Rev Dr Tshenuwani Simon Farisani, former Speaker of the Limpopo Legislature and anti-apartheid activist. Image: Rudzani Tshivhase/SABC News.
(The Post News)– President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to Rev Dr Tshenuwani Simon Farisani, a renowned theologian, anti-apartheid activist, and former Speaker of the Limpopo Legislature, who has passed away at the age of 76.
According to Ramaphosa, Dr Farisani’s gospel of humanity and liberation invigorated the movement, prompting the apartheid authorities to target him. Ramaphosa praised Dr Farisni’s leadership abilities, noting that from Venda pulpits to parliamentary podiums, Dr Farisni’s voice carried the hopes of a people yearning for justice and dignity.
Dr Farisani was deeply involved in the Black Consciousness Movement and the Black People’s Convention and was a close associate of Steve Bantu Biko. His political activism led to several detentions under the apartheid regime.
In post-apartheid South Africa, he served as a Member of Parliament for the African National Congress (ANC) and later held positions as an MEC and Speaker in the Limpopo Provincial Legislature.
In recognition of his lifelong contributions, a foundation bearing his name — the Dr Tshenuwani Farisani Development Foundation — was launched in Thohoyandou in September 2022. The University of Venda also recognized his impact by awarding him an honorary doctorate in theology.
Limpopo Premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba gave her respects, describing Dr Farisani as a “towering figure” and “a moral compass”.
She added that he was not only a political leader; he was a father figure to many of them, a man of faith whose bravery helped to build the nation’s democratic terrain, and a “moral compass”.
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