Today, the 12th of September 2022 marked the 45th anniversary of Steve Bantu Biko’s death at the hands of a ruthless apartheid regime. On this day, the then regime demonstrated to the world its brutality and total disregard for a Black life by inflicting loss on the Biko family and our nation.
This became a major turning point in our liberation struggle as Biko’s death brought an international uproar which resulted in apartheid being identified as a crime against humanity. Biko was just 30 years old when he died and yet his ideals were ahead of his time.
His fight was for equality. This was a clear contradiction of what the murderous regime stood for. He rejected the indoctrination of white supremacy. He fought for the humanization of the native African during a period governed by a regime that only sought to dehumanize the African nation. In his own submissions, Biko is quoted in the book titled ‘I write what I like’ saying,
“I’ve devoted my life to see equality for blacks, and at the same time, I’ve denied the needs of my family. Please understand that I take these actions, not out of selfishness or arrogance, but to preserve a South Africa worth living in for blacks and whites,” said MEC Noncemba Kontsiwe.
His blood and that of many other galant freedom fighters indeed watered the tree of freedom that we today enjoy its fruits. Sikhumbula iQhawe. Gone but forever in our memories.