The news of the death of one of the nation’s most polarizing characters this morning placed South Africans in a state of tremendous shock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The controversial former board chairperson of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Ellen Tshabalala, passed away on Saturday.

Her relatives confirmed that Tshabalala died from kidney failure.

“It was a long illness and the culmination of a deep vein thrombosis problem she had,” Tshabalala’s family told the SABC.

“Covid-19 worsened it and caused kidney failure.”

Screenshot: Twitter

She was prone to controversy, and those who are familiar with her two-year term in 2013–2014 will recall that it occurred during one of the darkest times for the public broadcaster, which was rife with controversies at every turn.

For the past few years, Tshabalala’s has in some ways been in conflict with the law. The hawks issued a warrant for her arrest in 2018.

This after she was unable to provide proof of her qualifications in response to a parliamentary committee investigation.

The investigation revealed that Tshabalala was unable to finish the program despite enrolling for a BComm degree in 1988 and 1996.

She registered for a certificate in labor relations in 1995, according to records from the University of South Africa, but never finished it.

Her legacy has always been controversial, but her close friends and colleagues at the SABC have reacted to the news of her passing.

The equally controversial former Chief Operating Officer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, said he enjoyed working with her as she advocated for Radical Economic Transformation (RET).

“We got along great, but what I enjoyed most about her was how she transformed the SABC, which is why she backed me. We did transform it,” he added.

He also stated that she found the entity in dire straits after there were resignations en masse of board members.

“When she joined the SABC as the chairperson of the board, she came at a difficult time when the previous board had resigned,” he added.

Others agreed, praising her greatly and identifying her legacy as possibly the point in the SABC’s history when transformation became the main priority item.

The OnlineNewzBible team sends its most sincere condolences to Tshabalala’s family, May Her Soul Repose Peacefully.