STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION, PROFESSOR BLADE NZIMANDE ON THE PASSING AWAY OF MR. PRAVIN GORDHAN

13 September 2024 Hits: 1

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION, PROFESSOR BLADE NZIMANDE ON THE PASSING AWAY OF MR. PRAVIN GORDHAN

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Minister Nzimande received the news of the passing away of his former colleague in cabinet and Minister of Public Enterprises, Mr. Pravin Gordhan with great sorrow and sadness.

Minister Nzimande has known Mr. Gordhan for many decades. He first met him in the late 1980s at the height of the counter revolutionary violence against the liberation movement by the apartheid regime and its surrogates, especially in KwaZulu-Natal.

Minister Nzimande worked with Mr. Gordhan in a multiplicity of roles, as a leading anti-apartheid and liberation activist, member of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and African National Congress (ANC), fellow parliamentarian and cabinet colleague in service of Government in recent years.

Minister Nzimande said "our country has lost a dedicated stalwart in the struggle for democracy and servant of the people. Pravin belonged to a special generation of cadres of the movement who emerged in the 1970's and 1980's to breathe life back into the struggle after the Rivonia arrests in the early 1960's."

With comrades such as Curnick Ndlovu, Archie Gumede and Yunus Mohammed, he worked hard to revive the Congress tradition in the then Natal Province and was a leading theoretician within the internal Congress movement during this period.

He was also instrumental in the formation of the United Democratic Movement (UDF) and its traditions of grassroots community struggles which successfully led to the collapse of the apartheid order in the 1990's" said the Minister.

Minister Nzimande also vividly recalls "Cde PG's role in the Codesa negotiations where he had the privilege of working together with him in crafting the interim constitution and the legal and political architecture of our transition to democracy."

Minister Nzimande saluted the late Pravin Gordhan for "his truly remarkable role in leading the modernisation and transformation of the SA Revenue Service to become recognised at the time as the world's leading revenue service. This remarkable feat has created a stable bedrock that provided much needed fiscal resources for the State, despite efforts by 'state capture' saboteurs to undermine it in subsequent years."

Mr. Gordhan also served in the role of Minister of Finance of the RSA with distinction during the worst period of 'state capture', and together with Deputy Minister Mcebisi Jonas, paid a heavy political price, including years of harassment and intimidation. He stood his ground with courage and valour.

It was also in this capacity that he approved the single most significant increase in the budget of the Department of Science and Technology (now the Department of Science and Innovation), to R6.6bn in 2014-15 and R7.6bn in 2015-16, from R4.4bn in 2011-12.

These increases demonstrated his commitment to ensuring that science, technology and innovation are placed at the centre of Government's work and priorities.

Minister Nzimande remembers the late Pravin Gordhan for "his sharp intellect, clarity of thought, analytical skills, gift of strategic thinking, and yet having amazing attention to detail.

His scientific worldview always made an indelible impression, but it was also matched by a deep philosophical and intellectual commitment to democracy, equality and social justice not only for South Africa, but all humanity" Minister Nzimande said.

We salute this hero of the revolution. Minister Nzimande wishes to extend his heartfelt and sincere condolences to his wife Vanitha, two daughters Anisha and Priyesha, extended family and comrades.

Enquiries: Veli Mbele@ 064 615 0644 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

DATE: 13 SEPTEMBER 2024

ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

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