Zwelentlanga Fatman Mgcawu, commonly known as Fatman, was born and grew up in Pabalello, Upington, South Africa, becoming Upington's first black mayor in the first post-1994 local government elections. In 2013 the erstwhile Siyanda District Municipality in the Northern Cape, with Upington as its administrative centre, was renamed ZF Mgcawu District Municipality.Siyanda District Municipality changes its name to ZF Mgcawu District
retrieved 24 August 2013 Mgcawu died in July 2001. Mgcawu is said to have been "a man with many talents." Attending the

University of Cape Town The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...

, he emerged from the Drama Department with training as an actor. "He was a passionate actor and comedian," states the local government website following the Siyanda District's being renamed in his honour. "He dedicated his life to the fight against the apartheid system," reports the Kathu Gazette. In addition to his acting and political roles he is also recorded as having been active in a church role. He pursued poverty alleviation projects and was instrumental in the upgrading of the

Upington Airport Upington Airport is an airport located in Upington, Northern Cape, South Africa. At , runway 17/35 is one of the longest runways in the world. The high elevation of the airport, extremely high summer temperatures and the fact that it was desig ...

. The process of renaming the Siyanda District in Mgcawu's honour began in 2010, being subsequently published in the Provincial Government Gazette on 22 October 2012, notice 14 of 2012; the then Siyanda District Council deciding on an implementation date of 1 July 2013.

References

People from Upington 2001 deaths Mayors of places in South Africa University of Cape Town alumni Year of birth missing {{AntiApartheid-activist-stub