President declares Special Provincial Funeral in honor of veteran Vincent Diba

President Ramaphosa has declared a Special Provincial Funeral (Category 2), which entails ceremonial elements provided by the South African Police Service.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a Special Provincial Funeral in honor of the late former Robben Islander and Western Cape veteran Mr. Vincent Diba, who has passed at the age of 59.

President Ramaphosa has declared a Special Provincial Funeral (Category 2), which entails ceremonial elements provided by the South African Police Service.

The funeral service will take place at Zolani Center in Nyanga East at 09h00 on Saturday, 7 September 2019.

Mr. Vuyisile Vincent Diba was born on 15 September 1959 in the Mau-Mau location of Nyanga East; He was the fifth child of the late Jackie Mpunzima Diba and Lienna Nongenile Diba.

Mr. Diba is a past provincial vice-chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) and was a member of the first Western Cape legislature of the democratic dispensation.

Mr. Diba, who lived in NY 5 in Gugulethu with his family, was steeped in liberation politics and was imprisoned on Robben Island for eight years as part of an 11-year sentence.

He headed the ANC Western Cape policy committee, served on the organization’s national peace and stability sub-committee, and undertook also did an officer’s training course in India and Denmark in preparation for the integration of the statutory and non-statutory forces in South Africa.

In his early life, Mr. Diba studied at John Pama Primary School and matriculated at Langa High School in 1979.

He completed a degree from Robben Island in 1986. In 2004 he graduated from the University of South Africa as a social worker.

Diba also had a passion for playing rugby and became active in the ex-political prisoners association and Makana ferries business before being employed at the Robben Island Museum where he served as a school and public program officer until failing health caused him to retire in December 2017.

(With Inputs from South African Presidency Release)