Ahmed Kathrada’s legacy will be felt for generations, Patricia de Lille says

The City of Cape Town paid tribute to ANC struggle stalwart Ahmed Kathrada during a full council meeting on Wednesday.

Kathrada died in the early hours of Tuesday after being in hospital for the past month. He had undergone brain surgery to remove a blood clot before he died.

In 2015, Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille awarded Kathrada the freedom of the city at a ceremony held at the historic Cape Town City Hall.

Addressing the full sitting‚ De Lille said the country had lost a wonderful soul and a man who fought courageously against the unjust forces of the apartheid regime.

"We were honoured to have Uncle Kathy call Cape Town his home for the past few decades and that in his quest for a nonracial society‚ he endorsed the city’s inclusive antiracism campaign‚" said De Lille.

She said Kathrada lived as an example to all and his legacy was such that it would reverberate for generations to come.

"We mourn a great man‚ an icon and a guardian of our freedom who continued to speak truth to power till his last days‚" she added.

De Lille said the city would be consulting Kathrada’s family to arrange a memorial service.

ANC leader in the council Xolani Sotashe also gave a moving tribute to Kathrada and sang struggle song Hamba kahle Mkhonto.

"Uncle Kathy subjected himself to the constitution of the ANC he so dearly loved until his last breath. Uncle Kathy was very critical of foreign tendencies within our movement‚ but remained true to the values and the tradition and never betrayed the ANC‚" he said.

He said Kathrada would be received by ANC greats including John Dube‚ Pixley ka Isaka Seme‚ Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela.

"Uncle Kathy‚ these giants have prepared your place in heaven. We shall continue to follow your footsteps and emulate your teachings‚" said Sotashe.

He said his party would do all in its power to defend the hard-fought democracy and would not betray its vision of nonracialism.