Pravin Gordhan: South Africa’s Political Icon and Unyielding Activist

Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan, a towering figure in South African politics and a relentless advocate for justice, passed away at the age of 75, succumbing to cancer. Gordhan’s remarkable five-decade career, defined by his unwavering commitment to anti-apartheid activism and public service, left an indelible mark on the nation’s history.

I knew Gordhan as a political titan—his activism reshaped South Africa’s landscape, starting in the 1970s and continuing through the 1980s. His contributions during the 1990s, a time of great personal sacrifice and political turbulence, cemented his legacy. His passing, 30 years later, sparked a wave of tributes, honoring a life marked by courage, humility, and resilience. Gordhan’s state funeral, a five-hour-long ceremony, fittingly commemorated the immense contributions of this grand figure in resistance and democratic politics.

To the disenfranchised black majority, Gordhan was a hero. For Durban’s Indian community, he was a tireless leader—cadre, comrade, commander, commissar, and captain of state enterprises. To the apartheid government, he was public enemy number one. Among political opportunists like Amichand Rajbansi and others who collaborated with the apartheid regime, he was a nemesis. For conservative fence-sitters, he was a thorn in their side. And to the apartheid-era Indian-classified university heads, he was a troublemaker whose activism began during his student years at the University of Durban-Westville in the 1960s, where he politicized many who would become lifelong radicals.

In the 1970s, after graduating as a pharmacist, Gordhan began working at King Edward VIII Hospital, where he challenged the discriminatory healthcare system, ultimately being dismissed for his activism. His leadership in the Natal Indian Congress (NIC)—an organization founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1894—proved pivotal. Even as his health deteriorated, Gordhan penned a profound message marking the NIC’s 130th anniversary, reflecting on his lifelong commitment to justice.

Forced underground by apartheid repression, Gordhan opened a private pharmacy on Prince Edward Street in the heart of Durban’s Grey Street precinct. His pharmacy became a hub for the anti-apartheid struggle, and his family home was frequently raided by security police, a memory vividly recalled by his eldest daughter.

Throughout the 1980s, Gordhan led housing protests, spearheaded campaigns against apartheid’s sham elections, and played a key role in the United Democratic Front (UDF). Detained without trial for 160 days in 1981, he later went into exile in Swaziland, where he coordinated clandestine operations with the exiled ANC. Gordhan’s leadership in Operation Vula, alongside Mac Maharaj, helped smuggle senior ANC leaders back into the country ahead of negotiations that would ultimately end apartheid.

By the 1990s, Gordhan had become a crucial player in drafting the interim constitution and was elected to Parliament in 1994. His exceptional leadership as head of the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for 14 years earned him widespread respect. As President Cyril Ramaphosa eulogized: “He may not have seemed the best choice to lead SARS, but his intelligence, diligence, and enterprise made him perfect for the role.” Gordhan’s career as finance minister, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, and finally, as Minister of Public Enterprises, was marked by his firm stand against corruption, particularly during the state capture era.

Despite vicious attacks from his detractors, many of whom directed racist vitriol at him, Gordhan remained steadfast in his principles. President Ramaphosa praised Gordhan’s courage, noting: “He refused to be silenced.”

Vindicated by the Zondo Commission’s findings on state capture, Gordhan’s place in South Africa’s political pantheon is secure. His contributions were recognized with numerous accolades, including academic doctorates and prestigious awards from the Indian government.

As South Africa mourns the passing of one of its greatest political icons, we reflect on the words spoken at his night vigil: “A giant oak tree has fallen.”