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JOHANNESBURG, April 28 (PTI) Two South African citizens of Indian descent, the late struggle icon Ibrahim, will be seen as President Cyril Ramaphosa officiates at the annual event in Pretoria on Friday. • Ismail Ibrahim and scientist Dr Aboubaker Ebrahim Dangor were among the many recipients of the state order.
The National Order is the highest award bestowed by the South African state on its citizens and outstanding foreign citizens who have contributed to the advancement of democracy and have had a significant impact on improving the lives of South Africans.
The National Act also recognizes the contribution of individuals to building a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous South Africa as envisioned in our Constitution.
Ebrahim, better known as “Ebie,” died in December 2019 after a long illness, shortly after his wife Shannon released his autobiography, “Beyond Fear – Freedom Fighter Reflections of a Freedom Fighter.” Ibrahim served time as a political prisoner on Robben Island, along with Nelson Mandela, Ahmed Kathrada and others.
Read also | UK: Businessman of Indian origin convicted in London for COVID-19 loan fraud.
He joined the liberation struggle at the age of 13 after his father was arrested twice for violating laws restricting the movement of Indians in South Africa. Ibrahim often shares how he was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s style of nonviolent resistance, and he passionately represented the ANC in his global conflict situations in Sri Lanka, Palestine, Rwanda, Kosovo, Bolivia and Nepal.
After his release, Ibrahim went into exile and continued his work at the ANC, but was abducted by apartheid-era security police in neighboring Swaziland, tortured on Robben Island and sentenced to re-election.
He has two university degrees from Robben Island. After Ebrahim freed all political prisoners and elected Mandela as South Africa’s first Democratic president, including as Mandela’s deputy deputy minister and parliamentary adviser, including various duty.
Ibrahim’s citation said he was awarded the Gold Luthuli Medal for his lifelong dedication to the liberation of all South Africans.
“He lived by the courage of his convictions and became a formidable opponent of the authoritarian apartheid government,” it read. Shannon Ebrahim described her late husband as a “gentle giant, even to his family”.
“He inspired us with his sheer moral values, his absolute commitment to making South Africa a better place (even beyond political liberation), and his willingness to engage warring factions in conflicts around the world as a peacemaker.
He was humble at heart, never thinking that any hardships he had endured in his life for the cause of freedom would be recognized. One of his hopes is that South Africans will read his memoir, Beyond Fear, to better understand what his generation of revolutionaries went through to build a new South Africa. (Our children) Sarah, Kadin and I miss him terribly, but will always cherish his legacy,” Ibrahim said.
Dr. Dangor was awarded the Luthuli Silver Medal “for his admirable and distinguished contributions to the field of science through pioneering research in physics,” his citation reads.
Dangor moved to the UK in 1961 after receiving his first honors degree at Wits University to continue his studies and has lived in the UK ever since.
He was unable to return home permanently because the white minority apartheid government refused to let his wife enter from Bermuda because she was of black descent.
Dangor has published widely in academic journals and has supervised dozens of doctoral students during his career.
“I am particularly humbled that the first recipient of this award was Nelson Mandela, our first post-apartheid president. I hope that being the recipient of this award will encourage South Africa’s scientific youth ,” said Dangor. Dangor’s niece, Zubeda Dangor, founder and director of the Nisaa Women’s Institute in Johannesburg, said he was shy and did not like the limelight. He was unable to attend the award ceremony, where his award was received by his grandnephew Mohammed Raees Dangor.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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