Patrick Mphephu

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Patrick Ramaano Mphephu (* 1924 in Dzanani Mphephu, † April 17, 1988 ) was chief of the Vhailafuri and Singo and the first president of the homeland Venda .

He spent his school days at the Siloam School and the Tshakuma School . Mphephu served as chief of the Vhailafuri and Singo since 1950. In 1959 he took over the chairmanship of the Ramabulana School Commission and was represented on the board of directors of the University of the North since 1961 . In 1962 he was elected to chair the Thoho-ya-Ndou Territorial Authority , the administrative authority of the Venda Reserve.

When the South African government began to implement its homeland policy, Mphephu became Supreme Chief (King Mphephu III) of the Venda tribe on June 1, 1971, first First Chief Councilor in the Venda Legislative Assembly and on February 1, 1973 Chief Minister of the Venda Homeland . After the elections in August 1973, he resigned from this position. With the country's formal independence from South Africa on September 13, 1979, he received the title of President. As president he was also chairman of the Venda National Party , the ruling party in Venda. In 1980 he refused to merge with the Venda Independence Party .

Mphephu died of multiple organ failure on April 17, 1988 at the age of 64. There were rumors of an unnatural cause of death. However, an autopsy did not reveal any evidence of the poisoning. He was buried outside the homeland in Songozwi (near Louis Trichardt ) in a traditional resting place of the Venda chiefs. At the public funeral in Independence Stadium of Thohoyandou about 15,000 people took part. The then South African Foreign Minister Pik Botha was also present.

His successor in this office was Finance Minister Frank Ravele , who was a cousin of the deceased. He was elected on May 10, 1988 in the Venda National Assembly . In the role of King of the Venda, he was succeeded by his son Tshimangadzo, who assumed the title of King Dimbanyika Thohoyandou II .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Sheila Keeble (Ed.) SPP Kutumela, A. Booley: The Black Who's Who of Southern Africa Today . African Business Publ., Johannesburg 1979, 1st edition, p. 210.
  2. ↑ a b Luonde: Ha-Mphephu . at www.luonde.co.za (English).
  3. ^ SAIRR : Survey of Race Relations in South Africa 1980 . Johannesburg 1981, p. 399.
  4. ^ A b SAIRR: Race Relations Survey 1988/89 . Johannesburg 1989, pp. 138-139.
personal data
SURNAME Mphephu, Patrick
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Mphephu, Patrick Ramaano
BRIEF DESCRIPTION first President of the Homeland Venda
DATE OF BIRTH 1924
PLACE OF BIRTH Dzanani Mphephu
DATE OF DEATH April 17, 1988