Mkhize mourns paediatric cardiologist Lungile Pepeta, who died from Covid-19

Health minister Zweli Mkhize has paid homage to the chairperson of the Council for Medical Schemes, Prof Lungile Pepeta, who died from Covid-19 related complications last week.

Pepeta had been appointed to the position in June after the death of the previous chairperson, Dr Clarence Mini, in May, who also succumbed to Covid-19.

“SA has lost one of her best sons — confident, knowledgeable, articulate and inspiring ... one of the top thinkers, a brilliant mind, an outstanding academic and a pioneering researcher.

“He was a visionary who held high hopes for our country and an innovator who always harboured dreams of a better SA and spent time figuring out strategies to take this nation to the future of his ideals,” Mkhize said.

He relayed his condolences to Pepeta’s family, colleagues and patients.

“May the memories of his contribution to mankind console you as we adjust to life without him. May it comfort you to know that we share in your grief,” Mkhize said.

Pepeta was buried in Bizana on Wednesday. He was given a category 2 special official provincial funeral. The funeral was attended by Eastern Cape officials including health MEC Sindiswa Gomba, premier Oscar Mabuyane, Muthwa and various colleagues in the health fraternity.

Pepeta was described as “a seasoned health specialist and academic”.

The professor had  been appointed as the dean of the faculty of health sciences at Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth which had recently established the faculty in the institution. The faculty had been approved by the HPCSA just last month.

He held an MBChB from the University of Transkei (now Walter Sisulu University), a master of medicine degree in paediatrics from the University of the Witwatersrand as well as a fellowship of the society for cardiovascular angiography and interventions from the US.

Pepeta was in the process of completing a PhD in paediatrics from the University of Stellenbosch.

@TimesLIVE