Cape Town — Former Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad has died at the age of 84 years.
After the general elections in 1994, Pahad served as the parliamentary counsellor to then deputy president Thabo Mbeki. After the 1999 general election in which Mbeki became president, Pahad was appointed as minister in the presidency. When Mbeki was recalled by the African National Congress in 2008, he resigned as minister.
Pahad served as chairperson of the board of the Mali Timbuktu Manuscripts Trust. He was also the chairperson of the South African Democracy Education Trust and was a former member of the national executive committee of the African National Congress.
After leaving the government in 2008, he launched a South African monthly journal named The Thinker which was later taken over by the University of Johannesburg.
He was also part of the organising committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup bid, which South Africa hosted.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent his condolences to Pahad's family, friends and comrades.