The Unkindest Cut ; of All the Extraordinary Tales From Apartheid South Africa, None Is More Incredible Than That of Hamilton Naki, a Humble Gardener Who Became a Brilliant Surgeon, Helping Christiaan Barnard with the First Heart Transplant ... Only to Be Erased From History Because He Was Black, Review

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When residents of Langa gather in church next week to say their final farewell to Hamilton Naki, it will be a short, basic funeral, apparently indistinguishable from hundreds taking place every day in the poor black townships of South Africa. But, in fact, they will be commemorating the life of one of the most extraordinary figures in modern African history.

Naki is a man whose vast contribution to humanity could never be acknowledged during the cruel years of apartheid and was so nearly forgotten altogether. For until his death last week, aged 78, official records show Naki was employed as a cleaner and gardener at Cape Town University's Medical School.

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The Unkindest Cut ; of All the Extraordinary Tales From Apartheid South Africa, None Is More Incredible Than That of Hamilton Naki, a Humble Gardener Who Became a Brilliant Surgeon, Helping Christiaan Barnard with the First Heart Transplant ... Only to Be Erased From History Because He Was Black, Review

Which, indeed, he was. But the incredible truth is that, despite a poor education and virtual illiteracy, Naki acquired such brilliant skills in surgery and anaesthetics that he became part of the team that carried out the world's first human heart transplant in 1967 at the side of Christiaan Barnard. 'Naki had better technical skills than I did,' said Barnard.

Naki went on to perform transplan...

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