Cape Town - Struggle veteran Ahmed Kathrada’s funeral will take place on Wednesday morning, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation said on Tuesday.
Kathrada, 87, passed away in the early hours of Tuesday morning at the Donald Gordon Hospital in Johannesburg.
The foundation said Kathrada, who was affectionately known as “uncle Kathy”, passed away “peacefully” after a short period of illness, following brain surgery.
Kathrada will be buried according to Muslim religious rites at the Westpark Cemetery, Beyers Naude Drive, Johannesburg at 10am on Wednesday. The Janaza will leave Masjid Furqaan in Houghton at 9am.
Members of the public and the media are welcome to attend the funeral ceremony, the foundation said.
The programme will include a political tribute session starting at 10am organised by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation.
Former president and board member of the Kathrada Foundation Kgalema Motlanthe, anti-apartheid struggle stalwart Sophie Williams-de Bruyn and a family member will address the mourners.
This will be followed by the ritual Muslim funeral prayer rites, which will commence at 11.30am at the cemetery.
The foundation said that condolence messages can be sent to [email protected]. Condolence books will also be placed at several sites including its offices in Lenasia at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton and at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.
President Jacob Zuma declared a Special Official Funeral for the late Rivonia Treason Triallist and stalwart of the liberation struggle, the Presidency said on Tuesday.
An official memorial service will be organised and the details will be announced in due course, the Presidency said.
Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead the send-off.
Zuma has instructed that the National Flag fly at half-mast at every station in the country from Tuesday until the evening of the official memorial service.
The president sent his deepest condolences to Kathrada's wife, former minister of Public Enterprises Barbara Hogan, the Kathrada family and his "political home", the ANC, "which Uncle Kathy served selflessly throughout his adult life".
Kathrada was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island prison along former president Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu. He was one of the longest serving political prisoners in the country.
In 1992 the ANC bestowed its highest honour, Isithwalandwe/Seaparankoe on Kathrada for his selfless dedication to the struggle for a free democratic non-racial and non-sexist South Africa.