Ramaphosa leads tributes to cultural icon Rashid Lombard

By Johnathan Paoli

President Cyril Ramaphosa has led the nation in mourning the loss of legendary cultural activist, photographer and jazz visionary Rashid Lombard, who passed away on Wednesday in Cape Town surrounded by his loved ones. He was 74.

In a heartfelt statement, Ramaphosa described Lombard as a “cultural icon” whose work both chronicled and shaped South Africa’s history.

“We have lost a cultural icon who not only documented our history of struggle but made history in his own right. Rashid Lombard’s fearless depiction of apartheid’s endemic inhumanity and violence, and his compassionate focus on the lives of oppressed communities and disadvantaged individuals, is a powerful record of our struggle for basic human rights and dignity,” the president said.

Ramaphosa praised Lombard’s pioneering role in transforming the arts landscape in South Africa, most notably through the creation of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, which elevated South African jazz