You inspired me at a very young age to overcome the odds that were stacked against me. I remember your life as a teacher at eMadlelweni Primary School in the early 2000s. I would pass by your school long after the school is out and and would find you studying and you would generously share your wisdom with me. From very humble beginnings you rose to be a scholar recognized for his outstanding work in the academic community. Rest in peace Phuthini. Ungikhonzele kugogo MaButhelezi nakumkhulu uMavundo. Manzezulu! Mwelase!

Prof Mazibuko has left an indelible mark in the academy. We have lost as Unisa, the NIHSS and SADSA. A great humble and modest leader he was. I am grateful that our path crossed. May the entire Mdeni draw strength and courage from God to carry this unbearable pain.

Lala kahle Mwelase

Prof Edith Dinong Phaswana
Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs at Unisa
South African Development Studies Association

It was in December 1983, on my very first weekend in Johahannes coming from Estcourt to permanently stay in Johannesburg. You took me to Johannesburg Library. I had never set foot in a library nor did I ask to go there. You did not even warn me that you were going to introduce me to a place that was going to change my life forever and shape my future to where I am today!! This was the greatest gift you could ever give me, it set a foundation for me to achieve a number of qualifications built on the interest in reading that was developed from there on. I am forever indebted to you, wena kaMavundo, kaNkeyane, kaSlungu, kaDingiswayo kaPhuthini, Mungwe!!
Lala kahle qhawe laseMangweni.

Thank you, Muna, for being the most incredible father I could have ever wanted. Thank you for making me want to make the world a better place showing me a path to do so. I’ll always remember you said family matters the most.
You always said keep trying my girl and never give up.
I will forever miss you I love you daddy.

Thank you Mkhulu wami ngokusinakekela ngazozonke izikhathi, usithanda njalo.
Ngizohlala ngikukhumbula. Ngiyakuthanda.
Ulale Ngoxolo
Umzukulu wakho Sinokuhle
💌

It has been great knowing you, working with you, traveling with you and sharing intimate moments with you. You were a great academic friend. May you be remembered forever.

My dear brother, I’m struggling to come to terms with your passing. No matter how hard I try, it’s difficult, you were such an inspiration to us, you’ve left a huge void in our hearts. I’ll miss our random yet thought provoking chats…always ready to listen. May your soul rest in Peace, my brother, lots of Love Kopano

Vusi Xulu
My dear brother ngikhumbula ufika eGoli umfoweni uMthunzi ase exile ngakuthatha ngakuhlanganisa nabangane bami,sakwetha igama wabizwa uShom ngoba legama likaSibonginkosi lithatha kude.If it was during these days of cell phones laliyosiqedela amadata.
Ngiphilie nawe isikhathi eside nawe eDhlamini mfowethu.
Lala ngoxolo siyohlala sikukhumbula

TRIBUTE TO A GREAT MENTOR
It is with great sadness that I learned of the recent passing away of Professor Sibonginkosi Mazibuko. Late Prof Mazibuko was my supervisor when I was studying for my doctorate at the University of South Africa and his contributions to my academic success are unforgettable. I write with fond memories and deep sorrow this tribute to my teacher, professor, friend and extraordinary mentor. I call him Boss.

It was a great privilege to learn under a great Pan-Africanist scholar and yet a patient teacher. My writings were unappealing until Prof Mazibuko taught me about critical writing and the importance of having a clear theoretical framework, which is my lens of viewing issues. I suddenly realized my view was too neutral or rather too Eurocentric (caused by my several years of Western colonial education) to produce any critical knowledge. I borrowed Prof Mazibuko’s Afrocentric lens and I saw clearly. Through Prof Mazibuko, I had the opportunity to meet and listen to famous Pan- Africanist and Afrocentric scholars like Prof Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Prof Molefi Asante. He also ensured I attended decoloniality conferences. By the end of my study, I had become fully immersed in Afrocentricity and decoloniality to defend Africa’s interest anywhere.

Prof Mazibuko was kind. I was an international student from Nigeria and my supervisor contributed to my memorable stay in South Africa. Through him, I learned the meaning of Ubuntu. I was particularly on study leave and must soon return to work. Prof Mazibuko understood my situation and cooperated with me to complete my study on time. When I submitted to him any chapter, he often reverted to me within 2-4 days! When I shared my challenges with him, he understood and often used his life experiences to encourage me to push harder through life’s difficulty. After my graduation, Prof Mazibuko had connected me with people and associations that could better reveal the scholar he had developed in me. Nevertheless, Prof was a strict teacher, which forced his students to keep to a high standard and this has helped me to become responsible, professional, and disciplined in my career.

Most importantly, through Prof Mazibuko, I learned about the beautiful land of Mzansi, its turbulent history, its heroes like Robert Sobukwe and its loving people. I am back in Nigeria and based on my experience with Prof Mazibuko, I can proudly say that South Africans are not xenophobic. I have always been in touch with Prof and I still cannot decipher that I will see my academic mentor no more.

Prof Mazibuko used to talk about his family a lot and there is no doubt this is a difficult time for them. Moreover, his demise is undoubtedly a great loss to the University of South Africa and to the Department of Development Studies in particular. Truly, death took Zakes from us in a rude and shocking manner, but our solace is that Prof Mazibuko’s scholarly works are available with us and I have no doubt his books will continue to make great impacts.

Please accept my deepest condolences.

Sincerely,

Dr Damola Adejumo-Ayibiowu (Dphil Development Studies, UNISA)
Assistant Director, Planning, Research & Statistics
Federal Inland Revenue Service

Lagos, Nigeria

RIP dear brother and we express gratitude for the job well done, God be with you

You were a blessing to many of us and working with you was exciting. Your wisdom was so evident and your desire to help others was very much appreciated. Our condolences go to the family and be assured of our prayers for you. God Bless.

Dr Thuli Shandu kaPhetla
Ngyabonga Solwazi ngokuba isibonelo esihle kimi nakwabanye. Ngomoya wakho ophansi, usifundise kuningi. Angizange ngisebenze nawe ngqo, kodwa inkambo yakho, izinkulumo zakho nemibhalo yakho ingifundisile, yangikhulisa. Besike sihlangane emihlanganweni yaseYunisa bese ngikha, ngifunde ngikhule. UMdali, uSonininanini aduduze umndeni, awulonde. Lala ngokuthula, Solwazi, ulihambe ngobuqhawe ibanga. Mwelase!

Rest in peace Prof Mazibuko. May your academic spirit live on.

It was with great sadness to learn of the passing of my Honours supervisor Prof Mazibuko. I am grateful to have crossed paths with such a great and dedicated leader like you. I will forever appreciate the time you took to host workshops with us, crafting us to become the best Development scholars.
Rest Prof. My heartfelt condolences to your family.

Umoya wakho uphumule ngokuthula Prof Mazibuko. We will always cherish the good moments we have shared with you.

Bra Zakes, you were my colleague, my CoD and a big brother to me. You touched my heart when you called me by my full name because only my late father called me that. i know how much you loved family, always talking about your kids. Lala ngoxolo. I will miss you very much.

Thank you so much Bra Zakes for being such a calm and humble colleague. You were full of humility and deep sense of care for people. I remember when you gave me a lift from a workshop one day and ensured my safety and my comfort. Your family was blessed to live with you. I am very sad that you are gone because I was still looking forward to many jovial and academic exchange with you. Academia was rich because of your contributions. May the Lord be with you and comfort your loving family, which you deeply cherished. Rest in the Lord!

OMG Prof, I had no idea you’ve passed on. I bumped into the information as I was trying to email you. I’m so shocked and I’m said. Good Lord. 😭

I was wanting to pick your brain on a thesis that I wrote and got distinction, supervised by you!!!! I was only a long distance student and did not know you from a bar of soap, but you taught and guided me. You never got tired of it. And you acknowledged and praised my work.

I remember when i said I’ll be moving from UNISA and you said that’s a pity as I could’ve easily moved with the same topic towards Masters (well, I did keep mentioning this in the study – the possibility) 🤭. I’ve never felt as amazing as I did when I was under your wing. I took time to read all of your publications just to understand you better, at one point I tried to cite your work and you saw right through me… hahaha.

This morning I looked for you to tell you that the paper you supervised me on is being requested as an abstract on a conference. My paper. This has never happened, ever. Two years later.. I get this email, I wanted to email it to you Prof for guidance.

I’m truly hurting, I’m sad. I’m disappointed that I didn’t know of your passing until now. But thank you for all the help. I have never seen you but I knew you wished me well, completely. I value you and will always do.

Rest, Tata. Phumla ngoxolo. You touched many, you touched ME! Ndiyabulela kakhulu. Wanga uJehova akukhanyisele ngokhanyiselo olungacimiyo. ✨🕯️

If I do manage to present my work (inferiority complex), it will all be in your honour.

Today I am at the most difficult time of my life. 2024 has been so cruel to me from its inception up to now. In January, I had to step into a new year with the biggest challenge of uncertainty, but I went to your dedication page from your PhD article, where you put your children as a mirror of the unchanging love. That gave me strength to soldier on. July 2024 showed me hell, as if January was not enough. I lost my rock and my everything. I remembered when you were gone I called UNISA and everybody would pick up the phone and when they heard it was one of your students, they would put it down without saying a word. Eventualy, I got that call which I will never forget that you were gone. I thought it was over with my studies. I remembered you today as I am at the most difficult part of my studies. You left me with Prof Oloruntoba. He has been wonderful. I have been to places I never dreamt to be. Each time he holds me by hand through this journey, I feel as if you are there, watching. You taught me to be to myself. You have been “IDLOZI” lami in this landscape called ACADEMIA. Your spirit lives. Today I am making baby steps to analyse my findings. I saw your Ancestor’s footprint all over Ntabamnyama. I interviewed your Elders, and I have been to iNkosi yaMangwe’s home for another interview. I envy your children and hope they know the Giant that raised them.Uphumule kahle wena wakoMangwe andunakazi, Manzezulu, Phuthini.