Watch live: Late Joburg Mayor Jolidee Matongo laid to rest

The funeral of the late executive mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Jolidee Matongo, is taking place in Finetown Hall, Johannesburg.

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

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

Matongo was elected unopposed last month, following the death of his predecessor, Geoff Makhubo.

Ramaphosa visited Matongo’s family on Thursday to pay his last respects.

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He said: “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.

“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.”

Ramaphosa added that the ANC and its members should remain committed to the path Matongo was leading the party towards.

“He was a great mayor for Johannesburg even for a short period … we are going to follow in his footsteps, and move on and do what exactly he had planned to do with our city [Johannesburg].”

The president said the late mayor would have wanted them to campaign “very strongly” so the ANC can win the local election.

Compiled by Sandisiwe Mbhele