Pravin Gordhan, former Minister of Public Enterprise and SARS commissioner, has died.
Known for his activism credentials and opposition to corruption, Gordhan succumbed to cancer at the age of 75.
Gordhan was appointed as Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service in 1999, after a period as Deputy Commissioner.
He was Minister of Finance from 2009 until 2014 and again from 2015 until 2017. He also served as Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs from 2014 until 2015, and as Minister of Public Enterprises from February 2018 until his March 2024 announcement of planned retirement.
Gordhan graduated from the University of Durban-Westville with a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree which led to him working at the King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban from 1974 to 1981, when he was dismissed because of his activism.
He was involved in student and civic movements in the 1970s and 1880s, and was an executive member of the Natal Indian Congress and military operative in the armed wing of the African National Congress.
President Cyril Ramaphosa comments “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 fueled 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.”