Pravin Gordhan, a South African government minister who was activist against apartheid, dies at 75

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Pravin Gordhan, who was a South African government minister for many years after beginning his political career opposing apartheid, died Friday. He was 75 and had cancer.

Gordhan, a long-time member of the African National Congress party, retired from active politics after the May elections when the ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first since it came into power in 1994.

“Mr. Gordhan passed away peacefully in hospital surrounded by his family, closest friends and his long-time comrades in the liberation struggle in the early hours of this morning,” his family said in a statement early Friday following his death after being hospitalized this week.

“We have lost an outstanding leader whose unassuming persona belied the depth of intellect, integrity and energy with which he undertook his activism, his duty as a parliamentarian and his roles as a member of Cabinet,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement.

A political activist from his teenage years, Gordhan joined the struggle against the racist and oppressive system of apartheid and joined the ANC's underground structures in the 1980s.

He was one of the negotiators for the country's peaceful transition to a constitutional democracy and became a member of parliament in 1994 after Nelson Mandela became the country's first democratically elected president.

His last position in government was as the minister of public enterprises from 2018 to 2024 in charge of state-owned enterprises. He served two terms as finance minister from 2009 to 2014 and again from 2015 to 2017.

From 1999 to 2009, Gordhan was the head of the South Africa Revenue Services, which he was credited with transforming into a world-class tax and customs service.

Gordhan was an outspoken critic of corruption in government and state-owned enterprises, and was one of the ministers who criticized the leadership of former President Jacob Zuma while he was still serving in his Cabinet.

FILE - South Africa's Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan appears at the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Nov. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

FILE - South Africa's Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan appears at the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nov. 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Stars locked up two key defensemen with new contracts just before the start of training camp, giving Esa Lindell a $26.25 million, five-year extension and signing Thomas Harley to an $8 million, two-year deal.

The agreement with Lindell announced Tuesday came with the 30-year-old set to go into the final season of a $34.8 million, six-year contract. The deal averaging $5.25 million a season will take effect with the 2025-26 season and run through 2029-30.

Harley led Dallas blueliners in goals with 15 in his first full season as the Stars reached the Western Conference Final for a second consecutive year. The 23-year-old had 32 assists for 47 points and led NHL defensemen with three overtime goals.

Dallas opens training camp Thursday.

Lindell's 26 points (five goals, 21 assists) last season were his most since 32 in 2018-19. He also had a club-high 162 blocked shots while averaging 20:28 of ice time per game.

“Esa is a stalwart presence on our blueline and has become a player that can be trusted in all situations,” Stars general manager Jim Nill said. “He is a proven penalty killer who logs some of the toughest minutes and defensive assignments.”

Lindell has skated in all 164 regular-season games the past two seasons. He has 191 points (49 goals and 142 assists) in 604 NHL games, all with the Stars, since his debut in four games at the end of 2015-16.

Lindell, Harley and Miro Heiskanen form the core of the Dallas defense. The 25-year-old Heiskanen is going into the fourth season of the $67.6 million, eight-year contract he signed in 2021.

Last season, Harley became the fourth-youngest defenseman in franchise history to score an overtime goal and was the sixth blueliner in NHL history to have OT goals in consecutive games.

“Thomas is one of the league’s top young defensemen,” Nill said. “His performance last season was a testament to the way that he has worked on and off the ice to become a better player.”

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FILE - Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell skates with the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period in Game 7 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, May 5, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade, File)