Korana House paramount chief Crawford Fraser died on Tuesday due to health complications. Fraser was a well-known figure in the Khoisan community, particularly in Nelson Mandela Bay. He was a key figure in the Khoisan's fight for recognition and championed the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act. (Photo: Supplied / Fraser family) 
/file/attachments/2985/Crawford2_655049_52120d02ee754e7befd343edc2a63054_759941.png "Crawford Fraser. (Photo: Supplied / Fraser family)")
Crawford Fraser, the 51-year-old paramount chief of the Korana House and a leading voice for Khoisan recognition, died in hospital early on Tuesday, 25 November 2025, reportedly from acute meningitis.
“The Eagle” is now soaring over his people, free of pain and suffering.
This was how a close friend and traditional leaders described the sudden illness and death of the Gqeberha Khoisan leader.
“He predicted his own death. He told us weeks ago that he will not see the end of this year, and he will not see the results of so many causes he was championing. For weeks he has been preparing us, putting measures in place so that his work can go on after he is gone.
“That is why we call him The Eagle. His eyes were sharp and he could see far, even into the future,” Acting Paramount Chief Gxoagoab Doup said.
He explained that Fraser became very ill earlier this year, but made a full recovery. It was shortly after that illness that he started making arrangements for his eventual demise. Despite his accurate prediction of dying before the year was out, his death still came as a shock to friends and family.
“He became sick a few weeks ago, but refused to seek medical attention. His family called me to help, and when I saw his condition I instructed that he be taken to the hospital immediately.
“For the first two weeks we had hope that he would recover. He had always been a strong man. But last week his condition steadily deteriorated and we started preparing ourselves for the worst. Even though we expected it, getting that call this morning (Tuesday) was still devastating.
“He was like a brother to me,” Doup said.
Fraser leaves behind a son, Joshua, 20, and daughter, Abigail, 17.
Doup, formerly the vice-chairperson of the Korana House, and some of his family members travelled from Port Alfred and stayed in Fraser’s home in the weeks leading up to his death.
It was during this time that Fraser named Doup as his successor as paramount chief of their traditional house.
“It was his wish to be buried within a week of his death. Arrangements for the funeral are under way while we wait for family members and other traditional leaders to travel to Gqeberha. The final arrangements will be communicated to the public in due course,” Doup said.
Fraser was a key figure in the Khoisan people’s fight for recognition as the First Nation of South Africa. One of many causes he championed was the Traditional and Khoisan Leadership Act of 2019.
Most recently, in March, Fraser was part of a delegation of Khoisan chiefs who staged a sit-in outside the opening of the House of Traditional Leaders, boycotting the event to draw attention to their plight for official recognition.
He was also the first to register a Khoisan traditional house in the Eastern Cape, the Korana House.
Outside of Khoisan activism, he was a leader in his local community in the northern areas of Gqeberha. One of his main causes was better policing and crime prevention in neighbourhoods plagued by gang violence and drugs.
He was arrested in May 2019 on charges of incitement to violence and the obstruction of justice after allegedly participating in a demonstration in which armed community members embarked on a motorcade, visiting the homes of alleged gangsters and demanding that they hand themselves over to the authorities.
The case was struck from the roll after their first court appearance.
Community activist and fellow Khoisan leader Christian Martin described Fraser as a stubborn man, a warrior for his people, and a person who was not easily swayed from his opinions and principals.
‘He was willing to sacrifice for others’
“He was willing to sacrifice for others and fought for those without a voice. He walked barefoot from Gqeberha to Bhisho to hand over a petition against the use of the word ‘coloured’.
“He was a chief over many chiefs, a man you could go to war with, and he will be sorely missed.”
Martin said Fraser was fond a single phrase he would not forget: “Never sit next to a fire if you did not help gather the wood.”
Asked what he would remember Fraser for most, Doup said that besides his big personality and his constant fight to uplift his community, he would remember the man for his smile.
“He had this way of going to people whom he differed with, then sitting with them quietly and explaining himself with that big white smile. You could not help but like the man.”
Doup said he would be acting as their house’s paramount chief until the Khoisan leadership arrived for the funeral, upon which further discussions about his official appointment would commence. DM