President honours Mr Xolani Gwala with Special Provincial Official Funeral

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a Special Provincial Official Funeral Category 2 for broadcaster and thought leader Mr Xolani Gwala who will be buried at Impendle in KwaZulu-Natal tomorrow, Saturday 09 November 2019.

The President has instructed that the National Flag fly at half-mast in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal this evening, Friday 08 November 2019.

Mr Gwala passed away on Friday 01 November 2019, at the age of 44 and following an extended illness.

Mr Gwala, who last served as a senior host on Talk Radio 702, established his reputation as a media professional during a career that took him from  newsreader on Ukhozi FM to P4 Radio in Kwa-Zulu Natal in the mid-1990s, to various radio and television platforms at the South African Broadcasting  Corporation.

A decade ago he was appointed news editor at a radio station based in Ramallah in the Palestinian territory.

President Ramaphosa extended heartfelt condolences to Mr Gwala’s family, friends and colleagues in the media fraternity in South Africa and abroad.

The President said: “We have lost a youthful veteran in an important sector in our country. As a professional who qualified in the mid-1990s, Xolani Gwala carried with him the values of our transition to democracy – the values of listening and being open to views that conflict with or offend your own, and a focus on solutions.”

Tomorrow’s special provincial official funeral will entail ceremonial elements that will be provided by the South African Police Service.

When the National Flag is half-masted, it should first be hoisted to the top of the flagstaff and then slowly lowered one third of the length of the flagpost from the top of the flagstaff. Regulations require that no other flags (eg SAPS, SANDF, corporate flags or other flags) should be displayed when the National Flag is flown at half-mast.


Media enquiries: Khusela Diko, Spokesperson to the President on 072 854 5707

Issued by: The Presidency 
Pretoria