Nomination form

Essop Goolam Pahad, Dr

Dr. Pahad obtained a BA degree in Political Science at Wits University where he was actively involved in student politics. Even during this student era at university, he was always aware of the fragile and volatile political landscape in the country, resulting from Apartheid rule.

He later graduated from Sussex University with a Master of Arts in African Politics, and subsequently obtained Ph D in History from the same university. His Ph D thesis was entitled: 'The Development of Indian political movements in South Africa 1924-1946'.

He was first introduced to struggle politics through affiliation to the Transvaal Indian Youth Congress (TIYC), on whose Executive Committee he subsequently served and later becoming its Secretary, between 1958 - 1964.

After banning of the African National Congress (ANC), he became part of TIYC volunteers who, despite the risks of Apartheid harassment, produced and distributed ANC pamphlets and posters from 1960 to 1963. He was arrested and imprisoned for two weeks and later charged with organizing an 'illegal strike', for which he was not found guilty between 1962 and 1963. Faced with escalating Apartheid persecution, Pahad went into exile in December 1964, where he served on leadership structures of the ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP). In exile, he enrolled with and graduated from the Institute of Social Science in Moscow, after which he completed a short military course in Angola.

Dr. Pahad represented the SACP on the Editorial Council of the World Marxist Review between1975 and 1985. He also served on the regional command of the ANC's Political and Military Council in London, before returning to South Africa in 1990 after the unbanning of the liberation movements.

Since the onset of the democratic, non-racial government in 1994, Dr. Pahad served as the Parliamentary Councillor to the Deputy President, Thabo Mbeki from May 1994 to July 1996. From 1996 to 16 June 1999 he was the Deputy Minister in the Office of the Executive Deputy President, Thabo Mbeki. He published numerous articles in journals of the SACP and ANC and also co-edited two books of President Thabo Mbeki's speeches entitled: Africa, the Time has Come; and Africa, Define Yourself.

Dr. Pahad is currently serving on the following positions:

• Minister in The Presidency (appointed on 17 June 1999 and reappointed in April 2004);
• Member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC);
• Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the South African Democracy Education Trust;
• Member of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of the SA 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup Local Organising Committee;