THABO MBEKI
AZIZ Pahad was a profoundly humane human being, with a sunny, compassionate, and humorous character. He was born in 1940, in Schweizer-Reneke in the North-West Province, to a family of political activists. His upbringing was profoundly shaped by the indomitable spirit of his family, particularly his mother, herself a stalwart in the fight against Apartheid.
In the book, “uMama: Reflections of South African Mothers and Grandmothers”, compiled and edited by Marion Keim, Aziz remarks about his mother, “she taught me that we were all part of one big family simply by virtue of being human and by virtue of our common aspirations…she is the role model I have always sought to emulate.” She instilled in him a strong sense of social justice and commitment to the struggle for a better human condition, which informed his political and social outlook.
Aziz became involved in the anti-apartheid movement at a young age. He joined the Transvaal Indian Youth Congress in the 1950s. Following his and his brother, Essop’s arrest in 1964, he went into exile in England, where he furthered his studies at the University of Sussex while continuing his activism as part of the ANC Youth and Student Section.
His invaluable contributions and activism in the struggle were recognised through the various responsibilities he was assigned by the liberation movement, and the leadership roles in which he served the South African Communist Party and the African National Congress. He served in the Central Committee and the National Executive Committee of both structures respectively.
In the 1980s, when the ANC experienced a hive of activity, receiving various constituencies of South African White society, Aziz was among those then ANC President OR Tambo entrusted to be part of the ANC delegation in these meetings. He participated as part of the ANC delegation in the famous 1986 meeting in Dakar, Senegal between the IDASA and the ANC, and the subsequent series of secret talks between the ANC and representatives of the Apartheid regime.
Following the unbanning of the ANC and the return of exiled Comrades, Aziz also played an important role in the rebuilding of ANC structures in the country and the preparations for the negotiations which became known as the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA).
He served as a member of parliament following the 1994 democratic elections and was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, a position in which he served until his retirement in 2008. During his time in office, he played a key role in shaping the evolution of South African foreign policy in the democratic era. He was a strong advocate for South Africa’s non-aligned foreign policy and a tireless champion for South-South cooperation and the advancement of Africa’s development interests.
After he retired from government, he served in various capacities, including as a Presidential Envoy to the Middle East, a Senior Advisor and Consultant to the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (DIRCO), a Senior Political Advisor to ACCORD and as a founding member of the Board of Trustees of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation (TMF).
As the TMF, we are profoundly grateful to have had our name associated with a person of the stature of Aziz Pahad.
Aziz Pahad’s passing leaves a void not only in the political arena but in the hearts of all who were touched by his kindness and vision of a non-racial, non-sexist South Africa and Africa that is at peace with itself and the rest of the World.
May we honour his memory by continuing the struggle for justice and equality, and by infusing our own lives and activism with the same humane spirit that defined Aziz Pahad’s remarkable life and work.
We would like to convey our deepest and sincerest condolences to the Pahad family, Cde Aziz’s wife Prof Angina Paresh, his children, and his movement the African National Congress.
May his soul rest in eternal peace!
*Thabo Mbeki is former President of South Africa and Patron of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation. This is his tribute to Aziz Pahad, a struggle stalwart and former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in South Africa who passed away this week aged 82.
