Pravin Gordhan, a prominent South African government minister and anti-apartheid activist, passed away on Friday at the age of 75 after battling cancer.

Gordhan, a long-standing member of the African National Congress (ANC), retired from politics after the May elections, when the ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since coming to power in 1994.

“Mr. Gordhan passed away peacefully in hospital, surrounded by his family, closest friends, and long-time comrades from the liberation struggle,” his family said in a statement on Friday morning following his hospitalization earlier in the week.

President Cyril Ramaphosa paid tribute to Gordhan, saying, “We have lost an exceptional leader whose modest demeanor masked the depth of intellect, integrity, and dedication he brought to his activism, parliamentary work, and roles in Cabinet.”

Gordhan began his political journey as a teenager, fighting against apartheid and joining the ANC’s underground structures in the 1980s. He played a key role in negotiating South Africa’s transition to a constitutional democracy and became a member of parliament in 1994 when Nelson Mandela was elected as the country’s first democratic president.

His last government position was as the minister of public enterprises from 2018 to 2024, overseeing state-owned enterprises. Gordhan also served two terms as finance minister, first from 2009 to 2014, and again from 2015 to 2017.

Before his time in finance, from 1999 to 2009, he led the South African Revenue Service (SARS), where he was credited with transforming it into a globally respected tax and customs authority.

Throughout his career, Gordhan was an outspoken critic of corruption in government and state-owned enterprises. He was one of the ministers who openly challenged former President Jacob Zuma’s leadership while still serving in his Cabinet.