TOO many Pravin Gordhan was something else, as a politician.
But as South African, he was a formidable force.
He passed-away on early morning of Friday, peacefully surrounded by family, friends and comrades.
Gordhan was admitted at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, Johannesburg on Tuesday after a recent cancer diagnosis.
“It is with profound sadness that the Gordhan family announces the passing of former Minister Pravin Gordhan,” his family said.
The Gordhan family has requested that their privacy be respected during this difficult time of grief.
“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.”
At the time of retiring from cabinet, he was Public Enterprises Minister, that saw him face the wrath of the public for ‘selling SAA to Takatso Consortium at very a ridiculous price’.
As a result, he was forced to face his colleagues at Parliament and account.
“I have no regrets, no regrets… We have made our contribution,” he was quoted by the family.
He’s also a founding commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS), were he turned it around and made great strides in collecting much needed revenue for the country.
A trained pharmacist, Gordhan was a struggle veteran whose career as a politician and activist spanned more than five decades.
He was Minister of Finance, from 2009 to 2014 and again from 2015 to 2017.
Gordhan also served as Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs from 2014 to 2015.
He was a member of the SACP, of which its secretary-general Solly Mapaila, also sent messages of condolences to the family and friends.
ANC’s SG Fikile Mbalula, labelled as ‘someone who spoke the truth, no matter the circumstances’, upon visiting him at hospital this week.
President Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa in sending message of condolences uttered: “We have lost an outstanding leader whose unassuming persona belied the depth of intellect, integrity and energy with which he undertook his activism, his duty as a parliamentarian and his roles as a member of Cabinet.
“Pravin Gordhan’s personal sacrifices and his endeavours and achievements in various sectors of our society endowed him with the insights, empathy and resilience that fuelled his service to the nation.
“In the latter years of this service to the nation, and as a beacon of our fight against corruption, Pravin Gordhan stood up to derision and threats emanating from some in our nation who were scorched by his insistence that justice be dispensed against those who sought to undermine our democracy and raid our public resources and assets.
“During his decades of revolutionary dedication to making South Africa a better place, Pravin Gordhan and his family were deprived of much needed and deserved time together.
“As we mourn his passing, we remain grateful for his life of sacrifice and service and his sustained striving for the realisation of the vision and dictates of our Constitution.
“We carry his family in our thoughts and prayers at this time.”
Gordhan was born in Durban, and leaves wife Vanitha, daughters, Anisha and Priyesha.
He was (75).
The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation will host media brief, today, to outline funeral arrangements in relation to family’s burial culture.
Image (No more. Former minister Pravin Gordhan died in the early hours on Friday, due to cancer).
