We’ve lost a fighter, a patriot and a selfless cadre, councillors told
31 March 2017
City of Johannesburg councillors on Thursday March 30 paid tribute to Lorraine Sedite, an Economic Freedom Fighters’ councillor who died on Saturday March 25 after being diagnosed with cancer in December 2016.
In his tribute at the City’s Council Chambers at Metro Centre in Braamfontein, Executive Mayor Cllr Herman Mashaba described Sedite as a hardworking, disciplined and principled councillor.
“She has left a lasting legacy to the people of this city and people of Soweto in particular. Cllr Sedite was passionate about education and self-development and was about to complete her MBA degree.
“She was a committed and skilled educator, a mother, wife and an irreplaceable asset to the City of Johannesburg. Death is something we have all been touched by and will all experience one day. It is therefore not whether we live or die that matters but the difference that we make with our lives,” he said.
Mayor Mashaba asked fellow councillors and family members to honour the memory of Cllr Sedite by remaining true to their principles and values and be steadfast in their determination to create a better life for all, especially the poor.
He said all councillors, irrespective of their political homes, had made a personal decision to serve the people of Johannesburg and to ensure that residents get the services they so rightly deserved.
EFF’s Cllr Musa Novela said “fighter” Sedite was well-informed and professional in the way she approached the political revolution.
Cllr Novela said Sedite was known for her radical and militant resolve to liberate her people. “She believed that revolutionary morality was the core of the revolutionary system. She was never depressed, bored or sad. She never held grudges and never complained unnecessarily. She was charitable and compassionate,” Cllr Novela said.
“We’ve lost a fighter, a patriot and a selfless cadre. Her outstanding contribution to our movement and toiling masses will serve as a monument that will constantly remind us of the work that lies ahead.”
Cllr Sedite is survived by her husband, Reuben, and five children. She will be buried at Nasrec Cemetery on Tuesday April 4 after a funeral service at the Protea South Multipurpose Centre.