Struggle icon Swaminathan Karuppa Gounden will be buried in a special provincial official funeral Category 2 in Durban on Thursday.

The ninety four-year-old Gounden died earlier this week after a brief illness.

He spent most of his life as an activist, first in the liberation movement and thereafter in civil society. President Cyril Ramaphosa bestowed him with the Order of Luthuli in Silver in 2018.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala is expected to deliver the eulogy virtually.

Spokesperson for the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal, Nhlakanipho Ntombela  says, “We are saddened by the loss of one of our stalwarts within the movement. We will remember him as one of the last members. He played a key role in leading the struggle within the Natal Indian Congress, within the ANC. He played a key role in the United Democratic Front.”