President Ramaphosa saddened by the passing of struggle veteran Mr Eddie Funde

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed deep sadness at the passing of liberation struggle veteran and respected diplomat Ambassador Eddie Funde, who passed away on Tuesday, 22 May 2018.
 
Ambassador Funde served as the first Chief Representative of the African National Congress in the Australasian and Pacific region and later as South Africa’s Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany. He also played a leading role in the communications sector in the early years of democracy in the country including as Chairperson of the Board of the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
 
He was instrumental in the development of the 1996 White Paper on Telecommunications Policy, which led, inter alia, to the formation of the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, on which he later served as Deputy Chairperson.
 
Ambassador Funde also served as president and board chairman of the South African Communications Forum and executive director of the South African Research and Development Trust.
 
“South Africa has lost a selfless and outstanding struggle activist in former Ambassador Funde who contributed immensely to the struggle for freedom and the development of the democratic South Africa,” said President Ramaphosa. “His passing is an enormous loss not only to his family, but to the nation at large, as this constitutes the loss of a wealth of knowledge and experience, particularly in our reinvigorated international relations”.
 
The President added that the country had lost a principled and esteemed freedom fighter. “On behalf of government and the citizens of our country, we convey our heartfelt condolences to the Funde family and Ambassador Funde’s political home, the African National Congress. Our prayers and thoughts are with them in this difficult period. May his soul rest in peace,” the President said.

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

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria