The struggle icon died in a Johannesburg hospital after developing complications due to an operation to remove a clot from his brain.
The South African government led the tributes, hailing Kathrada as a true revolutionary struggle veteran and a leader in the liberation movement.
Earlier, President Jacob Zuma, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and opposition Democratic Alliance praised the fallen leader, saying he was a man of substance and a symbol of selflessness and hopefulness.
Kathrada was among those arrested by apartheid police at a meeting at the Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia in 1963. Alongside his comrades, late President Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Govan Mbeki, he stood trial. This became known as the “Rivonia Trial”. Kathrada, Mandela, Sisulu, Mbeki, Andrew Mlangeni, Billy Nair, Elias Motsoaledi, Raymond Mhlaba and Denis Goldberg were sentenced to life imprisonment and hard labour.
Kathrada was released in October 1989 after spending 26 years in prison, 18 of them on Robben Island.
“He was not a peacetime hero but a hero of the revolution, one who earned his stripes and paid his dues at great personal cost. He was a man for all seasons and fought a good fight from the darkest decades of apartheid to the summer of freedom and beyond. His contribution remains and will stand as a shining light to us all,” Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa said.
More condolences came from the ANC Youth League, stating it had woken up to the deeply saddening and heart-shattering news that Isithwalandwe/Seaparankwe Comrade Ahmed Kathrada was no more.
“The movement drew inspiration and wisdom from Cde Kathy till his last breath, we are left naked and stripped of our reservoir of revolutionary knowledge with the passing of our icon. Cde Kathy belonged to the generation of Youth Leaguers in the form of Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Walter Sisulu and many others who are described as the crème de la crème of our movement,” a statement from the league said.
“We are deeply saddened that we are losing that generation and this calls for us as a younger generation to not only emulate the values to which these towering icons of our struggle stood for, but to pick up the spear and soldier on.”
Joining millions of around the world who held him in high esteem, the National Freedom Party (NFP) said “the entire nation will remember Mr Kathrada by his contribution he has invested in the struggle for freedom in South Africa”.
“As the country, we need people who will always remain disciplined and committed to the good cause of our Nation, just as Mr Ahmed Kathrada he remains a symbol of peace and selflessness leader,” said NFP spokesman Sabelo Sigudu.
The passing on of the struggle hero has touched the heart of the entire nation, including grassroots movements like the South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) who said Kathrada’s death had “robbed the country of a true revolutionary and a jewel of non-racialism that adorned the crown of the rainbow nation”.
“His profound wisdom and depth of theoretical analysis will be sorely missed as the ANC and the revolutionary alliance navigates turbulent times ahead. He was a gallant fighter, a larger than life inspiration and a treasured institution,” declared Sanco national spokesperson Jabu Mahlangu.
“Though he was a beacon of hope and one of the veterans that our country was looking up to for guidance as it grapples the resurgence of racism, decline in ethical leadership, factionalism and disunity, he never sought the limelight or material benefit. He has taught us invaluable lessons in humility, selflessness and collectivism which we need to reclaim the spirit of unity that was epitomised by former ANC President Oliver Reginald Tambo.”
Durban University of Technology (DUT) vice-chancellor and Principal, Professor Thandwa Mthembu, also extended his sincere condolences on behalf of the University community to Kathrada’s family, friends and colleagues.
Mthembu said: “It is sad that one of our struggle icons has passed on at a time when our democracy is shaky, so much looks bleak, and when principled, selfless leadership is sorely needed. Since life and death are complementary, let’s hope his death nourishes newness, change and profundity in leadership that his life had epitomised.”
Kathrada was awarded an honorary doctorate in arts and design by DUT on April 22, 2016. The Honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree was awarded to Kathrada in recognition of his outstanding contribution towards human rights, social justice as well as his contributions to literature.
According to Professor Mthembu, Kathrada’s “interest in literature began at a tender age of 12, when he distributed political leaflets”. Kathrada decided to drop out of school in matric to focus his attentions on the struggle against apartheid.
Kathrada was one of the first political prisoners to study and get a university degree while incarcerated
“His many writings have become pearls of wisdom. This includes his books, such as Memoirs, where he reflected on his time whilst incarcerated on Robben Island and at Pollsmoor Prison. From the Island, Kathrada also wrote many letters to his niece, which is now also archived in a publication,” said Professor Mthembu.
African News Agency