Ramaphosa to deliver eulogy at Gordhan’s funeral

President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver the eulogy at the funeral of the former Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan at the Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban this morning.

The Special Official Funeral Category Two will entail the  South African Police Service’s (SAPS) performance of ceremonial elements.

Gordhan died in a Johannesburg hospital last week at the age of 75 after a battle with cancer.

His memorial services were held in Johannesburg on Tuesday and in Durban yesterday.

After a heap of praises since passing, Gordhan will be laid to rest later today.

Life and times of Pravin Gordhan

He served as Minister of Finance from 2009 until 2014 and again from 2015 until 2017.

Gordhan 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.

He 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 military operative in the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC).

Last week, Ramaphosa said Gordhan’s personal sacrifices and his endeavours and achievements in various sectors of society endowed him with the insights, empathy and resilience that fuelled his service to the nation.

He also said Gordhan was driven by a vision of a society in which all people may achieve their full potential and in which all may realise their dreams.

“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,” Ramaphosa adds.

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