Pravin Gordhan remembered as ANC loyalist and anti-corruption advocate (VIDEO)

The former minister and ANC stalwart Pravin Gordhan will be remembered as an ANC loyalist, but not one who was blind to the faults within his organisation.

Family, friends, former colleagues, and comrades gathered at the Johannesburg City Hall on Tuesday afternoon to mourn, celebrate, and draw lessons from Gordhan at one of two memorial services hosted by the ruling party. The other memorial service will happen in Durban on Wednesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, there was a private viewing of Gordhan’s body before the family boarded a flight to Durban for his Category 2 official funeral in Durban on Thursday.

Gordhan was diagnosed with cancer recently

Speaking on behalf of the family, Ahmed Kathrada Foundation’s Neeshan Balton said about four weeks ago, Gordhan’s friends and family hosted a farewell, not knowing that a few days later he would be diagnosed with cancer.

“He didn’t know. He had very little time to prepare, but he was going to fight it. Unfortunately, by Tuesday last week, he was hospitalised,” Balton said.

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He spoke on how Gordhan prepared for his funeral from his deathbed, including the fact that he wanted his funeral to be in Durban and that his body is flown there with SAA.

According to Balton, President Cyril Ramaphosa was one of the last people to visit Gordhan before he died on Friday morning.

“Comrade Pravin was an ANC loyalist, but not one that could not see the faults in his own organisation.

“Not one that was blinded to the faults in his own organisation, and when required, stood up to take on those issues and call out the people that he thought were not following the aims and objectives and division of the organisation that he was part of,” Gordhan’s long-time friend said.

Gordhan was affectionately called PG by comrades

Balton praised PG, as he was affectionately called. Balton highlighted his mastery of activism and his contribution to rebuilding South Africa and his principled stance against corruption.

He concluded his tribute by calling out the ANC for dishonouring his friend’s legacy.

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“How do you honour PG while dishonouring him with this presence of state capturers in Parliament?

“There are those who caused the collapse of the SAA, who caused the collapse of Eskom, who sit in Parliament today as members of the ANC and members of other political parties. Why is that the case?” he asked.

“How do you honour him when you ignore corruption, waste resources, and tolerate bad services?”

ANC treasurer general Gwen Ramokgopa spoke about how the former minister retired from parliamentary politics after the elections but stayed on as an ANC and NEC subcommittee for finance members.

‘He always made time for the ANC’ – Ramokgopa

“Many of us once deployed in state institutions or who are involved in business and other sectors in society forget that democracy needs to be managed – not comrade Pravin Gordhan. He always made time for the ANC,” Ramokgopa said.

She further described corruption as a cancer and emphasised the importance of fighting corruption decisively to honour Gordhan’s legacy.

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“PG, this is a clarion call that we must ensure that the scourge, the cancer of fraud, corruption, and criminality, needs all of us to join hands and indeed to uproot it from our society,” Ramokgopa said.

She described Gordhan’s death as a significant loss, especially during times of domestic and global changes and challenges.

“He served his people loyally and selflessly up to his last breath; he died with his boots strapped at the service of our nation, working for a better life for our people, the credibility of state institutions, and economic growth that should reduce the burden of poverty and establish inclusive growth,” she said.

‘Fearless, determined and loving’

Gauteng and ANC provincial leader Premier Panyaza Lesufi recalled meeting Gordhan when he was a student at the University of Natal (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and described him as a solider who was fearless, determined, and loving.

Lesufi emphasised that Gordhan never turned his back on the ANC, even in difficult times.

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“He remained true when he was alive, and he remained true even in his death. Because in him, we saw a true character of the ANC comrades,” the premier said.

Meanwhile, Cosatu deputy general secretary Gerald Twala highlighted the importance of mourning, celebrating, and drawing lessons from Gordhan’s life and contributions to the liberation struggle in South Africa.

Watch Pravin Gordhan’s Johannesburg memorial service here: