Anti-apartheid activist and former minister Pravin Gordhan has died (75)

The former Public Enterprises minister, Pravin Gordhan, has died.

Gordhan has been the thoughts of South Africans for a few days after his admittance into the hospital on Tuesday was announced.

Today (September 13) the country mourns the loss of Gordhan (75), who was a committed political activist since his teenage years. He retired from active politics after this year’s general election to spend time with his family.

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Johannesburg Against Injustice (JAI) and Defend Our Democracy called on a few residents at Constitution Hill to show solidarity for Gordhan, on Wednesday.

Read more: WATCH: Defend Our Democracy holds Gauteng roadshow to enlist election observers

A statement by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation said that after his retirement, Minister Gordhan fought a short battle with cancer.

He is survived by his wife Vanitha, and his daughters Anisha and Priyesha.

“Funeral arrangements and the details of a media briefing by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, on behalf of the Gordhan family, will be announced in due course.”

Career:

His last portfolio in the South African Cabinet was Minister of Public Enterprises, from 2018 to 2024, after serving two terms as Minister of Finance, from 2009 to 2014 and again from 2015 to 2017. He also served as Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs from 2014 to 2015.

Read more here: Gordhan’s plans to re-ignite the economy

In his career – from March 1999 to 2009 – he was the Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and transformed SARS into a world-class tax and customs administration.

Read more here: WATCH: Gordhan on transformation

Throughout his career as a political activist – including the multiparty negotiations at CODESA from 1991, as a Member of Parliament from 1994, and later as a Member of the Executive from 2009 – he remained committed to building and strengthening public institutions to support our country’s Constitutional democracy. He did this with integrity, fearless courage and resilience.

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