(Funeral at 10am Saturday 11th June)

Our dear brother Fano is home with God. To the Sibisi family we say: your father is singing on Ascension Day. He is with the Lord; we grieve but, somehow, we must rejoice. He has fought his battles - and has conquered through Christ. With Paul he can say: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race" 2Tim 4:7. Please receive our deepest condolences. May we all be "Pressing On" to the end.

(To read his "Just a thought", click here. Each one of these "proverbs" are written by him and not copied from other sources.)

The following tributewebpage has some of the letters of tribute and condolences sent from friends. If you would like to send a message for us to use on the page please email to: kjell@cft.org.za)

Obituary read at his funeral

The following is a poem Fano Sibisi wrote about his MND disease:

-The Last (Traditional) dancer

O yes MND,

Motor Neuron Disease,

You are a giant amongst diseases!

Medical experts were intrigued

As they tried to locate your origin.

Some say I was born with you,

And you hid in remote areas of my body,

Waiting for your striking moment.

O, that milestone year 2000,

We were waiting for it with baited breath,

Expecting multiplied blessings.

I wonder what it was 2000 said to you MND.

Whatever it was that got into you,

You came down on me in full fury,

You struck repeatedly until I felt it.

You were not satisfied even when I was limping,

You were not satisfied even when I was in a wheelchair,

You were not satisfied even when I was confined to the bed,

You aimed for anything in me that still moved.

You knew my calling in this world,

You saw me criss-crossing countries with the Gospel,

But you showed no mercy whatsoever.

You robbed me of any movement,

You robbed me of my voice,

You thought you had removed me from the living;

How mistaken you were.

Thanks to western technology,

Given to the Westerners by the Maker,

Here I am surrounded by a maze of gadgets,

Through them I still talk even though my mouth is shut.

Where on earth did you see eyes that talk?
And MND that makes you mad with anger,

I see your wicked gaze towards my eyes.

You knew that my mother brought me up with song,

At school music was part of my life,

You knew that I have a calling for singing,

Praise to the Almighty wells up from within me,

But you rejoiced when my voice was gone,

My voice has become history to those who knew it;

But you have forgotten the song of the heart.

I still hear those beautiful voices,

And my innermost being sings along,

"Even though my mouth is shut

I am still singing on."

You used to hear me say, "Umculo weklasiki,"

Then I played the best from the music world,

Beautiful compositions that will not wither and die out;

By masters such as George Friedrich Handel,

Johan Sebastian Bach and Franz Schubert,

Josef Haydn and Wolgang Amadeus Mozart,

Antonio Vivaldiand Felix Mendelssohn;

Wow, I could go on until the sun goes down.

You used to hear me say, "Yelula isandla,"

Inviting the children of men

Whose hearts and hands are shrunk,

Who are being consumed by anger and grudges,

Dragging big loads of this world’s sorrows,

And pointing them to the Lamb that takes away sins,

To the Deliverer who has broad shoulders,

To the Saviour whose arms and hands are stretched out,

Who beckons the destitute of this world to Himself.

You used to hear me say, "Ngimi Edwaleni."

In this changing world,

With teachings advancing and retreating like waves,

And fashions coming and going,

The unchanging Truth stands,

The fortress that will never be conquered stands,

The Eternal Rock stands.

MND, even though you have ravaged my body,

I am still standing firm on this Rock;

I am still singing Luther’s song,

"A mighty fortress is our God,

A bulwark never failing."

O yes MND, from the Disease family,

If your aim is to destroy me, you can forget it,

You can get sticks from every forest,

They will all end up as a heap of splinters;

You will never get to the real me,

The secret of my life is in the heavens.

MND, dance to your satisfaction,

Boast about your conquests over my body,

But I will be the last performer on this platform;

Remember, the last dancer gets the most attention.

My song will be echoed by the cliffs,

Trees will clap their hands,

The thud from my feet will shake the ground,

"Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is thy sting?

O grave, where is thy victory?"

Read more of Fano Sibisi's poems in this Word document

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Obituary

Amon Sipho “Fano” Sibisi was born in an area called eChibini on the 15 June 1957. He was born of his late father, Mr Amos Sibisi and Mrs D.P. Sibisi.

He matriculated at Dlangezwa High School in 1975. Thereafter, he enrolled with the University of Natal – Medical School for two years. Whilst at the University, he felt a calling from God to preach the Gospel. It is then that he joined the KwaSizabantu Mission as a preacher and interpreter.

Whilst at KwaSizabantu Mission, he was a founder-member of Domino Servite School and member of the School Board (1986). Founder-member and first president of Christians for Truth   and later (1997) first president of Christians for Truth International to date (1990). Founder-member and later elected Station Manager of Radio Khwezi to date (1995). In 1995, he was also elected to the Board of the Association of Christians Broadcasters. In 1997, he was elected to the Council of Appelsbosch College of Education. In 1998, he was appointed to the Board of Reference of Focus on the Family, Southern Africa. In 2000, he was elected to the KZN Executive of the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF).

On education, in 1997, he obtained a Certificate in Business Management at the Small Business Bureau of Potchefstroom University. Then later (1999) further obtained an Advanced Business Management Certificate, a Certificate in Business Consultancy, 

Completed the Intermediate Examination of the Southern African Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (towards the CIS diploma), accepted as Licentiate of the Chartered Institute of Business Management.

In 2000, he was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease. Although the doctors had predicted that he would live less than a year from the time he was diagnosed, perseverance, kindness, care, God’s grace, his faith and love for God sustained him for the past ten years.

He was admitted to Ethekwini Hospital on the 21 May 2011 and peacefully ascended to Heaven on the 2 June 2011.

He left behind his loving wife, Lindiwe, and five children (Nondumiso, Nomqhele, Mbonisiwezizwe, Meliqiniso, S’nenhlanhla).