Tributes pour in for state lawyer Sekwati, killed by taxi

When well-known, partially-sighted state attorney Tswaledi Webster Sekwati stepped out of his downtown Johannesburg chambers yesterday to cross Pritchard Street heading towards the high court, little did he or his colleagues expect it to be his last journey.

Dressed in legal robes, carrying a leather briefcase and guiding himself with a white stick, Sekwati’s usual morning walk at 7am turned tragic yesterday when a minibus taxi hit and killed him.

Pritchard Street – home of many law firms – was closed off where Sekwati’s body lay, covered by a sheet. A group of sobbing colleagues gathered around the body. The minibus taxi driver was taken away by police for questioning.

Shocked, trembling and wiping tears from her face, Johannesburg acting head state attorney Zanele Nhlayisi, who worked with Sekwati for 10 years, said: “I am shocked and we are all traumatised about what has happened.

“It is not easy to lose a colleague like this.

“The last time we spoke was over the weekend when he called. He had a matter to present at the high court when he died in this terrible manner.”

Tswaledi Webster Sekwati. Picture: Supplied

With over 25 years’ service in the public service, Sekwati’s passing is being mourned by many, with Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola saying he was “saddened”.

“Mr Sekwati was regarded as the quintessential public servant during his tenure at the department of justice and constitutional development, who immersed himself in the country’s justice system with great aplomb.

“Furthermore, as deputy state attorney based in Johannesburg, he established himself as a formidable reservoir of legal knowledge and served as a special advisor to former minister, Mike Masutha.”

Department of correctional services spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said Lamola had offered “his sincerest condolences to the family, friends and former colleagues with whom Mr Sekwati shared his life”.

“Ntate Sekwati’s death comes at a time when we need the best among us to serve with all the diligence we can muster. He was truly a remarkable South African.

“His visual impairment was never an obstacle because he rose above it to become an impeccable public servant.”

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.