I first met Aziz when I was a student at the London School of Economics. I met him through my involvement in the Anti-Apartheid Movement and the National Union of Students. He was, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the bravest, most inspirational and determined people that I have ever known. He was able to captivate both audiences and individuals with his passion, his practicality, his deep knowledge of his subject and his sense of humour, which sparkled through at all times and in all places. He was a truly remarkable comrade and his contribution to both the ending of apartheid and then to the building of his liberated country’s international relations was phenomenal.
Aziz came from a family that were deeply committed to the struggle against apartheid and for the liberation of South Africa. His parents, Amina and Goolam Pahad, were involved in the Transvaal Indian Congress, and worked with the African National Congress, because it was not legal for them to be members at that time. His brother Essop was also an activist, intellectually outstanding and both Aziz and Essop served as ministers in the governments of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki.
Aziz was born on Christmas Day 1940, and so was only 8 years old when the National Party was elected as the government and began to introduce apartheid into South Africa. During his teenage years, he became involved in the struggle against apartheid. Indeed, there is a famous picture of him standing behind Nelson Mandela at a demonstration about the Treason Trial of 1956-1960. In 1963, Aziz was served with a banning order, basically confining him to house arrest within a specified district, and the following year he and Essop fled South Africa to begin their long period of struggling for the liberation of their country from abroad.
Aziz was attached to the International Department of the African National Congress (ANC) and his job, in part, was to develop the solidarity movement, by working with political parties, trade unions and students’ organisations to build a solid base for opposition to apartheid in the UK and elsewhere.
Aziz was also involved in activities of a clandestine nature that involved him in “going south” as he would say if he trusted you. I knew much better than to ask where he was going. It was simply not my business, and I also knew much better than to repeat such information to anyone else, as it could have put his life and the life of others at risk. This was the kind of life that Aziz lived for nearly 30 years. It must have been extremely stressful, living with the threat of assassination. Yet Aziz never showed it. He never let anything dampen his enthusiasm for the struggle against apartheid.
I know something of Aziz’ clandestine activities because he and Wolfie Kodesh recruited me to assist with them. My task was to recommend people who could be trusted to take part in the secret safari, and other things in relation to it. The secret safari is now the subject of a documentary, so I do not need to explain it further.
Aziz returned to South Africa following the unbanning of the ANC in 1990 and served on the National Peace Accord and other bodies during the transitional negotiations.
Following the 1994 elections, Nelson Mandela appointed Aziz as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and he continued to serve in that role under Thabo Mbeki. He resigned from government in 2008, having served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for 14 years.
I last saw Aziz in 2012 at the 3rd ANC International Solidarity Conference held in Tshwane/Pretoria. He was as ebullient as ever. We have of course kept in touch since then, mainly by me sending him details of ACTSA activities, and reviewing his book “Insurgent Diplomat” when it came out in 2014.
Aziz was a truly remarkable man, and he will be sorely missed by his country, his comrades and, most of all, his friends.
David Kenvyn
28th September 2023.