Former South African minister and anti-apartheid stalwart Essop Pahad has died at the age of 84.
He died in his sleep and was battling cancer, according to a statement released by his family on Thursday morning.
Pahad rose through the ranks of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party and was among those involved in its struggle against apartheid.
He was a long-standing of former President Thabo Mbkei and served in his cabinet as minister in the presidency.
In a tribute, President Cyril Ramaphosa termed him as "a thinker and strategist who brought his understanding of the human condition, injustice and inequality at the national and international level to bear on our transition to democracy."
“He served our nation with pride, principle, pragmatism, and a charm that lived comfortably alongside a tongue that could lash severely at the right provocation," the president said.
Pahad will be buried on Thursday at a cemetery in in the commercial capital, Johannesburg. Deputy President Paul Mashatile will attend the funeral.
