President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep sadness at the passing of educator, diplomat and business leader Dr Franklin Sonn who contributed significantly to different sectors of society and the economy. He passed away at the age of 86 on Saturday.
Dr Sonn, who served as the democratic South Africa’s first
Ambassador to the United States, distinguished himself in leadership roles in
education, politics, and business. He
was an Esteemed Member of the National Order of the Baobab and recipient of
numerous international honours.
SUPPLIEDDr. Sonn began his career as a teacher and became principal
of Spes Bona High School in Athlone, Cape Town. He was President of the Cape
Teachers’ Professional Association before his appointment as Rector of the then
Peninsula Technikon in Cape Town, (Now Cape Peninsula University of Technology)
a post he held until his diplomatic posting. He was an anti-apartheid
campaigner and pioneering champion of broad-based economic empowerment, who
exercised his vision for a just South Africa as a board member in significant
corporate businesses and as a co-founder of large black-owned enterprises.
Ramaphosa offers his condolences to Mrs Joan Sonn and
children Crispin and Heather, as well the extended families and Dr Sonn’s
associates nationally and internationally.
“I join the Sonns
and Franklin’s diverse friends and associates in mourning the loss of a leader
whose life exemplified the essence of the Order of the Baobab. Franklin Sonn
inspired the young lives entrusted to him in his early career as a teacher. He
provided similar inspiration to the teachers he mobilised in the Cape Teachers’
Professional Association at a time when all sectors were mobilised against
apartheid.’’
“We remember him as an advocate and activist for the
accelerated transformation of our country after the end of apartheid and the
upliftment of historically marginalised communities. He fought for equality and
development in all his endeavours, which included philanthropic work alongside
Joan Sonn. Together, they endowed Crispin and Heather with leadership abilities
that have created an intergenerational legacy. Franklin Sonn played a great
part in our history that lives on in our present and we owe him our commitment
to keep building the society he envisioned,’’ said Ramaphosa.
The DA expresses its condolences, saying Dr. Sonn expressed
South Africa’s best qualities – ‘’a pursuit for justice, excellence and nation
building. Our country is better because of his contribution.’’
Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, said Dr Sonn was a son of Cape Town whose work touched generations across the metro
''We owe Dr Sonn a debt of gratitude—not only for his achievements, but for his leadership in nation building and his vision of an inclusive, just, and empowered society. Our City has lost one of its great moral and civic architects.''
Done By: Mitchum George
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