Chairperson, colleagues, Inkosi Everson Thobigunya Xolo was born on 2 December 1946 at Ezinqoleni, KwaXolo in KwaZulu-Natal. He was the son of Inkosi Delihlazo and uMama weSizwe Gasta Khumalo. He had six brothers and two sisters. He passed away on 2 March 2012 and was laid to rest on Saturday, 11 March 2012. He is survived by his wife, two sons and three daughters.
INkosi uXolo yafunda e-Elim Mission naseNtunjambili, yafihlwa eGreytown ngaphansi kukaMfundisi uGwamanda. Yaqhubeka yafunda esikoleni samaKhosi eBhekuzulu College kwaNongoma yaqeda khona umatikuletsheni. Ngonyaka we- 1968 yenza i-Diploma in Administration and Law. Yasebenza ngaphansi kukahulumeni waKwaZulu lapho yaphathiswa khona uMnyango wezemiGwaqo nemiSebenzi yoMphakathi njengoNgqongqoshe.
Yashiya ukuba yiLungu lesiShayamthetho KwaZulu ngonyaka we-1978 yabuyela ekhaya KwaXolo yaqhubeka nomsebenzi wayo wobukhosi. INkosi uXolo ibe yisibani endaweni yasoGwini. Ibizikhandla ilwela intuthuko yabantu besizwe sayo. Ngemizamo yakhe kunezikole, imitholampilo, imigwaqo, amasonto, amanzi nogesi esizweni sakwaXolo; lapho intuthuko siyibona ngamehlo khona.
Inkosi uThobigunya Xolo isebenze kakhulu igqugquzela abantu namakhosi ukuba bangene kuKhongolose kanye nakwinhlangano yamaKhosi i-Contralesa. Njengamanye amakhosi ayephumela obala ngomzabalazo ngaleso sikhathi, esingabala kuwo Inkosi uMhlabunzima Maphumulo, Inkosi uXolo nayo yahlukumezeka. Mhla zingama-30 kuZibandlela ngonyaka we-1993 Inkosi yahlaselwa yadutshulwa. Isimo saba sibi kakhulu; kwembulwa kwembeswa, kodwa ngomusa kaNkulunkulu Inkosi yalulama. Yaphoqeleka ukushiya esizweni ngenxa yodlame. (Translation of isiZulu paragraphs follows.)
[Chief Xolo received his education from Elim Mission and Ntunjambili. He was secretly placed at Greytown under the guardianship of Reverend Gwamanda. He continued with his education at the school of traditional leaders, Bhekuzulu College, at Nongoma, where he completed his matric. In 1968 he did his Diploma in Administration and Law. He was subsequently employed by the KwaZulu government, where he was appointed minister of roads and public works.
In 1978 he resigned from his post as Cabinet Minister in the KwaZulu government and went back home to KwaXolo to resume his traditional leadership responsibilities. He became a prominent and dedicated leader in the Ugu area. As a result of his hard work and dedication, schools, clinics, roads and churches were built and running water and electricity were provided to the KwaXolo tribe. This area is evidently well developed.
Chief Thobigunya Xolo worked tirelessly to encourage ordinary people and traditional leaders to join the ANC and the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa. Like other traditional leaders who were openly dedicated to the struggle at the time, for example Chief Mhlabunzima Maphumulo, Chief Xolo also went through a hard time. On 30 December 1993 he was attacked and shot. His condition was critical; he was very seriously injured, but he recovered by the grace of God. Owing to the political violence of the time he had to leave his tribe.]
Inkosi Xolo assisted in the building of Contralesa structures during the most difficult of times, when many people were opposing it due to its association with the organisation of the people, the ANC. He was one of the pioneers of Contralesa after the death of its president, Inkosi Mhlabunzima Maphumulo in KwaZulu-Natal, where he was the long-standing deputy chairperson of Contralesa. Inkosi Xolo was elected to the national executive committee of Contralesa and succeeded Ms Stella Sigcau as the organisation's national director of projects. His responsibility was to promote the involvement of traditional leaders in the development of their people. Later he was elected national treasurer of Contralesa. The Xolo family thanks all the political parties and the leadership of Contralesa, particularly Inkosi Holomisa and Inkosi Nkonyane, who attended the funeral last Saturday.
In 2004 the ANC deployed Inkosi Xolo to serve the people of South Africa as a Member of Parliament in Cape Town. This was in recognition of his role in the struggle for the liberation and emancipation of the people of South Africa. He served as a member of the Portfolio Committee on Correctional Services in Parliament until 2009. Thereafter he returned to work as a traditional leader of KwaXolo. On 13 February 2010 he voluntarily retired because of ill health. As we all know, he suffered from diabetes. He handed over power to his eldest son, Malusi Xolo, who unfortunately passed away in March last year. Once more, Nkosi Xolo appointed his son, Mxolisi, to lead the KwaXolo tribe.
Nkosi Xolo was a staunch member of the Lutheran Church of South Africa. In his tribe, he donated sites and encouraged different congregations to build their places of worship there. He was an active member in his church and served as chairperson of the Durban district's youth wing, uDodana. Even here in Parliament he never missed the worship sessions.
Inkosi Xolo obtained the following achievements: He was chief prefect at Bhekuzulu College; in 1997 he received an award for his role in people organisation and nation-building; in 2002 he received an attestation of pilgrimage; he was acknowledged for his role in the development of legislation and the management of traditional leaders; and in 2006 he was awarded the title of Ambassador of Peace.
The ANC, the Xolo family and the whole nation has lost a true leader. As others have said, UbeyiNkosi yoxolo nentuthuko yabantu bonke. [He was a traditional leader who stood for peace and development for all.]
He was a staunch Christian who ensured that every meeting he attended was opened and closed with prayer. He was a progressive leader who understood how and when to hand over power. He never fought for a position of power, but he was a servant of the people who was ready to be deployed and redeployed. As a Parliament of the people, we are saying ...
Lala kahle Dunywa kaNontshuntsha, Ntamonde, Msuthu, Mthusi, Xolo kaDakhile. Ngiyabonga. [Ihlombe.][Rest in peace Dunywa kaNontshuntsha, Ntamonde, Msuthu, Mthusi, Xolo kaDakhile [Rest in peace ... clan names]. Thank you. [Applause.]]
Debate concluded.
Motion agreed to, all members standing.