He succumbed to stage 4 cancer in the early morning of Thursday. He was 84 years old.
Pahad served his term as Minister in Presidency from 1999 to 2008 under the administration of former president Thabo Mbeki. He was also an integral part of the national executive committee of the ANC from 1994 until 2007.
During exile, Pahad contributed immensely to the leadership of the ANC and The SACP. He was arrested by the apartheid government in connection with the illegal strike he helped organised, and was also banned from the country.
Govan Pahad was reduced to tears for a couple of moments after reading his father’s obituary, and spoke about the final months of Essop Pahad’s life that he was no longer at liberty to do the things he used to enjoy doing such as going around and clearing things up in the garden of his Randburg home.
He said his father’s health deteriorated, and that he was bedridden in the last days of his life.
“But when his friends and family would come to visit, his face would always light up. And every day his grandchildren would come visit him, they would run into his room and smile and hug their Papa and tell him that they loved him,” Govan said as he failed to hold back his tears.
Acting President Paul Mashatile who was standing in for President Cyril Ramaphosa who is away on a state working trip in the Democratic Republic Of Congo, delivered the main eulogy at Pahad’s funeral. He mentioned that Pahad had told him that in exile, he had “a great amount of time to read”.
“It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to meet representatives of the Communist Party from all over the world,” he said as he recalled what Pahad he told him.
Amongst other government officials, the premier of Gauteng Panyaza Lesufi was also present at the late minister’s funeral.
“In comrade Essop Pahad, we had a leader. In comrade Essop Pahad, we had a patriot. In comrade Essop Pahad, we had an internationalist. In comrade Essop Pahad, we had a revolutionary who cared about our country,” Lesufi said.