By Bheki Mngomezulu
The monologue in a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare and the poem, which was recited by Jaques entitled As you like it painted a broader picture about life when they stated that All the worlds a stage.
The seven stages mentioned in this poem include being an infant and thus entering the stage, going to school, becoming a lover and getting married, being a soldier and being put under pressure to excel and receive honours, being old and assuming the position of a role model, going back to childhood by being weak and helpless again, and, lastly, exiting the stage or passing away.
With no exception, everyone goes through these stages. What we do between stages one and six determines how we are remembered once stage seven kicks in. Pravin Gordhan is not an exception in this regard.
To many South Africans, Gordhans passing on September 13, 2024, came as a shock. By contrast, to those who were close to him both as family members and as political comrades, the announcement about Gordhans passing was something they were already expecting. Having watched his life deteriorate, they knew that the day of his passing was imminent.
