The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has announced the passing of Emeritus Professor Yackoob Kassim Seedat (92), a globally respected clinician and scholar whose contribution to medical science spanned decades. Professor Seedat died at his home in Durban on Friday, January 2. UKZN Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Nana Poku said the university community had lost a towering intellectual figure whose work shaped generations of clinicians and researchers in KwaZulu-Natal and beyond.
Professor Seedat was an outstanding scholar, an eminent clinician and a revered pillar of our University. His life’s work reflects an unwavering commitment to excellence in scholarship, medical science and service to humanity. Seedat’s association with the institution extended over several decades, during which he held a number of senior academic and leadership positions.
These included serving as Head of Medicine at the former University of Natal from 1978 to 1994, Professor of Medicine (Research) from 1995 to 1999, and later as an Honorary Research Associate and Emeritus Professor of Medicine at UKZN. An internationally recognised authority in renal medicine and hypertension, Professor Seedat authored more than 362 peer-reviewed journal articles and contributed 38 chapters to medical textbooks. He was a sought-after speaker, delivering 127 presentations at international congresses and more than 230 presentations at national scientific meetings.
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His contribution to medicine was widely acknowledged through numerous accolades, including the prestigious World Hypertension League award in 2014 for notable achievements in the prevention and control of hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa. Beyond academia, Seedat played a significant leadership role in organised medicine.
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