SOUTH AFRICA: South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki pays tribute to black consciousness leader Steve Biko

South Africa on Wednesday (September 12) marked the 30th anniversary of Stephen Bantu Biko's murder amid violent protests and accusations the ruling African National Congress has betrayed the black consciousness leader's commitment to the poor. Steve Biko was an icon in the anti-apartheid movement, who died in the custody of security police on 12 September 1977. He was arrested and held in Port Elizabeth for interrogation, then hauled 1200km to Pretoria, naked in the back of a Land Rover. He died shortly after sustaining massive head injuries. "We have gathered here exactly 30 years to the day after Steve Bantu Biko was murdered by those responsible for the apartheid crime against humanity. We have convened here not to mourn his death but to celebrate his life, his thoughts and the immense contribution he made to the liberation of our country and people," said South Africa's President at the 8th annual Steve Biko memorial lecture at the University of Cape Town. Biko's message of black pride reignited the fight against apartheid in the 1970s when those like Nelson Mandela were in jail, exiled or banned. Biko's legacy has become a rallying cry for some of the discontented, who believe the ANC leadership, including President Thabo Mbeki, have placed the interests of the business community and rich elite above those of the country as a whole. Thousands of blacks, the constituency Biko championed until his death, have taken to the streets in recent months to protest the government's failure to provide water, electricity and other basic services. The demonstrations often have turned violent, with residents throwing rocks and setting fires and police responding with rubber bullets. In some cases, local ANC officials have been murdered by angry crowds. Many say the current government is not adhering to some of the principles Steve Biko stood for. Mbeki emphasised Biko's principles during his speech. "Our commemoration of the death of Steve Biko resonates with heroism, a steely human resolve and a remarkable vision for human freedom, the antithesis of the intolerable racism in our country which the whole world came to characterise as a crime against apartheid," he said. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission reported in 1997 that five former members of the South African security forces had admitted to killing Biko, but no charges were brought against the five.

ITN Source | September 13, 2007

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