Cape Town: The Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport says it is deeply saddened by the passing of Rashid Lombard at the age of 74. Born on 10 April 1951 in Gqeberha, Lombard moved to Cape Town in 1962. The provincial department described the late Lombard as the heart, soul, and mind behind the Cape Town International Jazz Festival and one of the country’s most remarkable photographers. ‘Rashid made a huge impact in the cultural and music spaces, and his presence will be greatly missed. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and all who knew him. His legacy will live on for many generations to come,’ a statement read.
According to South African Government News Agency, family spokesperson Benny Gool shared that Lombard was originally an architectural draftsman who began his career at Murray and Roberts. He married Colleen Rayson in 1970, and they had three children – Chevan, Shadley, and Yana. ‘His childhood experiences during apartheid, along with the influence of the Black Consciousness Movement, fuelled his political activism,’ Gool said. Working as a freelance photographer during the anti-apartheid struggle, Lombard documented pivotal moments for international media.
With the advent of democracy, he embraced his passion for jazz, becoming station manager at Fine Music Radio and later programming manager at P4 Smooth Jazz Radio. He founded the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in 2000, directing it until 2014. As tributes pour in for the legendary figure, the Artscape Theatre Centre has paused to salute the stalwart. It said he was an unwavering activist and a promoter of the arts in ways that some can only dream of doing.
Marlene le Roux, CEO of Artscape Theatre Centre, said: ‘The beauty of Rashid and his years of ploughing back to the communities in and around Cape Town as well as internationally is this: he was one of the most unassuming, humble, modest advocates for the arts.whether it was through his photography, his involvement in music, jazz in particular, or whether it was through his development and creation of work opportunities.’ Le Roux said the arts world was poorer now that he is gone. ‘But his legacy lives on in people whose lives he touched, the work he created, and in the immaculate images only he could see through his lenses.’ The theatre centre said it would be burning a candle for him at the stage door in remembrance of this truly great soul.
The President Cyril Ramaphosa has also paid tribute to Lombard, calling him a cultural icon. ‘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,’ he said in a statement. President Ramaphosa offered his deep condolences to the Lombard family and his extensive network of friends, comrades, and creatives nationally and internationally.