President Cyril Ramaphosa is deeply saddened by the passing of lifelong activist and former Minister of Public Enterprises and SARS Commissioner Pravin Gordhan, who has passed away at the age of 75, following a period of illness.
President Ramaphosa offers his deep condolences to Gordhan’s spouse, Vanitha Raju, daughters Anisha and Priyesha, as well as the former Minister’s older brother, Manecklal Gordhan, and sister Shanta Harilal.
The President’s thoughts are with former Minister Gordhan’s extended family, comrades, associates, and organisations with whom he established relationships as a family and community member, freedom fighter, public sector executive, and Member of the National Executive.
He served as 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 was appointed as Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service in 1999, after a period as Deputy Commissioner.
His contribution to the public sector arose from his involvement in the anti-apartheid struggle, including his role in student and civic movements in the 1970s and ‘80s, as an executive member of the Natal Indian Congress and military operative in the armed wing of the African National Congress.
During South Africa’s transition to democracy and in the early years of the new dispensation, Gordhan played a leading role in the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) multi-party dialogue and was later appointed as Chairperson of the Parliamentary Constitutional Committee.
2023 marked 50 years since 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.
In the early 1980s, his activism led to his dismissal from the hospital, as well as detention by police and banning orders.
President Ramaphosa shared his sentiments concerning Gordhan saying, “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.”
