President expresses his shock after the death of Mayor Jolidee Matongo

President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed his shock following the death of Mayor Jolidee Matongo on Saturday evening.

MATONGO DIED IN A CAR ACCIDENT ON SATURDAY

Matongo died in a car accident on Saturday, hours after participating in an ANC electioneering programme with Ramaphosa in Soweto.

“It is hard to comprehend this tragedy, given the vitality and passion with which Mayor Matongo interacted with me and residents of Soweto so shortly before his death.

“Nothing could prepare any of us for this sudden loss, which has deprived our nation’s economic centre of its second Executive Mayor in two months.”

President Ramaphosa said Matongo had been taken at a time when he was totally immersed in improving conditions and creating opportunities for all the people of Johannesburg and stakeholders in the metropolitan economy.

It is hard to comprehend this tragedy, given the vitality and passion with which Mayor Matongo interacted with me and residents of Soweto so shortly before his death. pic.twitter.com/zmzGVFfAdA

— Cyril Ramaphosa #RegisterToVoteANC (@CyrilRamaphosa) September 18, 2021

“Like all of us, he was looking forward to the forthcoming election, and we saw in person today that he had put his heart and soul into mobilising the people of the city to make their voices heard on 1 November.

PRESIDENT SPEND TIME WITH MATONGO HOURS BEFORE HIS DEATH

“The time we spent together has been rendered a priceless treasure given his untimely and traumatic passing. May his soul rest in peace,” the President said.

The shocking news of the untimely death of Matongo spread like wildfire on social media on Saturday evening.

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Matongo (46), was killed in a car accident on Saturday.

He had been appointed to as mayor on 10 August and served in the position for just over a month.

Matongo had been elected unopposed as Joburg mayor, succeeding Geoff Makhubo, who died in July of Covid-19 complications.

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He served as the MMC for Finance under Makhubo. He had risen through the ranks, from serving as a member of the Soweto Student Congress and the Congress of South African Students (Cosas) before moving on to serve as the regional head of communications in the ANC for eight years.

He lived in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg.