01/10/2026
SADTU Ngqeleni Branch Chairperson, Comrade Wonga Ndzamela, delivered a moving tribute to the life and legacy of Comrade Piliswa Maqokolo in a memorial service underway at O.R Tambo Hall in Mthatha, describing her as a dedicated member of the Nqeleni Branch and a committed cadre of the union who believed in purpose, collective leadership and organisational discipline.
Comrade Piliswa’s final assignment was undertaken in service of SADTU. She travelled to Bahia, Brazil, as part of the SADTU delegation to the 5th Education International World Women’s Conference, where she participated in an international platform dedicated to women, education and social justice.
It was during this organisational assignment that Comrade Piliswa sadly passed away on the evening of 16 September 2026.
Her final journey carries profound meaning, she departed while serving a cause to which she had dedicated much of her life.
She leaves behind her two beloved children, her father, siblings, nephews and extended family. Her passing is a profound loss to her family, her school community, the education fraternity and the organisations she served.
For SADTU, Comrade Piliswa leaves a legacy of courage, discipline and service, a teacher who understood the importance of organisation, a trade unionist committed to collective responsibility, a woman leader dedicated to advancing gender equality, and an educator who understood that the struggle for quality education is inseparable from the broader struggle for a just and equitable society.
Her journey from Malungeni, through the classroom and school leadership, to branch, regional and provincial responsibilities, was a journey of continuous service.
She did not merely hold positions; she carried their responsibilities with dignity, discipline and commitment. She did not merely belong to organisations; she helped build them and advance their historic mission.
We celebrate a life devoted to education, organisation and service.
Behind, she leaves a legacy of courage.
