Table Of Content~ |.’| 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.
