Condolences for Jakes Gerwel
2012-11-28 09:18
Johannesburg - The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory sent condolences on behalf of Mandela, the board of trustees and staff to the family of their chairperson Professor Jakes Gerwel, who died at the Netcare Hospital in Kuils River on Wednesday morning.
"We will deeply miss ‘Prof’ as we fondly refer to him," the centre said.
"Our founder (former president Mandela) worked with Prof for many years, throughout his presidency and during and beyond his retirement.
"When Madiba stepped down in 1999 after serving one term as president of South Africa, Professor Gerwel his director general, left the office of the president to join Madiba in his post-presidential work.
"Prof led the Nelson Mandela Foundation Board of Trustees and staff through our recent transition to the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory.
"As the chief executive of the Centre of Memory, Mr Achmat Dangor, said: 'We will miss his wisdom and calm guidance'."
The 66-year-old had been in a critical condition on Tuesday after he underwent heart surgery.
Family spokesperson Pam Barron said: "The Gerwel family would like their privacy to be respected for the next couple of days. Funeral arrangements will be made known soon."
Gerwel was a well-known figure in South Africa's political history and in his later years, he chaired and was on the board of major organisations and corporations.
He served as chairperson for Media24, the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation, was chairman of SAA and a chancellor of Rhodes of University.
A rugby and cricket lover, Gerwel also chaired the policy committee of the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
He was married to Phoebe Abrahams and they had two children, a daughter Jessie, a son Heinrich, and four grandchildren.
- SAPA
