Veteran churchman Ben Shibambu buried at Shigalo today
Family satisfied veteran pastor buried in dignity despite strict lockdown rules
Benson Ntlemo
The family of the retired bishop who died at the age of 74 and was buried today in the full compliance of lockdown rules has expressed satisfaction with the way the popular cleric was buried.
Bishop Tshikani Ben Shibambu was today buried at Shigalo cemetery after a service at his home in the area. He died on April 9 of natural causes.
A Christian since 1950, he became a pastor of the Full Gospel Church from 1989 until he retired in 2009.
He was a respected figure in the entire Malamulele area.
A family representative Joe Chauke said the family was satisfied with the way he was sent to his final resting place.
“As we had to observe the lockdown rules there was no better joy to be derived than seeing the top leadership of the church, the ANC and the South African National Civic Organisation coming to send him to his final resting place,” said Chauke who is a top figure in Sanco and the ANC in Vhembe.
“There was Vhembe regional secretary advocate Anderson Mudunungu, Sanco leadership led by chairman and the church leadership led by Dr Hans Mashila,” said Chauke.
There were less than 50 people and people observed the distance rule. There were also sanitisers and basically all the safety measures against the spread of the corona virus were observed.
Mudunungu who visited the family yesterday eulogised the late veteran church man for his leadership style.
“He allowed all political parties to use the church for their meetings and he has planted a good seed in the community,” he said.
There was also Sanco leadership led by regional chairperson Owen Makhubele who went to send condolences.
Many other people spoke highly of the old man.
Born on January 2 to Basopa Shibambu and his wife Mhlava Mahuntsi Shibambu, he left school at Standard 5.
In 1958 he went to Johannesburg where he got a job at Union Club of South Africa.
Immediately he started his job, he also started the business of selling soft goods.
He bought a van in 1969 and his business expanded as he also sold fruits.
A church man through and through, he was baptised into the Presbyterian Church in South Africa in 1950.
In 1953, he left for the Shigalo Full Gospel Church of God which later mutated into Tabernacle Worship Centre.
While in the ministry he enrolled with the Hebron theological school through distance learning.
In 1963, he got married to Midjadji Dorah Machavi Hlomela from the well-known Tshovani dynasty and they are blessed with nine children.
