuma said.
He said Ntshingila was assigned important tasks because through him, it became clear that more heroes would emerge.
“After the elections we deployed this gentleman, despite his younger age, to Parliament.
“When I visited the Parliament, I found this gentleman holding senior positions and I told myself that ‘I wish more young people of his calibre could come up’ as I was impressed with his performance,” said Zuma.
He said as the time went, he received information that Ntshingila was ill and that he was in hospital.
“I believed that he would recover because his health did not seem bad, and I had hoped that doctors would help him.
“But all of a sudden we were told that he has passed away,” he said.
JSCI chairperson Sylvia Izaks said Ntshingila served the committee with distinction, performed his functions conscientiously to the best of his ability and acted as guardian of the people of South Africa by exercising effective parliamentary oversight over the activities of the intelligence services.
“He was cognisant of the provisions of our legislative mandate and always acted in a manner consistent with the protection of national security,” said Izaks in a statement.