The former Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement chairman, Prof Kader Asmal, is suffering from bone marrow cancer, a spokesman for the Ministry of Water Affairs - which he heads in President Nelson Mandela's government - confirmed yesterday.
But the spokesman stressed that Prof Asmal "has no symptoms, is receiving no treatment and is available for public office".
The illness was detected after Prof Asmal, rated by most observers as one of the most competent of Mr Mandela's ministers, underwent a medical check-up after giving up smoking.
The news invokes memories of Joe Slovo, former national chairman of the Communist Party and one of Mr Mandela's most trusted aides. He, too, was diagnosed as having cancer of the bone marrow in 1991 and, after holding the illness at bay for four years, became seriously ill after the ANC won the watershed election of 1994 and died in January 1995.
But Prof Asmal's spokesman stressed that his illness had been identified at a much earlier stage than Mr Slovo's. It would be expected that his chances of recovery are therefore much better.
Prof Asmal still retains great affection for Ireland and its people. It is thus not surprising that the chain-smoking Minister of Water Affairs went to "my beloved Dublin" when he had to cope with the challenge of giving up smoking.
South Africa's Health Minister, Ms Nkosazana Zuma, constantly badgers her cigarette or pipe-smoking colleagues to stop.
A statement issued by Prof Asmal's ministry says: "He has personally informed the President and the Executive Deputy President of the state of affairs, indicated his keenness and capacity to continue serving the ANC and the government, and will inform them if there is any basic change which may affect this outlook."
The statement adds: "Having successfully given up smoking, he believes he will pursue his duties and responsibilities in better general health."
Prof Asmal - who was not available for comment - says in an interview in the current issue of the South African journal Leadership: "My energy is not affected nor my capacity. I will go forward for the next parliament. The next cabinet is in the lap of the President. The only thing I would now expedite would be to write my autobiographical novel, which I've been carrying around for 20 years in my intellectual knapsack."