Renowned South African cardiology professor Bongani Mayosi has died, the University of Cape Town announced on Friday.
“It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing away on Friday, 27 July, of Professor Bongani Mayosi, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town,” UCT vice-chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng said in a statement.
“The university is in touch with Professor Mayosi’s family, who is appreciative of all messages of support and condolences, but requests that their privacy be respected during this difficult time.”
Phakeng did not disclose what the cause of Mayosi’s death.
Mayosi was the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town since September 2016, after being head of the Department of Medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital and UCT since 2006.
Mayosi’s work focused on heart diseases particularly prevalent in developing countries.
He led a groundbreaking series of multinational research studies into the management of pericarditis, including an African trial of the use of steroids in treating tuberculous (TB) pericarditis.
More recently, Mayosi led the first large-scale, multinational study of rheumatic heart disease in the world (first phase).
In 2009, Mayosi was awarded the Order of Mapungubwe, the county’s highest honour.
President Ramaphosa extends condolences
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday extended heartfelt condolences on Mayosi’s death.
“His death is indeed an enormous loss not only to his family but to the country as a whole,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.
“On behalf of government and South Africans as a whole, we convey our most heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and relatives, and the health science fraternity. May his soul rest in peace,” Ramaphosa said.
In a separate statement, the African National Congress in the Western Cape said it had “learnt with great sadness of the untimely passing of the great doyen of medicine in our country and the world”.
“We are truly saddened by Professor Mayosi’s untimely passing and we send our heartwarming condolences to his family, his friends, his colleagues, and his students at this trying time,” the ANC said.
Source: Timeslive
