'Hamba khale, Ivan Toms'

2008-04-02 20:29

Cape Town - Hundreds of people gathered on Wednesday to bid farewell to Dr Ivan Toms in the cathedral where he once fasted in support of the anti-apartheid "troops out of the townships" campaign.

Toms, who was the city's director of health, died at his home of cerebral meningitis last week. He was 55.

Among the mourners at Cape Town's St George's Cathedral were many of Toms's comrades from his End Conscription Campaign days, and from the period when he did pioneering health care work in Crossroads.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu told the congregation that it was "almost like a struggle funeral, except that there is no teargas".

He said Toms had been physically small.

"But what a dynamo for goodness, for justice, compassion," he said.

"He stood up for justice too against the awful wind of homophobia, as a gay person comfortable with his sexuality...

"I am thankful to God that he touched me, and I am a better man than I would have been without that touch."

'Must live life to the full'

His brother, Charles, said Toms had led a truly remarkable life, and though strong-willed and highly principled, had also been a "fun-loving party animal".

In an e-mail only weeks before his death, Toms had written to him: "We all need to live life to the full, in the present, rather than worry about the future."

City manager Achmat Ebrahim said Toms had been no ordinary person, and had led no ordinary life.

"He was someone who knew exactly who he was, what he stood for and what he was prepared to suffer for," he said.

- SAPA