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'Kind community activist' Nomsa Ngcukayitobi dies, aged 79

Nomsa Nonkanyiso Thelma Ngcukayitobi has died.
Nomsa Nonkanyiso Thelma Ngcukayitobi has died.
Image: Supplied/Daily Dispatch

Nomsa Nonkanyiso Thelma Ngcukayitobi, mother of well-known advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi and ANC Eastern Cape secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi, died in hospital on Wednesday after a period of illness.

The ANC in the Eastern Cape said Ngcukayitobi, affectionately known as Mangcuka, was “a consummate activist in her own right who dedicated her life to uplifting the working-class community of Lupapasi eCala.”

Provincial spokesperson Gift Ngqondi said: “Words are not adequate to explain the sad loss of Mangcuka. We understand that there is no pain greater than losing a mother.”

The Gcinabantu Hutchison Ngcukayitobi Foundation, which was set up by the family to address social ills in Cala, in honour of their late mineworker father, said they had lost “a remarkable soul”.

She was “a beacon of strength, compassion, and wisdom to all who were privileged to know her,” the foundation said.

“Her life of 79 years was a testament to grace, resilience and unwavering devotion to her family and community. Her kindness knew no bounds, her laughter echoed with joy and her love was a comforting embrace in times of need.”

A memorial service will be held for Ngcukayitobi, who had worked as a nurse and teacher at a disabled school, after an initial job as a domestic worker, at her Cala home on Thursday.

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