In a message of heartfelt condolences, the SACP described Gerhardt as a "citizen of the world" whose revolutionary commitment, courage and internationalism made him one of the most remarkable figures in the South African liberation struggle.
The Party stressed that Gerhardt's work contributed to the close cooperation between the Soviet Union, the SACP and the African National Congress (ANC) during the Cold War, helping advance the struggle against imperialism and apartheid. It highlighted his unwavering internationalism, noting that, although of European origin, he devoted his life to the cause of the oppressed majority in South Africa and to the vision of a non-racial, democratic society.
Gerhardt's clandestine activities eventually led to his arrest in January 1983. Convicted by the apartheid regime of high treason, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, while his wife, Ruth Gerhardt, received a ten-year prison sentence for her role as a courier. After serving nearly a decade in prison, Gerhardt was released in 1992, while the Truth and Reconciliation Commission granted him amnesty in 1999.
Honouring Gerhardt's legacy, the SACP underlined that his life symbolized profound sacrifice, courage and unwavering loyalty to the anti-imperialist cause. For the South African communists, Dieter "Felix" Gerhardt will be remembered not as a traitor to apartheid, but as a principled internationalist who risked his life in the service of freedom, socialism and the liberation of the oppressed.
