The Free State government has shared further details for the memorial service and funeral of the late Premier Frances Beatrice Marshoff, who passed away last Saturday (15/04). She died at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg after being admitted following health complications.
Both services, the memorial and the funeral, will be held at the Norman Doubell community centre in Heidedal, Bloemfontein. The memorial service takes place tomorrow – Thursday, 20 April – from 10:00 till 13:00, followed by the funeral on Sunday from 08:00 till 12:00.
Sello Dithebe, spokespersons to the Premier Mxolisi Dukwana, says senior provincial government representatives, including the police, finalised the logistics in consultation with representatives of Marshoff’s family.
“Premier Dukwana has asked President Cyril Ramaphosa for a provincial funeral category 2 for Marshoff,” he said.
Dithebe says a response regarding the request is expected today with memorial and funeral logistics finalised.
Tributes from scores of people have been pouring in from the moment news of the former Premier’s passing was shared. Former employees in her office have also echoed sentiments that she embodied leadership principles, paying tribute to her life and service in Free State government.
Among them are Dan Maritz, director: communications and marketing at the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, and Charley Petersen, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
Maritz served as director corporate communication, and Petersen as coordinator of accelerated and shared growth initiatives from 2004 till 2009.
“Former Premier Marshoff set high standards for us and was uncompromising in the quality execution of projects in the province. I had an opportunity to understand her passion and love for making a meaningful contribution to communities.
“She always wanted to make a difference and we owe it to her vision to see clean governance and the province succeed on its new journey of renewal with fresh blood, and a new strategy to carry on where she and her peers left off. This is a loss to the family, the entire province, and the country she served gracefully,” says Maritz.
Petersen says about Marshoff’s commitment: “She was dedicated, focused, and committed to the government she represented. She was very punctual with our meetings and disapproved of people who are not committed and lazy.”
