19/11/2025
Speech on my 80th Birthday
My dear family, friends, and neighbours,
At eighty, the road traversed has been long; the path ahead, will not unexpectedly be short. What matters now, however, is not how many days remain, but how fully the years already given were lived.
Reflection now weighs more than ambition. Health is the daily concern. Wealth is measured only in the love that surrounds us. The parting from those we loved most, as of my dearest Rabiya, leaves a wound nothing in this world can fully heal. Yet, it is softened by the promise of an eternal reunion.
At eighty, one quietly begins the handing-over. Nothing feels more urgent than time with grandchildren. Nothing is as important as their laughter, their questions, their growth, their happiness. I know that when my footsteps are no longer heard, I will still be walking in theirs. The truest inheritance I can leave to them is not gold nor land, but the best of my thinking: refined, tested, and tempered by eighty years of joy and sorrow.
If I have reached this age without a single quarrel in the family, if old friendships are still warm, if neighbours still feel seen and valued, then I dare say these eighty years have been purposefully and constructively lived.
Yet fullness, for me, still asks deeper questions: What did I do for my family that they will remember with gratitude? What did I do for my country that made it gentler or fairer? What did I do for humanity that outlasts my name? Did I leave even the faintest footprint in the sands of time?
Every day, many times a day, we Muslims pray: God, “Guide us to the Straight Path.” That has become my quiet examination: Did I walk the straight path? Did I walk kindly and lightly on this earth?
In recent years I have asked publicly—and I ask again, very gently: Why should we not, as Muslims, mark Christmas in our own way? Jesus, peace be upon him, is the Messiah in our Book; Mary, may God be pleased with her, is given a chapter unmatched in any other scripture. Should we not rejoice in what is common, for the healing of our souls and the healing of the world?
And should we not live more humbly on this earth, walking lightly, gratefully, as trustees and not as despoilers?
At eighty, life presses its largest questions upon you. What you finally make of your years becomes the quiet legacy you hand on: not in loud achievements, but in the way you loved, the way you forgave, the way you stayed ever hopeful.
So, to all of you here, from the deepest chamber of my heart, thank you. Thank you for opening your hearts, thank you for being present today.
Thank you to my brothers and sisters and their families; and the families of my nephews and nieces for the purest love they gave, unspoilt by any discord or grudge.
Thank you to all my dearest family members and the family members of those whom the marriages of our children brought together. We became one very big and harmonious family.
Thank you to all those in the extended family and to those close friends who provided so much strength and succour in the year that my dearest Rabiya was afflicted by cancer.
Constructing and preserving relationships are an act of worship. Islam emphasizes the family unit as the cornerstone of society. Strengthening family ties, honouring parents, and nurturing love within households are seen as fulfilling religious obligations.
Thank you, family.
I also acknowledge all of you and all your many acts of kindness. If we could all live in such harmony, all the time, in every place, the world would indeed be a much better place.
I must also acknowledge all the health professionals who went beyond the call of duty to provide the best medical care that my dearest wife could have got. I don’t have her infinite capacity to love, but let me borrow what I can from her, to thank you from the bottom of my heart to amplify my love.
If I have learned one thing to pass on, it is this: stay positive. No matter how fierce the storm, keep a positive disposition. Light always conquers darkness, and a heart that refuses to surrender to bitterness will carry its possessor the farthest.
On a lighter note, Rabiya, Premi our children’s former nanny and my mother-in-law made birthdays of our children very memorable occasions. I remember when my Shennie was 4 years old, Imti cried bitter tears because my mother-in-law had not baked him a cake also. She, as was her custom, obliged. The upshot was that all had a splendid time. The Queen of Hearts was free to say her birthday every day so why not the siblings?
More importantly, the friendships that were thus forged in the early years, endured over the years. There is a lot to be said about the value of healthy socialising in childhood.
My grandchildren show such excitement and anticipation a month before the event, that happiness suffuses their lives for days on end. They are very excited about today’s events also and you saw happy that are to have you here today.
Rabiya’s birthday was on 1st of May, labour day. Every person who worked for her, worked with affection for her. Mama Tobeka has been with us for over two decades. Jabu has been with us for fifteen years. Conelia has been with us for a year.
Shennie arrived into this world on Father’s Day. I give a cake and I get a cake. That’s a great deal.
The one remarkable thing about our birthdays is that Imtiaz was born on 13 November, one day before my birthday.
Amir was born 2 days before Leila’s birthday.
Junaid’s birthday is on 7 September and Nadia’s on 14th April. There is so much connectedness in all the numbers.
The most obvious thing about a birthday party is not philosophy and certainly not mathematics. It is to enjoy one another’s company and share meat and drink together, not of the fermented type of course.
My thanks to everyone who pitched in to supply the tables and to Lethabo for always being the nightingale in our home.
Before I sign off, I wish to solicit your support for two initiatives that will be of great importance to South Africa: A movement called Renew South Africa to create support for voter education and to keep the belief in democracy alive. The second initiative is to launch a unique political party called the Service Delivery Party intended to attract people with expertise who wish to operate with a great amount of autonomy in their chosen field of expertise.
The law requires 1000 people to sign the Deed of Foundation. Documents will soon be uploaded on ace4u.co.za. Peruse the document and if you like what is there, canvassing 10 – 20 to support the formation of the Service Delivery Party will be highly appreciated.
God bless you all and guide us, every one of us, to walk the Straight Path, together.
With all my love to every one of you, on my eightieth birthday.
Thank you
