The former Deputy President of the United Christian Democratic Party, Paul Harry Kgomotso Ditshetelo, has been called to a better place.

The septuagenarian has not been well for the greater part of this year when he could not deliver the opening address at the party’s elective congress on 29 January 2011. Since then he has not been himself; he has been in and out of doctors consulting rooms and hospitals until he succumbed to kidney failure on Tuesday, 11 October 2011 at a private medical facility in Johannesburg.

Oom Paul was analogous to the UCDP. He was there when the party was formed in 1972 though at the time it was called the Tswana National Party; in 1974 when the Bophuthatswana Democratic Party left the rebellious group Ditshetelo was there. In 1991 when the party realized that all they wrought as government was due to the mercies of the Lord and changed the name to Christian Democratic Party he was there.

When the party was reconstituted post the democratic elections in 1994 and changed the name to United Christian Democratic Party, Oom Paul was there and was elected as the first Secretary General of the UCDP and lead the party in that position until he had it registered with the Independent Electoral Commission to contest elections in the Republic.

Rre Ditshetelo was elected as the first Deputy President of the party in 1998, a position he held with distinction until 2011 when he stood down at the congress on 29 January.

In 1999 He led the first group of elected representatives of the party to the National Assembly, a position he held until after the 2009 national elections and relinquished after the elections when he resigned as he noticed that he was not enjoying the verve he had before.

Mr Ditshetelo is a legend in his own right. He served as the First Secretary at the Bophuthatswana Embassy in Pretoria between 1978 and 1988.

1989 saw him appointed the first of the thirteen Governors to be appointed and ended being the Coordinating governor. His first station was Kudumane, his home district, and as coordinator he had to operate from Head office in Mmabatho.

The pacifist and religious giant under whose wings many sought refuge is no more. We however take solace in the knowledge that he was at peace with all people and wanted all to prosper.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be made.

May his soul rest in peace.
Sent by: Sipho Mfundisi
Deputy President: UCDP
Cell: 083 469 3473