Ryan Swano
A national icon, an internationally recognised statesman and a revered figure on the Cape Flats, 86-year-old Dr Franklin Sonn, passed away on Saturday 15 November 2025 at his Oasis apartment, Century City, Cape Town.
From The Karoo to The Cape Flats to Washingtion
Democratic South Africa’s first ambassador to the United States of America, Franklin Sonn went from the dusty little Karoo town of Vosburg, to the classrooms of the Cape Flats, to the state halls of Washington DC.
Earlier this year his memoir ‘Karooseun van Vosburg’ was launched during the Jakes Gerwel Discussions at the Suidoosterfees arts festival. His memoir is described as a reflection on a life devoted to justice, knowledge and community upliftment.The English translation of Franklin Sonn’s memoir Vosburg to Washington was also well-recieved by readers.
Tributes and condolences to the family of the renowned educator, politician and businessman are being shared by luminaries and ordinary citizens alike and truly reflect his devotion to the beliefs that made him such a beloved icon.
My first encounter with the name Franklin Sonn was as a kid in the late 1970s when my mom was excited about the news that her Standard 6 (Grade 8) teacher at Bishop Lavis High School was appointed as rector of Cape Town’s Peninsula Technikon.
I had no clue what a technikon was, but seeing the love and pride with which my mom spoke about him, and especially about his mother, who at some point was also a teacher of my mom, I knew that Franklin Sonn was important. When I went to high school and eventually knew what a technikon was, I understood that Dr Franklin Sonn was regarded to be among the upper echelons of Coloured academia.
Though over the years I have seen him from afar on different occasions, I have never had the good fortune of meeting him in person, but since my childhood, everyone who has ever mentioned his name has done so with a sense of reverence and of pride to be associated with him in any way, big or small. The many tributes on social media today attest to that.
Tributes to Dr Franklin Sonn
In his tribute on Facebook, radio personality Clarence Ford wrote: “A leader of note. In 2024 I visited the town that he was born in, just to breathe its fresh air and see the magnificent church, Vosburg. It literally is weggegooi. To rise to greatness from such a far-flung place defies the odds. It does talk to the essence of the man.”
Ford recalled how Dr Sonn chose his platform at Good Hope FM to make the historic announcement regarding South Africa’s intention to cede its nuclear arsenal, a gesture Ford believed symbolised Sonn’s deep affection for the Cape Flats and his unshakeable belief in the liberating power of education. “True liberation can only come through education,” Ford wrote. “That is the struggle we must pursue fervently.”
Change-maker, Special Ministerial Advisor and Mandela Washington Fellow, Attorney Melene Rossouw, also shared a heartfelt tribute, writing: “Franklin Sonn’s legacy is woven into the fabric of our democracy. He taught us that struggle is not just about resistance, but about building. He showed that leadership is service, not power.”
A Generational Legacy in Education
These tributes echo a life that began on 11 October 1939 in Vosburg, shaped by two educator parents who instilled in him an unshakable belief in justice and knowledge. Raised later in Queenstown and then on the Cape Flats, Sonn grew into the very embodiment of these values, a teacher, a leader, and eventually an internationally respected statesman whose voice carried both gravitas and grace.
His teaching career began at Bishop Lavis High School in the early 1960s. In 1974 he was appointed principal of Spes Bona High School in Athlone and, only a few years later, became rector of Peninsula Technikon, leading the institution during some of the most turbulent and politically charged years in South African education. He served as president of the Cape Teachers’ Association and chaired the Committee of Technikon Principals, always insisting that education must be both accessible and freeing.
From Educator to Activist to Diplomat to JSE
His activism was bold and principled. He marched alongside Archbishop Desmond Tutu, maintained personal correspondence with Nelson Mandela during his imprisonment, and played a role in laying the foundations of South Africa’s democratic transition. In 1992 he assisted former US President Jimmy Carter in monitoring Zambia’s elections; in 1994 he led the ANC’s Western Cape election campaign. The following year, President Mandela appointed him as South Africa’s first democratic ambassador to the United States. From 1995 to 1999 he became the face of the new South Africa in Washington, working to strengthen a vital and often delicate bilateral relationship.
But Sonn was not only a figure of politics and diplomacy. He was also a shrewd and visionary businessman. As co-founder of New Africa Investments Limited (NAIL), one of the first major black-led companies listed on the JSE, he helped carve out pathways for Black South Africans in an economy long closed to them. Over the decades he served on the boards of ABSA, Sappi, Steinhoff, Pioneer Foods, Macsteel, MTN, Nedbank and many others. He chaired the Airports Company of South Africa and African Star Ventures, among a host of other enterprises.
His influence extended into academia and civil society: he served as chancellor of the University of the Free State, sat on the Nelson Mandela Foundation Advisory Board, and participated in national education commissions. His service was recognised with South Africa’s Order of the Baobab in Silver, the Order of the Disa, the Dr Martin Luther King Award for International Service for Peace, and twelve honorary doctorates, including from Howard University, Baruch College, the University of Cape Town and Medunsa.
Despite this towering résumé, those who speak of him rarely start with titles. They start with how he made them feel seen, and feel capable, and worthy. Without exception, people who have met him speak as much about his personal warmth as what they speak of his importance as a public figure.
Beyong his Titles, Franklin Sonn Will Be Remebered for his Personal Warmth
Dr Franklin Sonn’s passing leaves a profound silence in a country still searching for our moral centre. May his life, from the windswept plains of Vosburg in the Karoo, the classrooms on the Cape Flats, and the diplomatic corridors of Washington, remain a testament to what is possible when intellect, integrity and service walk hand in hand.
South Africa has lost one of its greatest sons, but his story, his example and his unwavering belief in the power of education will continue to light the way for generations to come.
From our Bruinou.com team, we extend our sincerest condolences to Dr Franklin Sonn’s wife Joan Gelderbloem and their children Crispin and Heather.
Rest in Peace Dr Franklin Sonn
