- KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala has expressed shock at the death of provincial legislature deputy speaker and former Harry Gwala District mayor Mluleki Ndobe.
- Ndobe died on Friday night in a suicide at his family home.
- He has been described as a "highly competent leader" and tireless servant of the public.
The KwaZulu-Natal government has said it is "shocked and saddened" by the death of provincial legislature deputy speaker Mluleki Ndobe.
Ndobe, a former KwaZulu-Natal ANC deputy leader and Harry Gwala District Municipality mayor, died at his home in Umbilo on Friday night. The death has been confirmed as a suicide.
Ndobe's death was confirmed by provincial ANC spokesperson Nhlakanipo Ntombela.
"We can confirm that he passed on late yesterday evening after 23:00... He has not been well for a while with cancer. We will be visiting the family soon to ascertain the circumstances around his passing and what really transpired," Ntombela said on Saturday morning.
Ndobe was the deputy speaker of the provincial legislature at the time of his death.
Ndobe's death has been described as "a great loss" for the province by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala.
"On behalf of the government and the people of KwaZulu-Natal, we wish to convey our absolute shock, sadness, and heartache at the sudden and unexpected demise of the deputy speaker of KZN Legislature Mr Mluleki Ndobe," Zikalala said.
"To many of us Deputy Speaker Ndobe was a brother, friend and comrade. From an early age, deputy speaker Ndobe distinguished himself as a committed and highly competent leader, who was passionate about community development."
Ndobe showed a deep understanding of local government, Zikalala said.
"He always worked tirelessly, with unmatched dedication, to improve people's lives, and left a mark in virtually every capacity in which he served as a public representative and a tireless servant of the people's glorious movement, the African National Congress," he says.