BY SIFISO NHLABATSI
LAWUBA – Chief Justice Bheki Maphalala was given a state funeral on Saturday, marking the first time a Liswati serving or former Chief Justice has received such a national farewell.
The funeral brought together the country’s political, judicial, traditional and security leadership, as well as members of the legal fraternity, family, friends and hundreds of mourners who gathered at Lawuba to pay their final respects to the former head of the Judiciary.
The proceedings began on Friday with a memorial service held in honour of Maphalala at Zakhele FEA, where tributes were delivered in remembrance of his life and contribution to the Judiciary.
Following the memorial, mourners made their way to the Maphalala homestead at Lawuba, where a night vigil was held through the night ahead of Saturday morning’s state funeral.
As dawn broke on Saturday, the homestead and surrounding area were already filled with mourners, with ministers, judges, lawyers, court clerks, regional administrators, government officials, traditional leaders and members of the security forces among those in attendance.
The funeral service proceeded at Lawuba, with representatives of Their Majesties also present to witness the final farewell to the former Chief Justice.
After the service, the solemn procession began its journey to the gravesite.
In a significant moment for the Judiciary, judges carried their departed colleague from the funeral tent towards his final resting place. The procession continued until members of the Maphalala family met the judges halfway and joined them in carrying the casket for the remainder of the journey.
The shared carrying of the casket brought together the Judiciary and the family in the final leg of Maphalala’s journey, as mourners followed behind towards the gravesite.
At the graveside, the casket was ceremonially draped with the national flag as part of the state funeral proceedings.
The national flag covered the casket as Maphalala, who headed the country’s Judiciary, was accorded the honours reserved for the state funeral.
A gun salute followed, marking the final military tribute to the former Chief Justice before his burial.
Senior officers from the country’s security forces also paid their last respects, adding a formal military dimension to the farewell.
The burial then proceeded, with Maphalala’s five wives, followed by his children and other family members, coming forward to place flowers into the grave.
The proceedings brought to a close several days of mourning that had seen the legal fraternity, government and the wider nation gather around the Maphalala family.
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