Cape Town - In a devastating loss to the justice fraternity, human rights champion advocate Hishaam Mohamed died after suffering a heart attack on Monday.
He leaves his wife, Rachmat Rasool, sons Imraan and Uzair, and daughter Haneem.
His brother Saliem said on Monday night that his passing happened suddenly, as he had spoken to his brother five minutes before he died.
“He was a man for the people - everything he did was at the service of others. He never said no to anyone who needed help,” Saliem said.
The former provincial head of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mohamed last year headed to Parliament as a member of the National Assembly for the ANC.
He began his work in the legal fraternity when he was 25, as a temporary clerk at the Athlone Magistrate’s Court in 1990.
He graduated with an LLB degree from UWC in 1992 and spent his first year as a prosecutor at the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court.
Mohamed is also well known for spearheading Operation Isondlo, an initiative to ensure all beneficiaries receive the maintenance money due to them.
Saliem said the family planned to bury him on Tuesday.
The funeral proceedings were set to start at 12.30pm from 4 Hockey Road, Pinelands.
"Given the range of people whose lives he has touched with his long record of public service there will be provision through the morning for Ziyarat (final greetings) which will accord with the lockdown and social distance regulations. Kindly abide by the lockdown rules and stay safe," Saliem said.
The Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services said in many respects Mohamed was a trailblazer and was "instrumental in the establishment of the first courts in Khayelitsha and Nyanga/Phillippi in the Western Cape in 1998“.
“He was both a lawyer and an activist. His life was dedicated to the struggle for freedom, justice and human rights,” the Ministry said.
Mohamed, as the chairperson of the Southern Suburbs Legal Advice Centre, was involved in a food relief drive in the Western Cape to help relieve families in distress due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sekunjalo and Independent Media executive chairperson Dr Iqbal Survé said Mohamed had requested support for food parcels about two weeks ago.
“He was a real patriot. A wonderful human being. An example to many today, he died serving the poor.
“He’s a great loss to our society and the ANC.
“He was honest and refused to be corrupted. It’s a tragedy for our country, a devastating loss to our communities, especially the poor that he served admirably a true hero of the people.
“We need more people like him to serve our country.”
Cape Times