Ahmed Kathrada: a life committed to the struggle

SOURCE: The fabric of dissent: public intellectuals in South Africa
OUTPUT TYPE: Chapter in Monograph
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2020
TITLE AUTHOR(S): G.Houston
SOURCE EDITOR(S): V.Reddy, N.Bohler-Muller, G.Houston, M.Schoeman, H.Thuynsma
KEYWORDS: AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (ANC), INTELLIGENTSIA, KATHRADA, AHMED, POLITICS, RACIAL SEGREGATION
DEPARTMENT: Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES)
Print: HSRC Library: shelf number 11802
HANDLE: 20.500.11910/15868
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/15868

If you would like to obtain a copy of this Research Output, please contact Hanlie Baudin at researchoutputs@hsrc.ac.za.

Abstract

Ahmed Mohamed Kathrada, who was known as Kathy, is one of those singular individuals whose entire life was given to the liberation struggle, from his very first political action at the age of 12 right up to his death on 27 March 2017 after a long illness. He personified the principles of steward leadership and, as Kgalema Mothlanthe said at his funeral, he opened [our eyes] forever, and saved us from the blindness of the heart. Along with countless men and women of a higher order of consciousness with whom he cast his lot in pursuance of deep ideals, comrade Kathy helped unleash human possibilities." Of his time on Robben Island, Walter Sisulu wrote: "Kathy was a tower of strength and a source of inspiration to many prisoners, both young and old.

The Human Sciences Research Council

Contact Us

134 Pretorius Street
Pretoria
South Africa 
0002

Tel: +27 (0)12 302 2000
Fax: +27 (0)12 302 2001

© 2024 The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC). All rights reserved.