Jolidee Matongo to be laid to rest on Friday

The funeral of the late executive mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Jolidee Matongo, will take place on Friday in Finetown Hall, the city has announced in a statement.

The service will start at home at 8am to 8:30am. From 8:30am, the family and faith leaders will then proceed to Finetown Hall for the funeral service that will start at 9am.

“We are urging those who will be coming to the hall for the funeral to please adhere to the protocols of Covid-19. Please wear your masks, observe social distancing, and sanitise,” said the city.

“We are requesting our citizens who would not be able to attend physically to join virtually because the funeral will be streamed live on City of Joburg social media platforms. Let us join hands and accompany our people’s mayor.”

Matongo died last weekend following a road accident. Before his passing, he had spent a full day in Soweto with President Cyril Ramaphosa on a campaign trail.

The President visited his family today to pay his last respects.

“I can’t say I’m happy to be here because it’s not a good time but I’m grateful that I could be with you. I just got here from KwaZulu-Natal. I thought I should come here to send my condolences before going to Limpopo. What has befallen us is very painful because I was with him the whole day on Saturday, so it’s painful to me because we were working together shoulder to shoulder the whole day and later when they called me, my heart broke,” Ramaphosa told mourners at Matongo’s home.

“I’m sure the pain is worse for you guys who attended church with him. Be comforted. I was with his mother, wife and child, it’s very difficult. I also told them to be comforted. What happened is a bad thing, but it is the will of God. It’s how God operates, we don’t know His programme. Let’s welcome everything that God does because He’s the one who knows.”

Matongo was among the longest serving members of the regional executive committee of the ANC in Johannesburg and was previously appointed by the late mayor Geoff Makhubo to serve as MMC of finance for the City of Johannesburg.