Page 79 - Heritage Streets of KwaMashu 2025

up people, the warriors that strike fear into the hearts of commoners (abafo), like the cool blast that comes up cliffs, the mighty dashing huntsmen warriors. (My great-great father’s brother, “uNdlondlo” – who was part of the iNdlondlo (“Horned Vipers” a matured mamba with a “feather” on its head – Indlondlo enophaph’ ekhanda) regiment – never returned, was unfortunately killed in Isandlwana). The name amaShishi is derived from the setting on of a dog in the chase, by the shouting of “Hha hha hha,
Shi! Shi! Shi-shi-shi !”
Famous people from this Section include Mr Jeffrey Thamsanqa Radebe (first Minister of Public Works under the new 1994 dispensation of democracy in SA). A former student of Isibonelo High School (Kwa-Mashu), he worked for the ANC’s International Department in Zambia. He created underground ANC and South African Communist Party (SACP) structures inside South Africa from Lesotho, giving political direction to activists. Mr Radebe was a Radio journalist with Radio Freedom in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for two years. He further underwent military training with Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), was arrested in Johannesburg, and convicted under the Terrorism Act. His 10- year sentence, on Robben Island, was reduced to six years on appeal in 1986. Prior to his appointment as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development in 2009, Mr Radebe served as Minister of Public Enterprises from 17 June 1999 to 28 April 2004 and as Minister of Transport from 29 April 2004 to 10 May 2009. Mr Radebe served as Minister in The Presidency for
Performance Monitoring and Evaluation from 2014 - 2018.
The late leader of the AVANTE Gospel group, Linda Gcwensa was also from this Section.
Mr Jeffrey Thamsanqa Radebe
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Shortly thereafter Dingane was murdered and Mpande became king of the Zulus.