Minister in the South African Presidency Jackson Mthembu has died of COVID-19 related complications, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in a statement that was released on Thursday.

The Minister who has been in the forefront of fighting COVID-19 in South Africa died in the morning at the age of 62. He was responsible for communicating government’s messages in the fight against COVID-19.

“Minister Mthembu was an exemplary leader, an activist, and lifelong champion of freedom and democracy. He was a much-loved and greatly respected colleague and comrade, whose passing leaves our nation at a loss. I extend my deepest sympathies to the minister’s family, to his colleagues, comrades, and many friends,” read Ramaphosa’s statement.

In April 2020, Mthembu was appointed Acting Minister of Communication following the suspension of Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams for breaking COVID-19 regulation.

Mthembu was the fourth South African Cabinet Member to be confirmed to have been infected by COVID-19. By Wednesday, South Africa had 38 854 people who died of COVID-19 and nearly 1.37 million confirmed cases of this virus.