Bidding farewell to a committed yet complex patriot such as Pravin Gordhan is a difficult task.
His death last week after a battle with lung cancer brings with it feelings of sadness and loss but also an acute discomfort: a fighter has left us, an invaluable asset in the struggle for our nation’s soul.
The battles ahead are all the more formidable in his absence.
Gordhan played a key role in the struggle against apartheid, in the drafting of the constitution during the transition to democracy and ultimately in building a world-class tax agency which became a model even for developed countries.
His work at the South African Revenue Service (Sars) stands out in his long service to South Africa — it enabled the country to provide social protection for millions of South Africans on the fringes of society. It was the “higher purpose” which he encouraged Sars employees to live by that remains his legacy in the institution to this day.
In his various roles in the cabinet — from his two stints as finance minister, to co-operative governance and then public enterprises — Gordhan’s legacy may be mixed. But the thread that runs through all of it is a solid commitment to ethical leadership and an unshakeable determination to put South Africa and its people first.
The thugs cannot be allowed to destroy this country — this must be a national effort
— Pravin Gordhan
Gordhan joined the fight against state capture when he was reappointed to the finance ministry after former president Jacob Zuma’s disastrous late-night cabinet reshuffle in 2015 when he briefly placed a Gupta lackey, David Des van Rooyen, at the helm of the National Treasury.
During that period, Gordhan was hounded over the false “rogue intelligence unit” at Sars during his tenure. He was pursued by Zuma and his allies in state institutions.
Gordhan urged the country to “join the dots” as he became the face of the fightback against Zuma. It was a fight which pitted him against the ANC, the party he fought for and loved.
Zuma now leads a new political party, the third largest in parliament, and he brings with him a host of those who looted and captured state-owned companies. His party abhors the constitution, wants a return to parliamentary sovereignty and advocates for a greater role for traditional leaders in our modern democracy. It received well over 2-million votes in the election. This is the first danger.
The second is the ANC itself: President Cyril Ramaphosa has just three years left at the helm of the party. He is an ardent proponent of the government of national unity, and of state and party reform. However, there is pushback against him in the party itself and among its allies.
The ANC is on a drive to “renew” itself after its devastating election performance, but it is offensive that those banging the renewal drum include the likes of Malusi Gigaba, who played a key role in Zuma’s destruction of the state. The danger which Zuma epitomised at the height of state capture has not left us. It lurks outside and within the ANC.
There is an urgent need to turn the economy around and address the dangerous levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality, a fight hampered by the corrupt and incompetent.
As South Africa moves forward, it is crucial that Gordhan’s legacy is held up as a blueprint for the coming battles.
In his final years, he spoke often about the battle between the builders and the destroyers. “The thugs cannot be allowed to destroy this country — this must be a national effort,” he declared.
His life and legacy should be a reminder that the fight is far from over.
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