The Episcopal News Service is reporting that Reverand Sipo Elijah Mzimela “a leader in the struggle to end apartheid and a cabinet minister of former South African President Nelson Mandela, died Feb. 2 from complications of pneumonia.”  More recently, Rev. Mzimela was the owner and operated the African Arts store, Pambili, in the Artisan building in Downtown Decatur until it closed in 2010.

According to the Episcopal News Service, “the funeral will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9, at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, Atlanta. Bishop of Atlanta Robert Wright will preside.”

Read more about Reverand Mzimela’s extraordinary life over on the ENS website.  (The AJC once had a great interview with Rev. Mzimela on its website at one point years ago, but it looks like it’s no longer available unfortunately).

You can’t really see it in the my terrible camera-phone picture above, but Pambili African Artworks has “Closing Sale” signs in its windows.

The shop had recently moved over a unit into a smaller retail space in the Artisan building.  As was reported here in the past, Pambili is owned by Nelson Mandela’s former Corrections Minister, Sipo Mzimela.

Paula reports in a comment that the Decatur shop owned by Nelson Mandela’s former corrections minister, Pambili African Artworks, is moving out of it’s current location in the Artisan.

No word yet on where, but recently these “moving sales” have been a “move” to the virtual world.

UPDATE: Nope.  According to Carl, they’re only moving next door.