Achmat in the offices of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation shortly before he completed his term as a trustee, undated. Mandela Rhodes Foundation

When Achmat left the Ford Foundation at the end of 2015, he planned to focus exclusively on his writing. In 2016, according to his younger brother Zane, he had a heart bypass and his health deteriorated. However, he remained active and served on numerous boards of civil society organisations such as the Mandela Rhodes Foundation and the Johannesburg Review of Books. Achmat also supported civil society campaigns such as Section27’s Text Book Matters Campaign in 2015-2016 and in 2020 he was involved in a campaign to persuade the government to allow the sale of books despite the Stage 4 lockdown restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic. His novel Dikeledi Child of Tears, No More was published in 2017 and he was working on a new book about his childhood memories.

According to the Mandela Rhodes Foundation’s (MRF) website, the idea of a partnership between the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF) and the Rhodes Trust dates back to 2002. Professor Jakes Gerwel, then Chancellor of Rhodes University in South Africa as well as Chair of the NMF and Dr John Rowett, the CEO of the Rhodes Trust, had been thinking about how to mark the centenary of the Rhodes Scholarships and the start of a new millennium. Together they “envisioned an agreement between two seemingly opposite parties: the Rhodes Trust and the man synonymous with South Africa’s new era of freedom – Nelson Mandela”. The Rhodes Trust presented a proposal for a partnership that would “return some of Rhodes’ wealth to South Africa and Africa in a symbolic act of reconciliation and reparation”. In 2003, the MRF was established with Prof Gerwel as the founding Chairperson. The MRF’s core purpose, to quote its website, “is to build exceptional leadership capacity in Africa” by finding, funding and empowering “young Africans who aspire to use their talents to serve their societies and our continent”. It provides “a postgraduate scholarship for young leaders to study in South Africa and participate in a residential Leadership Development Programme”, which is “built on Nelson Mandela’s belief that leadership begins with inner transformation, and our founding principles of reconciliation, education, entrepreneurship, and leadership.”

Achmat was a member of the Board of Trustees from 2013 to 2019. In a press statement MRF CEO Judy Sikuza said that she was “struck by his humility, and his thoughtful yet humorous demeanour. He was clearly committed to using his own talents to advance a more free and equal society for all.” She recalled how Achmat focussed on the “cause and positioned himself as a channel, rather than at the centre of the picture”. Recalling his tenure as trustee, she said:

“He always gave very insightful, considered inputs. He brought in his knowledge and wisdom only when required – which is a big marker of someone’s internal sense of security in who they are. He would listen deeply. If something struck him, he would write down a word – just a word. He was able to really listen, identify problems and then distil a key message or intervention in powerful ways: a great leadership lesson.”

Judy added that when the MRF asked for advice for the next generation of leaders, Achmat stressed the importance of building sustainable institutions with a clear vision and mandate to bring about the practical expressions of a truly just and transformed society for all:

“When I reflect on Achmat’s life, he’s a great example for us that the work of building South Africa and the continent is to realise the political rights and freedoms that the previous generation achieved and make them into practical realities. It’s not about the fancy stuff – it’s about using our skills and talents to advance a more just and equitable society.”

In April 2014, Section27, a public interest litigation organisation (launched in 2010), representing the community based organisation Basic Education for All (BEFA), made an application to the High Court in Pretoria.  An estimated 793 567 textbooks that should have been delivered to its schools by the Limpopo Department of Education by the beginning of the school year had never arrived. The application was intended to force the State to deliver all outstanding textbooks to schools in Limpopo. Section27 and BEFA won the case, but the State contested it and appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeal. On 24 November 2015, Section27 argued in the Supreme Court of Appeal that textbooks were an essential component to the right to basic education.

BEFA called on “thought leaders across the spectrum of South African society” to explain the importance of textbooks. The “#TextbooksMatter” Campaign took the form of testimonies posted on social media platforms, which opened a national dialogue around why the possession of textbooks are part of the right to basic education. In his statement, Achmat stressed the importance of reading and access to books:

“I cannot stress enough that being able to read and having readily access to books as a formal educational tool, and for pleasure, enriches the imagination and helps young people to learn and develop. The alternate is to leave millions of our youth in the mindless wilderness becoming increasingly frustrated, do we really want to do that? No, we don’t. This is the generation that can lead our renaissance as a truly successful African nation.”

Watch Achmat’s appeal:

The Johannesburg Review of Books (JRB) was established in 2017 as a South African digital literary review. Its website describes it as intending to open “a new space for writers from South Africa, Africa and beyond to ruminate on culture, politics, history and the arts, publishing pieces that stand up both to intellectual scrutiny and to the great wash of information that nowadays causes all but the most memorable writing to fade”. The Review publishes literary reviews, essays, poetry, short fiction and photographs. Achmat was one the founding patrons with Ivan Vladislavić and Makhosazana Xaba. Publisher of JRB, Ben Williams recalled that in March 2017, “after a conversation over coffee at a favourite cafe of his in Parkview, Johannesburg, where he lived. (Achmat said he) was ‘honoured to accept becoming a patron of this project’”.

Achmat “supported us at every turn”, Ben remarked. “A more thoughtful, engaged and humane writer you would be hard-pressed to find,” and: “he was a person of quiet purpose, but also sly humour—his presence illuminated any room he chose to walk in.” In 2020, the JRB’s tribute to Achmat notes, Achmat was involved in the campaign to allow for the sale of books during the Stage 4 lockdown restrictions. An open letter was submitted to the South African Government contesting regulations regarding the buying, selling, and reading of books during Stage 4 Lockdown and was accompanied by a petition. Achmat was one of the signatories.

In November 2018, Achmat was invited to be the speaker at the Annual Jakes Gerwel Lecture hosted by the Jakes Gerwel Foundation (registered as a Trust in 2013). He was asked to talk on the theme “Imagining a post-apartheid future”. Achmat opened his speech by expressing one of his enduring beliefs: “Let us remember that before we can truly imagine the future and make our dream a reality, we have to remember the past, as this has a huge influence on the future”. He went on to speak about the devasting impact of apartheid, including the “vast inequalities (that) were created in every sphere, from education to sports, to jobs and living conditions”. He described the “the start of the “new South Africa” (as) an uncertain one” and referred to the widespread violence, which “threatened the fragile fabric of an already divided society.” He said: “Yet, hopes for peace lived on, however tenuously. There was no choice, for South Africa could be made worse or better. It could never be the same again. But what would the future look like?”

Drawing on Jakes Gerwel’s own vision for the future. Achmat said:

“Gerwel argued that it was vital to create space, within higher education, to tackle apartheid. Furthermore, the word “left” didn’t mean Marxist-Stalinist. To him, it meant opposition to the regime, empowering young people, especially, to think about and help create a more truly humanitarian future for South Africa. Many of his critics eventually understood that Professor Gerwel was promoting a philosophy of taking personal responsibility to change the country into the future.

That is my belief, too; we cannot just leave our future to politicians and business leaders, inter alia. We all have to take responsibility for turning our imagined world without apartheid into reality.”

The “imagined future … of true freedom in social, cultural, political and – vitally – economic terms,” Achmat argued, can be achieved. It “lies in the hands of our youth!” He urged:

“To realise our dream of a truly free, fair and equal society, we have to take action. And I think that at the heart of any action we take, we have to “invest” in young people. They are the future, here and in the rest of Africa … we have to ensure that young people have all the basic skills they need before they reach the higher education level … this new generation should be infused with an entrepreneurial spirit and have all the educational and vocational skills needed to stimulate economic development in this modern, technologically driven world. And they should be socialised, from very young, to think beyond race and ethnicity and become people who stop asking, ‘What can the government do to change this country?’ and ask, ‘What can I do to help make this a better world for all?’

Achmat started his childhood memoir in the early 2000s when he and Audrey moved to New York. Although he continued to work on it intermittently over the years, in December 2018 Achmat shared an extract which the JRB published in its December 2018 Fiction Issue. It was untitled and stipulated that it was a work in progress. To read the extract visit: https://johannesburgreviewofbooks.com/2018/12/05/fiction-issue-the-jrb-exclusive-read-an-excerpt-from-a-work-in-progress-by-achmat-dangor/

Achmat worked on the manuscript more intensely in this period and though there is now quite a substantial document, it remained incomplete at the time of his passing.

When the news of Achmat’s passing on 6 September 2020 was announced, messages of condolences were received by the family, posts circulated on social media, articles were published in the press and broadcasts televised in news bulletins. All of them celebrated his extraordinary life as an acclaimed author and leading human rights activist.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, who knew Achmat from the anti-apartheid period and when Achmat had led the NMF, said:

“Achmat Dangor was born into a family whose members have played a leading role in this country’s history and development. I convey my deepest sympathies to the family who have lost a son, a brother and a father. Among the many lessons we draw from his life is the importance of supporting the arts and culture as key pillars of a country’s development; as well as the role of artists as our national conscience. Achmat Dangor will be remembered for powerful and inspired writing that gave a voice to the voiceless and captured the bitter conditions under which our people suffered. We honour him for his sterling contribution, may he be granted Jannatul Firdous (paradise).”

The Foundation for Human Rights issued a statement:

“Achmat Dangor will be remembered for the kind and unobtrusive manner in which he dealt with people from all walks of life. He treaded softly but left an indelible print on the lives of the very many people who sought his help. Our sincere condolences go out to his wife Audrey Elster and children Yasmin, Zain, Zachary, and to the Dangor family, who have been actively involved in the struggle for freedom in this country.”

Professor Njabulo Ndebele, who first met Achmat when the Congress of South African Writers was formed in 1987 and worked with Achmat when he led the NMF and when Achmat was a Trustee at the MRF, released a statement in his capacity as Chair of the MRF:

“Achmat was always a very thoughtful person, and an extraordinarily gifted writer with a deep font of wisdom and humility. He had a very incisive mind with a great understanding of political and human situations of the greatest complexity. He was able to take very firm, principled positions in situations where there was always the risk of going for the easy option. He had tons of integrity, and tons of compassion. It is sad that we are losing a person like him today – when we most need people who can be a mix of those attributes: firmness of mind and sympathy and understanding, as we go into the next phase of South Africa’s history. It is a sad loss personally and professionally, as we mourn another writer who leaves us at the wrong time.”

Some of the many condolences posted on Twitter (now known as “X”):

Eleven days after his passing, the Mandela Legacy Organisations co-hosted a memorial for Achmat with the family only (due to COVID lockdown regulations)

Former President Kgalema Motlanthe spoke at the memorial and recalled Achmat’s contribution to literature and his human rights advocacy:

“The skill of Achmat Dangor to use the pen as a tool to contribute towards the direction of our democracy, together with his excellent management and people skills, placed him in a unique position, to expand his human rights advocacy, after the fall of apartheid. Achmat Dangor was a gentle soul, a noble activist and an exceptional writer whose work, steeped in history, offers an atmospheric presence that is perfect to motivate and encourage the nation to celebrate their hard-earned freedom, to read, write and tell their tales.”

Sibongile Mkhabela, who worked with Achmat when he led the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, also spoke at the memorial and recalled Achmat’s leadership at the Mandela Legacy Foundations:

“Achmat, you believed there was a need for radical change in the development sector … The changes that you sought then, remain absolutely necessary and needed if we are to win the war against poverty and social injustice. Achmat remained always the common denominator when it came to Mandela Legacy organisations … and understood the role of each of the organisations …. I want to thank Achmat’s family. Audrey, we acknowledge your pain. We can’t say we know it, but we acknowledge your pain and we are with you.”

Achmat’s younger brother Zane wrote a beautiful poem for Achmat and it seems fitting to close with these words in celebration of Achmat’s extraordinary life:

(For Achmat Dangor)

Red Sand

Dear Achmat

Like Homer wrote about Odysseus
You wrote about Samad
His love for Leila

His anger
The bitter fruit of
The savage bulldozing
of District Six

Your words
Dear Achmat
Animated
Samad’s odyssey

We shared their love
Felt their pain

Your words
Your many works
Dear Achmat
Created life
Lightened up our imagination

Through your words
And deeds in non-imagined life

Dear Achmat

You
will
live
forever

The pain of entombing you

In the Red Sand
Of your beloved Jozi
Is soothed

Because

Your words and deeds

Dear Achmat
Are the Philosopher’s Stone
The elixir
Of your eternal Life

You will always
be loved
You will always
Be remembered

Hamba kahle
Dear Achmat

(C) Zane Dangor September 2020