OPINION | Dr Iqbal Survé’s Pivotal Role in BRICS: From Anti-Apartheid Struggle Hero to Champion of Global South Economic Justice
Dr. Iqbal Survé’s visionary role in BRICS
In a world where global economic alliances are reshaping the future at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa has found in Dr. Iqbal Survé a leader whose vision and commitment stand shoulder to shoulder with the highest offices of the land. His role in BRICS is not just a personal achievement — it is a national milestone, a feat few South Africans can claim besides the State President and relevant cabinet members.
A struggle hero who turned global visionary
Dr. Survé’s journey from an Anti-Apartheid activist, medical doctor and struggle hero to international media and economic leader is a testament to resilience and purpose. His life has been defined by service — first to the oppressed during the liberation struggle agaist the vicious racist Apartheid regime, and now to the broader cause of economic justice. That trajectory makes his presence in BRICS not only symbolic but deeply meaningful: he represents the lived experience of South Africans who fought for freedom and now demand fairness in the global economy.
Championing economic justice
At the heart of Dr. Survé’s work is a relentless pursuit of economic justice. BRICS, as a bloc, offers an alternative to traditional Western-dominated financial systems, and Survé has been instrumental in ensuring South Africa’s voice is heard in shaping this new order. His advocacy for inclusive growth, fair trade, and investment in developing nations reflects a vision that prioritizes people over profit.
Concrete initiatives that matter
1)Investment Projects- Through Sekunjalo Investment Holdings, Survé has promoted partnerships between BRICS nations and African enterprises, emphasizing industrialisation and integration across the continent.
2)Media Influence- As South Africa’s chair of the BRICS Media Forum, he has championed independent journalism and called for multipolar media platforms that resist Western dominance, ensuring African and Global South narratives are heard.
3)Policy Contributions- Survé has consistently argued for reforming global governance to make it more just and humane, presenting proposals at BRICS Business Forums and China-Africa partnership conferences that highlight Africa’s rightful place in shaping global policy.
These initiatives demonstrate that his role is not ceremonial — it is practical, visionary, and transformative towards a just world.
Making South Africans proud
Dr. Survé’s role in BRICS has elevated South Africa’s standing on the global stage. His impact is felt not only in boardrooms and policy circles but in the pride of ordinary citizens who see one of their own shaping international discourse. His work in especially BRICS reminds us at all times that leadership is not confined to political office — it can also be found in the courage to challenge entrenched exploitative systems and build new pathways for progress based on justice.Being a true professional as medical doctor Dr Surve is able to able and willing to draw on that expertise and make his own independent appraisals of new and complex situations as arising out of BRICS being in existence and is thus able to penetrate beyond the superficial surface demands to identify the real world needs of the people.
A Legacy of Vision and Truth
As a seeker of truth and justice, Dr. Survé embodies the values that South Africa needs in this critical moment. Dr. Survé’s achievements in BRICS are not just about economics; they are about asserting dignity, sovereignty, and the right of developing nations to chart their own futures and control their own natural resources unlike the case where Burkina Faso only received 5% of their minerals in compensation from mining companies before Captain Ebrahim Traore took office in September 2022. In celebrating Dr. Survé’s role, we celebrate the possibility of a more just world. Dr. Survé is one of few today who can speak personally of June 1976 when the youth was in the vanguard of every political change to challenge the Apartheid state authority.
But what the era of Dr. Survé’s generation demonstrated was that from 1984 to 1989 the number of Black matriculants doubled from 42 000 to 82 000 however increases in unemployment did lead to a rise in political violence. A man like Dr. Survé who grew up those turbulent years knows that all the signs are around us once again and he knows we cannot allow history to repeat itself, not if we want to grow the economy and make a better life for all, hence his hardwork behind the scenes. Thusfar youth has used to vote to signal their dismay with the economic conditions and Dr. Survé is working hard to give hope and dignity which can only come through employement, which only BRICS can realise.
Masibongwe Sihlahla
Independent Writer, Community Commentator, Civic Activist, PR Consultant
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