Farewell Prof. Asmal, Kader of all cadres

I might not have known him personally or worked closely with him but I can say without any scintilla of doubt or any fear of contradiction that Professor Kader Asmal was a political knife from the top drawer.

And that is entirely because of the public work he committed himself to from the days when apartheid was still as fashionable as nibbling raw fish from the body of a naked model until the last breathe that he took in a democratic South Africa that he fought so hard to liberate. He was there to face the monster and his war strategy was a multi-pronged attack on the draconian system.

A real workaholic who never allowed entry to words such as fatigue, hectic or holiday into his vocabulary, Asmal went on to become an academic heavyweight who would always fuse his natural intellect with acquired knowledge to probe everything that came his way. He always challenged people to think out-of-the-box and see everything as an opportunity to ask more questions and learn every day.

As a politician and cabinet minister, he put principles and the interests of the public ahead of self-gain. He had a reputation to read and dissect every report that came his way and he is understood to have been a tough political principal to impress. In essence, he was allergic to mediocrity and did not suffer fools easily. That he stepped down from civil service and active politics because of deep-held personal beliefs was a demonstration of the calibre of an individual he was.

While in exile, he was part of a group of freedom fighters who used sports as a weapon to fight against apartheid. He not only helped put pressure on the International Olympics Committee and other world sporting bodies to shun apartheid South African teams but also went on to become a qualified cricket umpire.

By entrenching himself as a respected human rights lawyer and teacher, Asmal also used his education to bring about change to his country and continued to do so even after 1994.
His commitment towards sharing his vast knowledge and understanding of the importance of being credible and being above reproach as a public figure saw him “sneak” out of his sick bed in 2008 to deliver the Helen Joseph Memorial Lecture at the University of Johannesburg. The theme of the lecture was: Law, ethics and morality in public life in South Africa.

In his opening remarks, he said: “The fact that I am here with you tonight reflects my tendency towards perversity, in this case overruling my medical advisors. But there are a number of good reasons for such erratic behaviour on my part.”

In his words, Asmal led us to believe that he was being careless or even reckless about his health. But in reality, he was demonstrating the commitment and selflessness nature that made him who he was. He was in a league of his own with commendable gravitas. He was a political encyclopaedia with immense insight that was by far incomparable. He was also a memory bank for many young people who had little or no experience of apartheid and the struggle for freedom.
As a further demonstration of his allegiance to truth and honour, Asmal shaped his lecture on the words that were once said by the sixth president of the United States, John Quincy Adams, because he believed they reflected his ideology.

He quoted Adams as saying: “Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.”
What Asmal was teaching us here, albeit using a powerful thought from a leader of an era past, was that we should always stand by our beliefs, no matter how unpopular that might be. Asmal emphasised the understanding that for something to be true and honourable, it does not need to be followed or endorsed by masses of those with nefarious intentions.

His passing marks the sad extinction of greats from the golden era, following so soon after the death of the humble Albertina Sisulu. Let us trust that there will be a few, or at least one, incoming political vanguards who will emulate his formidable character.

Rest in peace Prof.