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Buffalo City Subway Deputy Mayor Zoliswa Matana.
- Buffalo City Subway Deputy Mayor Zoliswa Matana has died.
- Matana becomes the fourth councilor to die from Covid-19 on the subway since June.
- Council Chairman Alfred Mtsi, as well as Councilors Zukiswa Mankayi and Gideon Norexe also succumbed to the virus in June and July.
Buffalo City Subway Deputy Mayor and former council president Zoliswa Matana died of Covid-19 at age 60.
His death was announced by Mayor Xola Pakati in a statement Wednesday afternoon.
Matana is the fourth Buffalo City councilman to die of Covid-19 since June.
Other councilors who succumbed include council chairman Alfred Mtsi, district 43 councilor Zukiswa Mankayi, and district 45 councilor Gideon Norexe.
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The Buffalo City Subway, which incorporates East London, King William’s Town, Mdantsane, and Bhisho, has the second highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in the Eastern Cape after Nelson Mandela Bay.
A close relative of Matana’s told News24 that the councilman was supposed to host a 60th birthday and graduation celebration next Saturday.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of Fort Hare earlier this year and graduated in June at age 59.
Pain
“It is with great regret and sadness that we learn the shocking news of the untimely departure of the Deputy Mayor of the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, Council Member Zoliswa Matana. The Executive Deputy Mayor was admitted to the hospital earlier this week due to problems. Covid-19 related complications and we have since learned that she succumbed today, “Pakati said.
He said the metro was devastated because Matana was very active in implementing the development in the city.
“… more particularly integrated planning, as he was responsible for IDPs and performance reporting function. His cunning and vigilance will be deeply missed.”
Pakati described Matana’s death as a great loss to the city.
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“Our city has lost a staunch, raw, vigilant, but still committed community activist whose life story is testament to selfless service to others. The ongoing devastation caused by Covid-19 is too great to understand and explain.
This loss of the executive vice mayor comes to us at a time when we are beginning to witness an alarming increase in Covid-19 infections, a sign of the arrival of the second wave of the coronavirus. with the pain and sadness that accompany it, it has passed. “
Pakati sent his condolences to the Matana family.
On Monday, he expressed concern about the large number of Covid-19 cases in the subway.
There are currently 27,063 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 1,095 deaths on the metro. The Nelson Mandela Bay hotspot leads the province with 47,330 cases and 1,938 deaths.
