JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa paid tribute to an “outstanding leader on the African continent” as tributes poured in for Zimbabwe’s founding leader, Robert Mugabe.
Mugabe died in a Singapore hospital at the age of 95 on Friday. He was being treated for an undisclosed ailment since April.
Ramaphosa, speaking to reporters, said Mugabe contributed a great deal to end apartheid in South Africa.
Here is what Ramaphosa had to say:
“We remember him not only as a towering leader of the struggle for the independence of the people of Zimbabwe but also as an outstanding, outstanding leader on the African continent.
President Mugabe will be sorely missed because he was one of those presidents who also contributed to the freedom of the people of South Africa. Once they attained their own independence, they established a free and independent Zimbabwe to be one of the frontline states where we as the African National Congress were able to find refuge, where they supported our struggle.
We will always remember President Mugabe as a gallant leader of Pan-Africanism for the independence of Africa. We dip our heads to his memory, and we will be passing our condolences to the people of Zimbabwe and wish them well as they now proceed on their journey.
President Mugabe contributed a great deal to Pan-Africanism and also to our own struggle. We will forever be grateful for the contribution that he made and we say may his soul rest in peace. We wish the people of Zimbabwe well in this difficult period as they now prepare to lay him to rest.” – ZimLive
