Cheiftainess Nobhotwe Jongilanga of the ImiDushane tribe will be buried at Ncerha Great Place near Kidd’s Beach on Saturday.
Nobhotwe, 84, died at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital last Thursday. She was married to respected Xhosa author and scholar Chief Doyle Mphuhle “DM” Jongilanga of ImiDushane.
After the death of her husband in July 2002 and later her son Chief Mbuyiselo Jongilanga in September of the same year, she became head of ImiDushane Yaselwandle Traditional Council.
In February 2009, she lost her last son Mdushane. NomaXhosa Jongilanga is her only remaining child.
Prince Mthuthuzeli Makinana, East London branch chairman for the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa), described her as a visionary leader and independent thinker.
“She embraced modernity and agreed that new approaches for rural development could be piloted in her area for others to see and learn from her.
“As a traditional woman leader she was not scared but determined to bring economic change for the benefit of her people.
“Today, we speak of a new industry in the Eastern Cape – the ma-cadamia industry – an initiative with far reaching economic benefits for the rural poor.
“Nobhotwe agreed that the pioneers of this initiative start with her on the basis of which other neighbouring traditional leaders would learn from,” said Makinana.
NomaXhosa described her mother as “an insightful and humble leader and a loving and gentle mother”.
“Although in her later years she experienced great tragedy with the successive deaths of her husband and two sons, her grace and wisdom continued to be a guiding light to the ImiDushane Yase Lwandle she so faithfully led,” NomaXhosa said.
She added that her mother was “a Mayflower when required and a Taurean bull when circumstance demanded”.
She is survived by NomaXhosa and two grandsons, Lwanda and Avuyile.
ImiDushane chieftainess to be laid to rest
Nobhotwe, 84, died at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital last Thursday. She was married to respected Xhosa author and scholar Chief Doyle Mphuhle “DM” Jongilanga of ImiDushane.
After the death of her husband in July 2002 and later her son Chief Mbuyiselo Jongilanga in September of the same year, she became head of ImiDushane Yaselwandle Traditional Council.
In February 2009, she lost her last son Mdushane. NomaXhosa Jongilanga is her only remaining child.
Prince Mthuthuzeli Makinana, East London branch chairman for the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa), described her as a visionary leader and independent thinker.
“She embraced modernity and agreed that new approaches for rural development could be piloted in her area for others to see and learn from her.
“As a traditional woman leader she was not scared but determined to bring economic change for the benefit of her people.
“Today, we speak of a new industry in the Eastern Cape – the ma-cadamia industry – an initiative with far reaching economic benefits for the rural poor.
“Nobhotwe agreed that the pioneers of this initiative start with her on the basis of which other neighbouring traditional leaders would learn from,” said Makinana.
NomaXhosa described her mother as “an insightful and humble leader and a loving and gentle mother”.
“Although in her later years she experienced great tragedy with the successive deaths of her husband and two sons, her grace and wisdom continued to be a guiding light to the ImiDushane Yase Lwandle she so faithfully led,” NomaXhosa said.
She added that her mother was “a Mayflower when required and a Taurean bull when circumstance demanded”.
She is survived by NomaXhosa and two grandsons, Lwanda and Avuyile.
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