Trevor Manuel on Kathrada's legacy
Tribute to Ahmed Kathrada by Trevor Manuel: An ethos of leadership
The passing of Ahmed Kathrada means SA bids farewell to a man who was revered by all, irrespective of political allegiance
There cannot be many leaders in the world, regardless of the sector they serve in, who are as adored and revered as Ahmed Kathrada was — a fact made all the more remarkable, as this came despite his determination to remain beneath the radar. Uncle Kathy’s leadership was styled through a rare combination of presence, awareness and listening, and being an example to many. He was a man never moved by status or material possessions. High-profile positions did not matter to Uncle Kathy. If one were to trawl through his 87-year history, 75 of which were spent in the service of humankind, one would be amazed at how few positions of leadership authority he held. Since then, he visited Robben Island more than 300 times with a number of interested groups that would be regaled with meaningful stories about life on the island. Just recently, Uncle Kathy said he wanted to accompany both EFF leader Julius Malema and DA leader Mmusi Maimane on a visit to the island because he thought that their wa...
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