Close friends to the late anti-apartheid activist, Aziz Pahad, say he was unhappy about the current state of the country.
Close family friend Hanif Randera says Pahad was a loyal member of the African National Congress (ANC) and would raise his concerns in the structures of the party.
South Africa has been plagued by socio-economic ills that bedevil society.
Randera was speaking outside the home of the former Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister, where leaders have gathered to pay their respects ahead of Pahad’s funeral.
Pahad died on Wednesday at his Johannesburg home at the age of 82.
Randera says Pahad was also concerned with the state of the ANC.
“He wasn’t a very happy man with the current state of affairs but he was a loyal member of the ANC and he always wanted to work within the structures of the ANC and get involved internally to resolve things…and I think that was always what he had to do. I do think there were times where we all criticised the situation, obviously we’re all concerned about what’s going on in the country, and certainly he was very, very concerned.”
Randera elaborates in the video below:
‘ANC acknowledges shortcomings’
Meanwhile, ANC Regional Secretary in Johannesburg, Sasabona Manganyi says the party is working to renew itself in the face of internal challenges.
Pahad went into exile in 1964 after he and his brother, Essop Pahad, were banned under the then Suppression of Communism Act.
In exile, Pahad worked for the ANC and developed the Anti-Apartheid Movement.
Manganyi says the ANC has acknowledged its shortcomings and has pledged to do better.
“The ANC itself is not fully happy about the current state that is why the ANC has committed itself to renew and rebuild itself. It’s on the basis that there is that acknowledgement from the movement that there are certain things that we believe we could have done better, but we couldn’t do them the way we wanted to because most cases, you will realise that our movement image is dented by individuals, a sizeable number of individuals. Those are some of the things that as a movement we have identified, and we are working very hard to renew ourselves.”
Aziz Pahad Funeral Service:
