Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has extended his heartfelt condolences to the family of former Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Sicelo Shiceka, who died this morning.
Shiceka passed away at Umtata General Hospital in the Eastern Cape, following a long illness that saw him take extended leave from his work as a minister.
"On behalf of Government and the people of South Africa, we wish to convey our heartfelt condolences to the family, relatives and friends. May they be strengthened in this moment of challenge," said Zuma.
He said Shiceka's energy would be missed. "He was a remarkable hard worker and his impact was greatly felt in the Local Government Turnaround Strategy as well as his contribution to the struggle from the early 1980s. May his soul rest in peace," added the President.
Shiceka was appointed Minister of Provincial and Local Government in 2008, before being appointed as the Minister of the newly reconfigured Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department in 2009, a position he held until 2011.
The Presidency said Shiceka took to the job with gusto, working tirelessly to establish the new department and turning it into a fully functional department.
Zuma said Shiceka made an immense contribution to the development of provincial and local governance in South Africa.
"He also played a key and visible role in the transformation of local government especially with the development of the local government turn-around strategy that was adopted by Cabinet in 2010 and being implemented currently," said Zuma.
Before being appointed to Cabinet, he was a Member of various Parliamentary Committees, including Public Service, Land and Environmental Affairs, Security and Constitutional Affairs, Defence, as well as Ethics and Members Interests.
He was a member of the African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee since 2007.
