And all the other people who were hurt and killed trying to achieve a better South Africa.
This thread is inspired by the amazing atmosphere here in SA at the moment and a recent, very beautiful flash mob tribute to Nelson Mandela, here in South Africa by the Soweto Gospel Choir. See .
The video features the protest song Asimbonang' uMandela thina (We have not seen Mandela).
It was written in 1986 during the state of emergency by Johnny Clegg, when Nelson Mandela was still in prison and is of course even more poignant now that he is gone.
After watching the flash mob video, I watched the full version of the song in which Johnny Clegg lists – in protest - three people who were killed in detention: Steve Biko, Neil Agett and Victoria Mxenge.
I’d obviously heard of Steve Biko (who was honoured in the film Cry Freedom) and Victoria Mxenge (who was killed when I was at university which I remember). However, I couldn’t remember a thing about Neil Agett, despite regarding myself as fairly informed South African (who was a tiny fish in the anti-apartheid struggle).
The story of Neil Agett is heart breaking. He died in 1982. He was a white South African medical doctor who worked at (mostly black) hospitals. He then became involved in the trade union movement, helping with the organisation of (mostly black) workers. He was detained and horrifically tortured by the apartheid police. The details are too terrible to write here. He was then (allegedly) found hanging in his cell. It was claimed he killed himself.
His funeral was attended by thousands of singing workers. His coffin was carried out of the church by black nurses from his hospital. They refused to put the coffin in the hearse and instead carried it for 8 miles in the blazing SA heat, surrounded by hostile riot policemen. At one point, the police knelt down and aimed their guns at the nurses. The nurses put this white man’s coffin down and faced the police. Eventually, the police moved away. Then they picked up the coffin again and they continued to the burial place. It’s stuff like this which makes me realize I live in one of the most amazing countries in the world.
Neil’s two torturers have never been brought to justice. The one policeman is dead. The other surviving one did not avail himself of the opportunity to seek amnesty via the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He has apparently done very nicely for himself as a security consultant in post apartheid SA, even working for the government! There is now a campaign to make him face some sort of justice.
I think Neil’s story and all the others should never be forgotten.
A version of the song with Madiba singing along is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGS7SpI7obY
Full lyrics here - see www.songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858701028/