Priyesha Gordhan, daughter of the late Pravin Gordhan, says the family was robbed of time with the late politician. Gordhan, aged 75, passed away on Friday morning following a short battle with cancer.
In an interview just hours of his death, Priyesha spoke openly about the pressures that her father faced during his political career.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika's Iman Rapetti, Priyesha said Gordhan who retired from active politics only a few months ago, had been facing health issues since 2016.
"He continued to be active and committed to his country," she said.
Priyesha said Gordhan's commitment to his life's work was evident even until the end, even when he was admitted to hospital, last Friday.
"His death came unexpectedly after a routine scan revealed an advanced mass, and he passed away from gallstone pancreatitis following treatment," she explained.
Priyesha shared how her father faced "attacks" in his political career.
"South Africans do know is that my father was a deeply private man, and he had actually been struggling with chronic health issues from 2016 which is coincidentally the year that the majority of the attacks on him via the Hawks, the former president, the National Prosecuting Authority.
"I think, as resilient and as formidable as he was, that the incessant onslaught of these attacks, these unjustified, completely baseless attacks, really did affect his psyche," she expressed.
She described the former Public Enterprise and Finance minister as fighter right to his last breath.
"So now I don't ever think that at any point, would he have ever said ‘I give up’ because he didn't do that until his last moments. He was just a fighter. He's a soldier," Priyesha said.
Sharing a fond memory of her father, Priyesha recalled having to print documents at his office during his time at the South African Revenue Service (Sars).
"I used to often go to his offices and mess around with markers on his on his board, and I needed to print something for school. And when we were leaving that day, he gave me R2,50 to give back so that I could pay for the paper that I used. I didn't take home any markers, no highlighters, nothing. So he didn't take one cent from this country," she said.
Gordhan served as Minister of Finance from 2009 until 2014 and again from 2015 until 2017.
He also served as Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs from 2014 until 2015, and as Minister of Public Enterprises from February 2018 until his March 2024 announcement of planned retirement.
Gordhan was appointed as Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service in 1999, after a period as Deputy Commissioner.
Gordhan will be honoured with a Special Official Funeral Category 2 on Thursday, September 19.
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