The mother of a well-known Limpopo journalist and government communicator has died. Ntshavheni Agnes Dzebu of Makonde village is the mother of Wilson Dzebu, an award-winning journalist who is now the spokesperson of Musina Municipality. Agnes died on Sunday after a short illness and she will be buried tomorrow (Saturday) at Makonde village, north of Thohoyandou.

A founder member of Thasululo Ministries, Agnes will always be remembered for her dedication in church activities, which made her the darling of thousands of church members. Because of her powerful and unceasingly prayer sessions, she was nicknamed Mulilo (Fire) in the Christian fraternity. She won several awards from the church and she was due for as lifetime achievement award on 16 June. As a chief marshal, she prayed for the sick, was a senior counsellor in the church and leader for the senior church members in all six branches of the church.

Evangelist Thizwilondi Magalela of the Thasululo Ministries said although Agnes had died unexpectedly, the congregation consoled themselves because they knew that she had worked tirelessly for the Lord until her last day on earth. “She dedicated her life to the church and the church has undergone a positive metamorphosis because of her. We know she is enjoying her new life in the hands of the Almighty. We would also like to thank God for giving us this wonderful gift. I have no doubt that her soul will rest in peace. She was an energetic individual who spent most of her time in church. She sang and danced like a young girl and no one could believe that she was 79 years old because she never carried a walking stick. Her name will go down in the history books of the church.”

Wilson Dzebu says his mother complained that she was not feeling well just a day before she died. “She looked better and very strong, but she died peacefully in the hands of her daughter. We spent some time together two hours before she died, but she was energetic and we kept on discussing different issues. I was very sure that she would recover in days. The fact that I saw her and spoke to her before she died is a blessing for me and I thank the Lord for that opportunity.”

Dzebu says although the family is deeply worried about the sudden departure of Agnes, they are proud that she had played a very important role in nurturing her children with care and dignity. “A great leader is judged by the number and quality of leaders he or she has produced. To me, my mother was the greatest leader of them all because she produced a breed of high-quality leaders in different spheres of life. My mother had eight children, seven of whom are still alive. Three of them are respected educators, two are artisans and two are high-ranking municipal officials. To me, there is nothing greater than producing such cream of the nation.”

On behalf of the Musina Municipality, Mayor Carol Phiri has also sent condolences to the family. “We know that the family is in a difficult situation, but they must know that we are there to support them, so that they can bury their loved one with dignity.”