Parliament Mourns Quiet Giant

> TWO GIANTS, ONE HANDSHAKE! President Cyril Ramaphosa with the late Adv Phindela — the man who kept Parliament running. Mzansi mourns a true servant of democracy.Photo Supplied by Parliament 

>

By AFRICA KA MAHAMBA 

The man who quietly kept Parliament running for more than a decade is gone. Advocate Modibedi Eric Phindela, the Secretary to the National Council of Provinces, passed away on Tuesday, 3 November 2026.

The South African Local Government Association, SALGA, confirmed the sad news on Wednesday morning, 4 November 2026, saying it had learned of his passing with shock and profound sadness.

Motaletale Modiba of SALGA said for many ordinary South Africans, the name NCOP may sound far and complicated. But the NCOP is the House in Parliament where all nine provinces meet to debate and pass laws that affect everyday life. 

It is the House that deals with laws on water, electricity, roads, houses, municipal money, and service delivery. And Advocate Phindela was the man in charge of making sure that House worked properly every single day.

He was not a politician chasing votes. He was not a loudmouth chasing cameras. He was an administrator, a lawyer, a teacher, and a trusted adviser.

" He was the man behind the scenes who made sure democracy worked."

Modiba says Advocate Phindela was a longstanding friend of the local government family, a highly skilled administrator and a trusted source of counsel. 

"Our historic relationship with him was built on mutual respect, close working ties, and his genuine affection for local government and those who serve it,"said Modiba .

When SALGA delegates from Tshwane ,eThekwini, Mangaung, Polokwane,KwaMhlanga and all over Mzansi travelled to Parliament in Cape Town, many of them found the rules and procedures of Parliament difficult and confusing. It was Advocate Phindela who helped them.

In its statement, SALGA said he was an important bridge between the Council and SALGA delegates. 

His deep understanding of parliamentary procedures, his readiness to offer guidance, and his considered advice helped representatives navigate the work of the NCOP.

In simple language, without him, many councillors would have been lost in Parliament.

Advocate Phindela did not just wake up in a big office. He earned his position through years of hard work, discipline, and service. He first served the NCOP as Under-Secretary. He then acted as Secretary from March 2009.

Because he was so trusted and so respected, all nine provinces and SALGA supported his appointment. He was officially appointed as Secretary with effect from 1 June 2010, following a motion supported by all nine provinces and SALGA.

That means he served as Secretary for more than 16 years. Sixteen years of making sure the NCOP ran properly. Sixteen years of advising leaders. Sixteen years of protecting the Constitution.

His experience was wide and deep. It covered law, academia, dispute resolution, and legislative administration. That experience informed the counsel he provided to successive Presiding Officers and Members.

He advised different leaders, from different parties, in different years, and all of them trusted his judgment. He understood the Constitution. He understood Parliament. He understood the legislatures. And he understood people.

SALGA President, Cllr Bheke Stofile, paid a heartfelt tribute to the fallen leader. He said, "Advocate Phindela's authoritative guidance on constitutional democracy and the work of Parliament and the legislatures will be sorely missed. 

His distinguished career reflected an unwavering commitment to constitutional values and participatory democracy. We will remember not only his professional expertise, but also the spirit of friendship in which he shared it."

Those are not just formal words. That is a leader mourning a friend. Stofile did not only speak about Phindela as an official.

 He spoke about him as a human being, a man who shared his knowledge with friendship and humility.

Stofile added,"We stand in solidarity with his family and loved ones during this painful time. May they find comfort in the enduring respect and affection in which he was held. We share in their grief and honour a life dedicated to public service and constitutional democracy."

SALGA says his passing leaves a profound void in Parliament and in the local government family.

 The organisation says it honours his contribution to the NCOP and the broader legislative sector, and will remember with gratitude the knowledge, leadership, and counsel he so generously shared.

And it is true. Who will now guide the new councillors who have just been elected in the 2026 Local Government Elections? Who will explain the complicated rules with patience? Who will pick up the phone and say, my friend, let me help you understand this procedure?

Those are questions that Parliament will now have to answer without him.

On behalf of the local government sector, SALGA has extended its deepest condolences to the Phindela family, his friends, his colleagues, and the Parliamentary community. 

The organisation says it mourns the loss of a valued partner whose longstanding relationship with the organisation strengthened its engagement with the NCOP.

The Phindela family, his friends, his colleagues, and the whole Parliamentary community are now mourning. SALGA has stood with them in this painful time.

South Africa has lost a quiet giant. A man who did not chase fame, but who kept democracy alive behind the scenes. A man who believed in the Constitution. A man who believed in public service. A man who believed in friendship.

His work is done. His legacy remains. Mzansi will remember him. May his soul rest in eternal peace.