MP Hishaam Mohamed receives final farewells
Mohamed died suddenly on Monday at the age of 55. He was elected to parliament and served on the portfolio committee for justice and correctional services.
The late MP Hishaam Mohamed. Picture: Twitter / @ChrisMabuya
MP Hishaam Mohamed will be buried in Cape Town on Tuesday.
His death on Monday had left a void, his brother Saliem said.
Condolences to Mohamed’s family were received from all quarters – from political parties to people he had assisted with free legal advice.
Funeral proceedings were scheduled to start at 12.30pm in Pinelands and his family said they would allow for final greetings in accordance with social distancing regulations required during the Covid-19 pandemic.
His brother said the messages of condolences were a comfort to the family and a testament to Mohamed’s life work of service to communities he had helped.
They had received calls from people extending their gratitude for Mohamed’s mentoring of the daughter of a physician who had treated him and from people who lived in shacks.
“They called to say he was the only person who kept coming back to them to help them,” said his brother.
Mohamed helped residents with free legal advice and drew up legal documents such as wills for them at no charge.
“He would speak to everybody the same – whether they were from a squatter camp or from Constantia,” said his brother.
Mohamed died suddenly on Monday at the age of 55. He was elected to parliament and served on the portfolio committee for justice and correctional services.
His life spanned being a member of the anti-apartheid organisation, the United Democratic Front, head of the Department of Justice in the Western Cape, and he had also worked on improving access to the justice system, according to a biography on the University of the Western Cape website, where he studied law.
He was also the ANC’s first chairperson of its southern suburbs region.
The Muslim Judicial Council paid tribute to him, saying: “Hishaam was a friend of the MJC and a servant of the people. [His] contribution to the struggle for freedom and democracy in South Africa will not be forgotten. We express our sincere condolences to his beloved family.”
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
