On Wednesday, hundreds of people attended former Public Enterprises Minister and struggle stalwart Pravin Gordhan’s second memorial ceremony at the Kendra Hall in Morningside, Durban.
The African National Congress (ANC) in KwaZulu-Natal hosted a mourning service for Gordhan before his funeral on Thursday.
Siboniso Duma, KwaZulu-Natal’s MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, said Gordhan’s attendance at his memorial service demonstrated the principles he represented.
“This is what Comrade Pravin Gordhan battled for. I’m sure he’d have been thrilled to witness this crowd. If you think of non-racial character, this event is one of those, and we can simply build on this experience,” Duma remarked.
Duma went on to say that Gordhan deserved a Special Official Funeral because of his services for the country.
“The whole country has been shaken by the departure of comrade Gordhan, the apartheid masters never imagined that one day we will gather and talk freely about one of our giants,” according to him.
Gordhan died on September 13th, aged 75, after a short fight with cancer.
He had been Minister of Finance from 2009 to 2014, and again from 2015 to 2017.
He was appointed commissioner of the South African Revenue Service in 1999, after serving as deputy commissioner.
He also served as Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs from 2014 to 2015, and Minister of Public Enterprises from February 2018 till his retirement announcement in March 2024.
The Presidency stated that the burial would include ceremonial elements provided by the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The National Flag will be flying at half-mast from Saturday morning until the evening of the funeral.
