SA icon, Ahmed Kathrada to be laid to rest today

The activist died yesterday morning at the age of 87. 

Family, friends and loved ones of "Uncle Kathy" as he was affectionately known will gather at the Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg at 10am today.  

Spokesperson, Neeshan Balton says proceedings will begin with a political tribute organised by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation. 

"The speaker on that programme will predominantly be from the Kathrada Foundation. There'll be short tributes from the ANC, Cosatu and the Communist party," he said.  

ALSO READ: ANC must honour Kathrada by addressing its challenges: Thabo Mbeki

Former president Kgalema Motlanthe and anti-apartheid struggle stalwart Sophie Williams-de Bruyn  are among the speakers.  

Listen to the full bulletin below. 

Balton says President Jacob Zuma does not form part of the programme. 

"The president doesn't feature on the programme but that's because the programme is hosted by the foundation. There is a national memorial service that's being organised by the Presidency and foundation during the course of the week," he said.  

Kathrada who'd been a critic of Zuma wrote an open letter to the president last year, asking him to resign. 

The Presidency has meanwhile indicated that Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead the government at the national memorial service - a separate event from today's funeral.

Meanwhile, the stalwart's memorial service was also held at the Durban City Hall last night where Vasu Gounden spoke on behalf of the Gandhi Development Trust. 

"In these times when we despair, let us remember the words of Uncle Kathy. And I quote 'While we will not forget the brutality of apartheid, we will not want Robben Island to be a monument of our hardship and suffering. We would want it to be a triumph of the human spirit against the forces of evil and of wisdom and largeness over the spirit of small minds and pettiness'," he said.