Baledzi Gaolathe: tribute to a great man

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At this moment
In this still body that lies here, lived the spirit of a child of God whose example is an eternal guiding beacon. Consistently so during his lifetime, Baledzi represented the finest of the human race.

He was humble
His genuine and deep humility touched those who came into contact with him.  This tall and slender man refused favours, no matter how much others believed he may have deserved them.  He queued at the bank and at the bus rank.  He refused to use the government fax machine for private letters and private business.   He used his government car to which he was entitled sparingly and only when his children were not available to travel with him. On one late night, when our mother's arthritic attack was so severe we had to rush her to hospital, we experienced a delay on account of my debate with him about his request to sit at the back of the van.

Pleasant humour
Despite his serious demeanour, he possessed an exquisite sense of humour.  Much of his humour was lived out behind closed doors and in confidence.  He imitated our mother often, and described her with fond humour.  A story he related often was about his first visit to mother's family in East London.  Apparently then, meat was a revered delicacy and there was a whole ritual to the dinner moment.  When the moment came, the honour to cut the meat up went to him, the groom.  In the Xhosa tradition, a man who does not carry is own knife is a sissy and a "no no". 

Editor's Comment
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