A day before his 75th birthday, Yusuf Nazeer was laid to rest at Johannesburg's Newclare cemetery, succumbing to a brief few months of illness.

Better known to many in the media industry as "Joe", Nazeer's career as a journalist, broadcaster, producer, and inspirational speaker, earned him enormous respect as a person dedicated to his craft.

He belonged to a tradition of scribes who cut their teeth against enormous odds during the notorious apartheid era, when covering stories and reporting from the frontlines of political dissent was as risky as being in the trenches of the underground.

Names such as Omar Don Mattera, Joe Thloloe, Jon Qwelane, Ameen Akhalwaya, Ahmed Essop and many more former and current media luminaries who were his peers during his distinguished career, will certainly recall numerous anecdotes from their past interactions with Nazeer.

After all, the era of "struggle journalism" - riddled as it was with prescriptive censorship laws - was characterised by unique innovative techniques by journalists to "beat the system". Nazeer symbolised such determination not to be intimidated by the apartheid regime's brutal force and laboured courageously to ensure that his investigative reports or full-page features in The Star, reflected truth with integrity.

His association with the nascent Islamic Movement in the early seventies was an exciting period during which his visionary outlook led to the launch of many socio-political projects. One such initiative was the introduction of a national Muslim monthly paper in 1974, al Qalam, which has continued publishing to this day despite facing a spate of banning orders during the heydays of National Party rule.

Nazeer's wide reading and intense study of history was fully complemented by his devotion to the message of the Quran. Drawing from what he called his "true source of knowledge" - the Quran, Nazeer was able to analyse and comment extensively on many contemporary social ills. A great deal of his study undertaken during the wee hours have been published. Many of these have also been offered as "study courses".       

Nazeer was an inspiration to many in different vacations. Being a committed health freak, his weightlifting days and boxing forays led him to manage a rigorous diet long before any "weight conscious" programmes were popular.  

My friendship with Nazeer started during the 70's when he launched a photo-journal titled "The Mirror" in Johannesburg. His selfless conduct and modest lifestyle added great value to his unique teaching skills whereby he imparted writing techniques to me and others. His regular forays in defense of Islam alongside great scholars such as ASK Joomal and the late MS Laher, challenged media stereotypes at a time debates were centered around Islam's compatability with communism or capitalism.

International pressures brought about by the United States and Israel to either defeat or contain the '79 Islamic Revolution of Iran, which saw the toppling of a favoured client state under the Shah, encouraged Nazeer to probe Imam Khomeini's rule. His subsequent fact-finding mission to Iran resulted in him documenting lengthy feature spreads which conflicted with the general western perception of a country heading into the abyss of "medievalism".

Yusuf Nazeer was a remarkable person. Humble and modest, he exuded a quiet personal charm and dignity. Yet driven by an insatiable passion for reading and learning. His study of the Quran is perhaps the best testimony of his profound knowledge on subjects as diverse as astronomy and sociology.

He is survived by his wife, 3 daughters and 11 grandchildren.