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The National Heritage Council learned with regret about the death of the Chairperson of its Council, Mr Patrick Ntobeko Maqubela who was found dead in his Sea point, Cape Town residence on Sunday, 7 June 2009. Sonwabile Mancotywa says “The cause of his mysterious death is not confirmed and is under police investigation”.
Mr Maqubela who recently turned sixty in March was an Acting Judge of the High Court in Cape Town. He was appointed by the former Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Pallo Jordan, as the Chairperson of the NHC board in 2008. He was involved in number of community development projects like the Mphumaze Community Development Trust.Ntobs, as he was popularly known, had joined the underground structures of the African National Congress (ANC) in his teens during the latter half of the sixties. He became an active member of Umkhonto we Siswe, a military operation of the ANC during apartheid. He was sentenced to twenty years in prison on charges of High Treason after being arrested in 1981. During part of his imprisonment, he spent about three years in Pollsmoor Prison, Cape Town, together with the veterans of our liberation struggle, Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela, Raymond Mhlaba, Andrew Mlangeni and Ahmed Kathrada amongst others. His stay with these people giants of our history infused in him the spirit of commitment to the restoration of dignity of our people. It also taught him the humility to be prepared to serve the people in whatever capacity he would be called upon. That is why he gladly served on the Board of the NHC despite his engagement in business and being the Director of the prestigious law firm, Daly Maqubela Oliphant Attorneys in Sandton. In his early working life, Maqubela was the National Director of the South African Legal Defence Fund, served on the Kroon Commission to enquire into the violence in the Transkei areas of Qumbu and Tsolo. He was appointed Special Advisor to the then Premier of the Eastern Cape from 1996 to 1999 before he was Special Advisor to the Minister of Justice, Penuel Maduna. During this period after 1999, he was also Head of Legal Affairs at the South African Airways (SAA).Maqubela will be greatly missed in the Board of the NHC for his probing approach to governance and solution driven conduct of business. May his soul rest in peace. Mr Maqubela who recently turned sixty in March was an Acting Judge of the High Court in Cape Town. He was appointed by the former Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Pallo Jordan, as the Chairperson of the NHC board in 2008. He was involved in number of community development projects like the Mphumaze Community Development Trust.Ntobs, as he was popularly known, had joined the underground structures of the African National Congress (ANC) in his teens during the latter half of the sixties. He became an active member of Umkhonto we Siswe, a military operation of the ANC during apartheid. He was sentenced to twenty years in prison on charges of High Treason after being arrested in 1981. During part of his imprisonment, he spent about three years in Pollsmoor Prison, Cape Town, together with the veterans of our liberation struggle, Walter Sisulu, Nelson Mandela, Raymond Mhlaba, Andrew Mlangeni and Ahmed Kathrada amongst others. His stay with these people giants of our history infused in him the spirit of commitment to the restoration of dignity of our people. It also taught him the humility to be prepared to serve the people in whatever capacity he would be called upon. That is why he gladly served on the Board of the NHC despite his engagement in business and being the Director of the prestigious law firm, Daly Maqubela Oliphant Attorneys in Sandton. In his early working life, Maqubela was the National Director of the South African Legal Defence Fund, served on the Kroon Commission to enquire into the violence in the Transkei areas of Qumbu and Tsolo. He was appointed Special Advisor to the then Premier of the Eastern Cape from 1996 to 1999 before he was Special Advisor to the Minister of Justice, Penuel Maduna. During this period after 1999, he was also Head of Legal Affairs at the South African Airways (SAA).Maqubela will be greatly missed in the Board of the NHC for his probing approach to governance and solution driven conduct of business. May his soul rest in peace.
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