Steve Biko PDF
Preview Steve Biko
~ |.’| They Fought AN for Freedom BB AR Series Editor: John Pampallis Todwicl CQolege | e They Fought for Freedom ' R e S e T > ~ 111S DOOK Is to be returned on or before D the last date stamped below. Itis ill without . /31 g AR T i e D 072310 072310 Maskew Miller Longman (Pty) Ltd, Forest Drive, Pinelands, Cape Town Offices in Johannesburg, Durban, King William’s Town, Pietersburg, Bloemfontein, : representatives in Mafikeng and Nelspruit and companies throughout southern and central Africa. website: www.mml.co.za N ' © Maskew Miller Longman (Pty) Ltd 1992 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. First published 1992 Fifth impression 2001 ISBN 0 636 01660 9 Book and cover design by Nina Jawitz Ilustrations by Trish de Villiers Typeset by Beverley Visser Imagesetting by Castle Graphics Printed by CTP Book Printers RO151/MAS10665-6 Acknowledgements The authors and publishers would like to thank the following institutions or organisations for the use of artwork: 3 The Daily Dispatch for the cover photograph. In some cases the publishers have been unable to get in touch with copyright holders but they will be happy to make appropriate arrangements at the first opportunity. Other books in the series: Titles in preparation: % Seretse Khama Abdul Abdurahman Sol Plaatje James Calala Z. K. Matthews John Dube Yusuf Dadoo Bram Fischer Ruth First Albert Luthuli * Lillian Ngoyi i Dorothy Zihlangu Chris Hani Thabo Mbeki James La Guma Mohandas Gandhi Dora Tamana Helen Joseph Nelson Mandela Contents Before We Begin Our Story ............cccveveveeeeennnn.. iv B e E OB S B o s b i i et s ] Chapter 2: Education and Beginnings of Political Invohtement s smmmssaiiia asg. . 4 Chapter 3: What is Black Consciousness@................ b2 Chapter 4: Banning and Continued Political B IS S R e e B v St ien it aas s 19 k Chopter’S: The Soweto Uprising ...... e (o e 23 - Chapter 6: Biko's Final Arrest and Defention ........... 30 Chapter 7: People’s Anger and Government Lies ..... 35 Sapled B e Funeral s . T8 s L i R 39 B tslana P d hednquest. oo kot ot v LossmspesSisnesss 41 b BB e IO LISlOT et Lo e agoesmn g vo st e omatons 46 Learn these Words and Phrases ............c.ccccooeevennuene 48 50 B i e ~ More Books about Biko R P Eoaoao t, Sk Before We Begin Our Story At the entrance to Ginsberg township, near King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape, lies a small cemetery. Here the marble headstone of one of South Africa’s leaders stands firmly in the ground. BANTU STEPHEN BIKO Honorary President BLACK PEOPLE’S CONVENTION born 18 — 12 — 1946 died 12 - 9 - 1977 ONE AZANIA ONE NATION Steve Biko died at the young age of thirty, but he is remembered as one of the great leaders of the black people in their fight - against apartheid in South Africa. The ideas of Black Con- sciousness which he worked hard to reinforce amongst the black people had their roots in organisations which the government had banned in 1960, namely the African National Congress (ANC) and the Pan African Congress (PAC). These organisations expressed the hopes and needs of the black people who were denied basic rights like the right to vote for the government, equal education and the right to choose where they want to live. In March 1960, the police opened fire and killed 69 black people who were demonstrating against the pass laws at Sharpeville. Then the government tried to destroy black oppo- - sition to apartheid by banning the ANC and the PAC. It ~imprisoned some of their leaders while others managed to flee the country. During the next few years black opposition to apartheid in South Africa was virtually destroyed. Black people were left with no organisations through which to ~ channel their problems and to express their anger against ~ apartheid. Steve Biko and other Black Consciousness leaders ~ realised the need to continue the work of the older liberation movements and, in the late 1960s, they formed the South ~ African Students Organlsatlon(SASO)and the Black Peoples’ ~ Convention (BPC). This book tells the story of Steve Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement that he strove so hard to build amongst the black people in South Africa. We are looking forward to a non-racial, just and equal society in which colour, religion and race shall form no point of reference. (Steve Biko, 1972) o TN Map with details of Steve Biko's life 1 i s ' 7 ’ 7 i i ’ e ‘ 1 - i b i ' & ? ORANGE - ” FREE STATE , - 4% , s LESO"II—!P g o) <, el O, 1. Born in King William’s Town, 1946 2. Studied at the University of Natal Medical School, 1966-1972 3. Arrested near Grahamstown, 1977 4. Detained by police in Port Elizabeth 5. Died in the Pretoria prison, 12 September 1977 Early Years I he red African sunset silhouetted the figure of a young boy as he walked briskly along the dust path. The path weaved - through the open veld, scattered with patches of grass, rocks and cactus plants. As the red and orange sky deepened in colour, the distant rolling hills darkened and the yellow veld shimmered. The path merged with a wide dust-road which was lined with telegraph wires on either side. The wires stretched in loops abpve the ground and were joined at intervals by long, thin poles which stood upright on the ground. The shrill sounds of the birds perched daintily on the thin wires beckoned the twilight hour. It was Sunday evening. The young boy had spent the afternoon reading in the cool shade of a wattle tree. He loved to read and you would often see him heading for the open veld with a book or two tucked firmly under his arm. The sun was fast fading. But the intense heat still dragged ~ through the air. The boy’s bare feet sank into the warm sand sending up little clouds of dust. His eyes shone and the trail of ~ his footprints remained in the sand behind his moving figure as he made his way home. It is the journey marked by these footprints that we shall follow to learn about the life of Bantu Stephen Biko. Steve’s long legs hastened into a rapid stride. Dinner time was fast approaching and he should wash and get ready for the - . evening meal. The weekends were special as the family could spend more time together than during the week. When Steve was only four years old, his father Mzimgayi, died. Since this time, Steve’s older brother had played the role of head of the family. Steve also had an older and a younger sister. Steve’s father had worked as a clerk and his mother was a domestic worker for white families in and around King William’s Town. The Biko family was christian and Sundays had a special importance to them as a holy day. Before long Steve reached the outskirts of Ginsberg town- ship where he lived. In the distance he saw the columns of smoke rising above the flat zinc roofs of the houses. He passed a group of lively children at the side of the road. They smiled cheekily at him. They had spent the day selling carved wooden animals to passing motorists. As another car zoomed past they waved their giraffe and buck in the dust that it left behind. Steve passed a large aluminium water reservoir at the entrance to the township. In a few minutes Steve would be at the front gate of his house. He stopped briefly to greet Mr Nkomo, the caretaker of the local church. The old man sat on a rock alongside the road. He puffed heavily on his long wooden pipe and leaned forward on his battered cane. His dog dozed quietly at his feet. Mr Nkomo’s wrinkled face creased into a smile.
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