Fezeka Sister Loliwe

Fezeka Sister Loliwe (17 August 1964 – 5 March 2018) was a South African politician and African National Congress member who served as a member of the National Assembly of South Africa between 2014 and her death in 2018. She was chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Labour at the time of her death. Loliwe was also a member of the South African Communist Party and served on the party's Central Committee.

Early life and education

Loliwe was born on 17 August 1964 in the village of Frankfort outside King Williamstown in the present-day Eastern Cape. She attended Lennox Sebe College of Education (later renamed to Griffiths Mxenge College of Education), but was expelled as a student in 1986 due to her participation in anti-apartheid activities. She would later go on to earn her teaching qualification at the Dr WB Rubusana College of Education in Mdantsane outside East London. She was appointed to the Portfolio Committee on Labour after her swearing-in. In 2016, she became a member of the SABC Parliamentary Inquiry Ad Hoc Committee. Loliwe was also a whip of the ANC's caucus disciplinary committee.

Death

Loliwe died in a car accident on 5 March 2018 near the town of Alice in the Eastern Cape. She had been en route in her Jeep Cherokee to East London from her parliamentary constituency in Fort Beaufort. She was in the process of overtaking another vehicle but lost control of her vehicle when she attempted to return to her lane. Her car left the road, travelled over a bridge before overturning and landing in a muddy riverbank. She was 53 years old at the time of her death. Her funeral was held on 11 March 2018. She was the second ANC MP to die within a month; the other being Beatrice Ngcobo.