AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER
KHUSELA Diko has paid a loving tribute to her late husband, Nkosi Madzikane Thandisizwe Diko of AmaBacha, who was buried yesterday KwaBacha in the Eastern Cape.
In a letter read at his funeral, Khusela described her farewell message to her husband, who died a week ago, as the most difficult letter she has had to write.
Nkosi Diko, 43, died while in the middle of a controversy regarding an R125-million personal protective equipment tender that was awarded to his company but later cancelled.
Diko died after he denied any wrongdoing. After the allegations emerged, Khusela was placed on special leave from her job in the presidency and has to explain herself to a disciplinary committee. The scandal also touched a family friend, Bandile Masuku, who lost his job The 43-year-old businessman was thrust into the headlines last year after details of a multimillion-rand personal protective equipment (PPE) tender allegedly issued to his company came to light. Diko died denying any wrongdoing.
His wife was placed on special leave from her job in the presidency in relation to the PPE scandal. Their family friend, former Gauteng health MEC Bandile Masuku, lost his job as MEC of Health in Gauteng, over his alleged involvement. He has also denied any wrongdoing and is in court to clear his name.
This is Khusela’s love letter to her late husband:
“This letter to you is the most difficult I have had to write in my entire life. The cloud that came with the news of your passing hangs heavily and is dark. I sit here not knowing what to say to you because never in my wildest dream did I ever expect this moment to come, especially not this soon.
“Baby, you promised you’d never leave me, you made this commitment to me over and over again. But here I am, writing this tribute to you and you will not hear it. My heart breaks, has been breaking into a million pieces, every single day since I was first told of your passing.
“I had been speaking to you less than an hour before, I tried to call you and you did not pick up. It was very strange. Over the last seven years, I had become spoiled because never did a call of mine go unanswered, and in the rare event it did, you would surely call back in no time, lovingly and apologetically explaining to me why you had missed my call.
“I learnt this one was one of your love languages, making me feel secure in our love. You regarded me, us, as your priority. But that Sunday, I waited baby, and you didn’t call back. Soon I would hear what had happened and time stood still and had been standing still. Again, I sit here not knowing what to say to you.
“This is a strange world for me, a cruel world that doesn’t have you in it. A confusing world where I wake up in the morning and wait for a good morning greeting that never comes.
“During some of our darkest hours of our life, you would remind me time and time again that in order to get through something, you need to go through it. It is now my turn to be stronger than the pain.
“You were my best friend, the safest place, biggest cheerleader, and my honest critic. In my heart you will never die. Rest easy, my love.”
