South Africa particularly Eastern Cape is mourning the sudden death of uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK), Commander and former Nelson Mandela bodyguard, the late Mfanelo Dan “Ronald Ronnie Dlamini” Matshaya, who passed on 18 August 2025, in a tragic accident between Matatiele and Cedarville near Stonybrook. It was reported that Matshaya was in the company of two of his friends who also died instantly in this accident. They were driving around 20h00 to 21h00, on their way from Kokstad to his farm in Cedarville.
Ronnie or Mroger as he was affectionately known was born in Kokstad and later relocated to Mthatha, where his homestead and his home is situated in Fortgale. He was once OR Tambo’s bodyguard in Zambia; he was once Chris Hani’s bodyguard before becoming Nelson Mandela’s first bodyguard. The fearless Ronnie who endured a lot of torture during the Apartheid regime was trained in Angola, GDR and Soviet and also played a cardinal role in training King Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo in Angola. Through the heat they felt Ronnie left the country and in 1983 became a firearms instructor at Caculama Camp, Malange in Angola the name which he named his security company, Caculama Security Training Academy.
Since the breaking out of his sudden death, condolences were pouring describing him as a people’s person, a fearless cadre and who never turned back his cadres who were suffering after the freedom in 1994. He was keeping them in his company offices in Sprigg Street in Mthatha, providing them with everything. Some he buried them on his own, as they died penniless. He also played a cardinal role in moulding and paved the way for some of the entrepreneurs in Mthatha, who were in the security sector.
“This is the man who endorsed the principles; I grew up with at home. If a person is hungry, you give them food, if they are cold you give them a coat or jacket. You eat with people of all kinds from the same plate or dish. Nkala you were a man, as young as you are you carried so many souls in your heart and probably your shoulders,” this is what Sibon Mpepa stressed in the tribute sent to the late Commander and he solemnly knew Ronnie because he was just like that. The funeral service of Matshaya is expected to take place on 30 August 2025, the service that will be conducted in Mthatha, the venue was not yet pronounced nevertheless the memorial services are also expected to take place in Kokstad before his official funeral.
