Ahmed Kathrada

Ahmed Mohamed Kathrada

["Anti-Apartheid Leader", "Rivonia Trialist", "Parliamentarian"]

Born Aug 21, 1929

Schweizer-Reneke, South Africa

Passed Away Mar 28, 2017 Johannesburg, South Africa

Lifespan 87 years old

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Notice / Correction

"Hatred, revenge, and bitterness are negative emotions. The person who harbours them suffers more than the target."

Archival Overview

Anti-apartheid veteran who was convicted alongside Nelson Mandela at the Rivonia Trial and served twenty-six years in prison, dedicating his life to non-racialism.

Biographical Record

Ahmed 'Kathy' Kathrada joined the Young Communist League at age twelve and was arrested multiple times during the 1946 Passive Resistance campaign and 1952 Defiance Campaign. A key drafter of the 1955 Freedom Charter, he was a defendant in the four-year Treason Trial.

Arrested at Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia in 1963, Kathrada was sentenced to life imprisonment, serving eighteen years on Robben Island and eight at Pollsmoor Prison. Following the end of apartheid, he served as parliamentary counsellor to President Nelson Mandela and founded the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation.

Key Life Milestones

Rivonia Conviction

Life Sentence at Rivonia

Sentenced to life imprisonment alongside Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and Govan Mbeki.

Mandela Government

Parliamentary Counsellor

Served as trusted parliamentary advisor to President Nelson Mandela in democratic South Africa.

Memorial Guestbook & Tributes

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Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Westpark Cemetery
Johannesburg, South Africa

                         GPS: -26.1667, 27.9833                    

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