Mortal remains of South African Diplomat scheduled to arrive in South Africa on Friday

Pretoria – The mortal remains of the late Mlungisi Sisulu, the South African diplomat who died of cerebral malaria in the United Kingdom, accompanied by his father Max Sisulu and South Africa’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Lindiwe Mabuza, will be repatriated from London later today Thursday 10 January 2008. In this regard the body of Mlungisi Sisulu will arrive at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday 11 January 2008.

A memorial service in his honour will be held at the Wesley Methodist Church, corner Andries and Visagi Streets in Pretoria on Friday 11 January 2008 from 12h00 to 14h00. The funeral service will be held at the Walter Sisulu Hall in Randburg, Johannesburg on Sunday 13 January 2008 at 10h00.

Mlungisi, better known as Lungi, was born on the 20 th August 1966 in Moscow to Max Sisulu and Mercy Vuthela, two young South African exiles studying in the then Soviet Union. At the age of five years he arrived in Soweto to stay with his grandmothers - Greta Ncapayi and Albertina Sisulu - speaking only Russian! He quickly acclimatized, becoming the apple of both their eyes.

Lungi became politicized at an early age as a result of his exposure to the political activism of his family, in particular his grandfather Walter Sisulu, who he regularly visited on Robben Island. Lungi was part of the generation whose schooling was constantly interrupted by the political turbulence of the 1980s. His primary school years were also disrupted by the June 1976 uprising and its aftermath and this as well as the political environment of the time helped entrench his strong political views. As a youth he joined the Congress of South African Students and also became chairman of the Dube branch of the Soweto Youth Congress (SOYCO). In 1986 he was detained for nine months; becoming the third generation of Sisulus, alongside his grandfather and uncle Zwelakhe to be jailed at the same time.

In 1998 Lungi graduated from Hope College in Michigan, US with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and went on to join the Department of Foreign Affairs. His first international posting was in the South African Embassy in the Czech Republic capital of Prague where he rose to become First Secretary.  While in Prague he completed his Master of Arts in International Relations through part-time study. In 2006 he was appointed First Secretary of the South African Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan and in the past six months served as Charge d’Affaires of the Mission.                                           

In August 2007 Lungi married Kundi Jangano in Khartoum. They had planned to have their official wedding celebration in South Africa in April 2008. Tragically this was not to be. On Wednesday 2 January 2008, returning from a holiday trip to his uncle and aunt in Rome, Lungi was admitted to the Princess Alexandra hospital in Harlow, Essex, where he was diagnosed with cerebral malaria. He passed on shortly thereafter.

Minister Dlamini Zuma once again extends the heartfelt condolences of President Thabo Mbeki, the government and the Department of Foreign Affairs to his widow Kundi, Mercy Vuthela the mother, Max and Elinor Sisulu and the entire Sisulu family following the untimely death of Mlungisi.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853
Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

10 January 2008