Aziz Pahad
 Aziz Pahad      (politician) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 25 December 1940 |
| Died | 27 September 2023 (Age 82) |
| Nationality | South African |
| Ethnicity | Indian |
| Alma mater | Witwatersrand University, University of Sussex |
| Siblings | Essop Goolam Pahad |
| Party | African National Congress |
South African Deputy Foreign Minister who stated that South Africa had conducted a nuclear test, but later retracted his statement. | |
Aziz Goolam Hoosein Pahad was a South African politician and anti-apartheid activist who was Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 2008. He was a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress from 1985 to 2007.
In 1997, as South African Deputy Foreign Minister, Aziz Pahad stated that South Africa had conducted a nuclear test, but later retracted his statement as being a report of rumours.[1]
Career
As a student, Pahad was actively involved in politics, especially in the Transvaal Indian Congress (TIC). In 1963 Pahad and his brother Essop were banned under the Suppression of Communism Act, which restricted their movement and prevented them from attending public gatherings. During this time, he was often detained for short periods for violating his banning order.[2]
In 1964, following the Rivonia Trial, he left South Africa into exile. He lived in London, and also spent time in Angola and Zimbabwe. In 1966, Pahad started working full-time for the African National Congress (ANC), developing the Anti-Apartheid Movement in the United Kingdom and Europe.[2]
Pahad was also part of the ANC’s exiled leadership that started secret talks with leading Afrikaners in 1987. In 1990 he returned to South Africa and in 1991 was appointed Deputy Head of the ANC Department of International Affairs.[2]
After South Africa’s democratic elections in 1994, Pahad was elected as a Member of Parliament and was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was re-appointed to in South Africa’s elections in 1999 and 2004 and which post he continued to have until 2008.[2]
In September 2008, Pahad resigned from his Cabinet position following Judge Chris Nicholson's judgment, which found that then-President Thabo Mbeki and his Cabinet interfered politically in the work of the National Prosecuting Authority and in criminal charges related to Jacob Zuma. [2]
Vela Incident
- Full article: Vela Incident
- Full article: Vela Incident
In 1997, as South African Deputy Foreign Minister, Aziz Pahad stated that South Africa had conducted a nuclear test, but later retracted his statement as being a report of rumours.[3]
