Mthunzi Vilakazi Explained

Party:African National Congress
Citizenship:South Africa
Birth Date:23 September 1955
Office:Member of the National Assembly
Termend:16 February 2000
Termstart:9 May 1994
Constituency:Mpumalanga

Mthunzi Isaac Vilakazi (23 September 1955 – 16 February 2000) was a South African politician from Mpumalanga. He represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly from 1994 until his death in 2000.

Legislative career

Vilakazi was born on 23 September 1955.[1] He was elected to the National Assembly in South Africa's first post-apartheid elections in 1994[2] and gained re-election in 1999, representing the Mpumalanga constituency.

Personal life and death

He was married to Gloria Vilakazi and lived in Witbank, Mpumalanga.[3] He died on 16 February 2000.[4] Though the ANC refused to comment on the cause of his death, and his wife said that he had died from complications arising from kidney and liver failure, his death coincided with the peak of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa and was rumoured to be AIDS-related.[5] The rumours triggered debate in Parliament about MPs' role in destigmatising HIV.[6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. 11 June 1999 . General Notice: Notice 1319 of 1999 – Electoral Commission: Representatives Elected to the Various Legislatures . . Pretoria, South Africa . . 408 . 20203 . 26 March 2021.
  2. Book: South Africa: Campaign and Election Report April 26–29, 1994 . . 1994 . 13 April 2023 . Yumpu.
  3. News: 13 May 2000 . MPs challenged to reveal Aids status . IOL . 9 May 2023.
  4. Web site: 2002-06-02 . The National Assembly List of Resinations and Nominations . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20020602095739/http://parliament.gov.za/na/resign.htm . 2 June 2002 . 2023-04-02 . Parliament of South Africa.
  5. News: 15 May 2000 . MPs line up for public Aids tests . IOL . 9 May 2023.
  6. Web site: 19 November 2000 . No dull moment in Parliament . 2023-05-09 . News24 . en-US.