Beloved “national treasure and symbol of Maltese Identity” Ġużu Muscat has been nominated for Ġieħ ir-Repubblika, following his death on Sunday.

Ġużu, known better as il-Beżuża sadly passed away on Sunday, leaving the Dingli Community saddened and shocked by the loss.

He was a familiar face to anyone that has at least once visited Dingli Cliffs, where he was frequently spotted with a herd of goats.

In a past interview with The Local Traveller presenter Clare Agius, he had shared that his day started at 7:30am, feeding his livestock, taking a quick breakfast at home and returning to his goats and sheep to milk them.

“Then I take the milk home to my wife, where she makes around seven dozen cheeslets and we sell them. We do this everyday,” he said.

NGO Breeds of Origin Conservancy, the organisation behind the nomination, shared that Gużu was one of the last remaining custodians of the indigenous Maltese goat, that presently is at risk of extinction.

“His loss is a big loss in our community,” the NGO said.

It added that Ġieħ ir-Repubblika is a small acknowledgement compared to the significant service that Gużu gave to the community.

“He dedicated his life to the agricultural sector and the Maltese community. He is the man of the sector, for the sector.”