29/08/2026
29 August 2026
TRIBUTE TO MR NAROTAM GOVIND PATEL: A QUIET GIANT OF OUR LIBERATION STRUGGLE
Yesterday, South Africa lost one of its most steadfast, self-effacing, and heroic sons. Mr Narotam Govind Patel—affectionately revered by generations as “Uncle NG Patel”—passed away peacefully at the age of 92. His departure marks the closing of a profound, historic chapter in the story of Johannesburg’s Indian community and the broader narrative of South Africa’s liberation movement. He was a man who did not seek the spotlight, yet his quiet courage helped to dismantle the very foundations of the apartheid state.
Born in Johannesburg on 19 November 1933 to immigrant parents from Gujarat, India, Uncle NG entered a world designed to limit his potential. Born with a physical disability, he faced early challenges that would have defeated a lesser spirit. Instead, he transformed adversity into an unshakeable independence of mind and a solitary determination. He walked through life with a fierce dignity, proving that true strength resides not in physical stature, but in the depths of human conviction.
Uncle NG’s journey into the heart of the liberation struggle began during his formative years at the University of the Witwatersrand. Studying for his BA LLB in the mid-1950s, he sat in lecture halls alongside future legal and political icons like Ismail Mahomed, Arthur Chaskalson, Harold Wolpe, and Bob Hepple. On 1 December 1957, he opened his practice, NG Patel Attorneys, at 17 Becker Street. This was not just a business; it was situated in the iconic Chancellor House precinct, steps away from the law offices of Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo.
In this revolutionary milieu, Uncle NG’s professional life and political destiny became inseparable. He watched Mandela’s magnetic public presence and Tambo’s quiet, steady industry. He drew inspiration, from young activists like Ahmed Kathrada, and Congress leaders such as Dr Yusuf Dadoo, Nana Sita and the Cachalia brothers. Inspired by their vision, he turned his law firm into a sanctuary and a weapon against oppression.
Under the watchful, perilous eyes of the apartheid Special Branch, Uncle NG’s office became a quiet site of resistance. At the request of Walter Sisulu, he employed underground operatives as clerks, providing them with legal cover. For years, he sheltered and supported Suliman “Babla” Saloojee, the anti-apartheid activist who tragically became one of the first to die in police detention after being thrown from the Gray’s Building. Uncle NG carried the heavy weight of Saloojee’s loss, fought through the sham inquests, and continued to represent figures like Winnie Madikizela-Mandela when representing them meant invitation to state persecution.
Uncle NG defiled the very logic of apartheid by creating one of South Africa’s earliest non-racial legal partnerships. Alongside Derek De Jager, Saeed Cachalia, Mia Loonat, Ismail Ayob, and Babu Dangor, he built a practice that brought together people of all faiths and backgrounds. He proved that the non-racial democratic future we fought for could be lived in the present.
When open political organisation was banned and dangerous, Uncle NG kept the flame of defiance alive through the Gandhi Centenary Council. Succeeding Nana Sita as Chairman, he led the restoration of Mahatma Gandhi’s Tolstoy Farm and used the legacy of non-violent resistance as a shield to keep the ideals of freedom alive. His work laid the groundwork for the day when the call to “Free Mandela” could finally be shouted in the streets.
By the 1980s, Uncle NG’s resistance entered its most public phase. He was elected to the executive of the Transvaal Anti-SAIC Committee (TASC), campaigning fiercely against puppet segregationist councils. At the historic January 1983 TASC conference, where Reverend Allan Boesak echoed support for the call to form the United Democratic Front (UDF), Uncle NG delivered his seminal paper, “The Road Ahead”. His brilliant analysis argued for the revival of the Transvaal Indian Congress (TIC).
When the TIC was revived on 1 May 1983, Uncle NG stepped onto the executive. Alongside comrades like Dr Essop Jassat, Ramlal Bhoolia, Prema Naidoo, Cass Saloojee , Dr RAM Saloojee and Laloo “Isu” Chiba, he threw himself into the "Don’t Vote" campaign against the racist Tricameral Parliament. Throughout the states of emergency, police raids, and the treason trials of his closest friends, Uncle NG remained an anchor. He was the calm in the storm, a man for whom professional duty, community service, and political conviction were a single, lifelong commitment to justice.
Behind this public life of resistance was a beautiful family story. Uncle NG was married to his devoted life partner, Mrs Manubhen Patel, for over 65 years until her passing in 2024. Together, they raised three children—Dr Deepak Patel, Dr Manjula Patel, and attorney Bhadresh Patel—all of whom took up the spear of the anti-apartheid struggle alongside their father. His legacy thrives in them, his seven grandchildren, and his four great-grandchildren.
Today, as we prepare to lay Uncle NG Patel to rest, we do not just mourn a loss; we celebrate an extraordinary, righteous life. He stood with giants, took real personal risks, and asked for nothing in return. South Africa breathes the air of freedom today because of the quiet courage of men like Uncle NG.
Hamba kahle, Uncle NG! May your revolutionary soul rest in eternal peace.
Issued by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation
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Funeral Arrangements:
The funeral and cremation of Mr NG Patel will take place on Sunday, 30 August 2026 - 12h15, at the Brixton Hindu Crematorium.
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