Biko's death robbed us of an asset to our public discourse
THE South African Students Organisation policy manifesto of July 9 1971 states that South Africa is a country in which black and white people live and shall continue to live together.
But it goes on to make clear that these two groups can only live in harmony if they are able to establish an open and free society where the colour of your skin or origin will not be a point of reference.
But for this open society to take root, black people must get rid of inferiority complexes accruing from living in a racist society.
Similarly, white people must jettison their own superiority complexes they acquired through centuries of lording it over black people.
The two former antagonists would then contribute to the nurturing of this egalitarian society as equals.
Bantu Biko was elected the first president of Saso in 1968 and went on to become one of its most prominent leaders and theoreticians.
While under banning orders the Black People's Convention elected him its honorary president.
He was an enormously talented young man who devoted his huge capacity to think, write and organise the struggle of his people.
The bulk of his work was done during his 20s and his murder by the security police on September 12 1977, at the young age of 31, robbed us of an asset that could have made further rich contributions to our public discourse.
On this 33rd anniversary of his death, we bow our heads in reverence to this great son of our soil.
It is self-evident that for black people to successfully contribute to the creation of the envisaged free and open society, they have, first, to liberate themselves from psychological and physical oppression.
Though they have emancipated themselves from physical oppression, it is quite clear that black people still bear a huge burden of psychological bondage.
Due mainly to the fact that they have a very low opinion of themselves, they have been unable to take advantage of their political freedom to accelerate their escape from the legacy of many centuries of oppression.
In the last 16 years of political freedom we have done more to damage our culture and languages than the colonialists could do in nearly 400 years.
The teaching and role of our languages have declined alarmingly in our schools and universities. Many institutions of higher learning have in fact shut down the departments of African languages since the attainment of freedom in 1994.
Hard as it is to admit, the education of the black child has taken a terrible knock under our watch. The reason for this is not a lack of money or skill, but because we do not care enough.
Only a people who hate themselves would be guilty of such a thing. We are the only group in South Africa that is questioning everything about itself.
Is ilobolo relevant or desirable? Nobody ever asks if wedding rings are desirable. Shouldn't we abandon koma (circumcision)?
Nobody ever suggests that the other language and religious groups that practice this custom should discontinue.
We doubt our own self-worth, human validity and we are always expressing doubt about our being. Our women do not think they have the "correct" hair, so they cover their heads with dead people's hair.
(Apartheid architect HF) Verwoerd built monotonous match-box houses for us that we denounced and hated. But a black government builds much worse houses for us than Verwoerd did.
Biko wrote and spoke extensively about the need for black people to recognise the damage that white racism and oppression has done to their psyche and self-image.
The philosophy of black consciousness sought to inculcate in black people a sense of pride in what they are, and to negate all the propaganda about their alleged inferiority.
It is unfortunate that after centuries of domination and brain-washing, we have internalised these negative messages about us.
Blacks who are imbued with this philosophy would love themselves and want to excel in what they do. They would seek to uphold the dignity of their people in everything they do.
We would build ourselves better houses, teach our children with dedication and love, treat patients in our care with respect and dignity, speak our languages and practice our culture with pride.
We would be authentic people who do not try to run away from themselves.
Then our solidarity in social and economic issues would see us building a country where the colour of your skin would not matter.
- The writer is the former president of the Azanian People's Organisation
Honouring a great son
Biko's death robbed us of an asset to our public discourse
THE South African Students Organisation policy manifesto of July 9 1971 states that South Africa is a country in which black and white people live and shall continue to live together.
But it goes on to make clear that these two groups can only live in harmony if they are able to establish an open and free society where the colour of your skin or origin will not be a point of reference.
But for this open society to take root, black people must get rid of inferiority complexes accruing from living in a racist society.
Similarly, white people must jettison their own superiority complexes they acquired through centuries of lording it over black people.
The two former antagonists would then contribute to the nurturing of this egalitarian society as equals.
Bantu Biko was elected the first president of Saso in 1968 and went on to become one of its most prominent leaders and theoreticians.
While under banning orders the Black People's Convention elected him its honorary president.
He was an enormously talented young man who devoted his huge capacity to think, write and organise the struggle of his people.
The bulk of his work was done during his 20s and his murder by the security police on September 12 1977, at the young age of 31, robbed us of an asset that could have made further rich contributions to our public discourse.
On this 33rd anniversary of his death, we bow our heads in reverence to this great son of our soil.
It is self-evident that for black people to successfully contribute to the creation of the envisaged free and open society, they have, first, to liberate themselves from psychological and physical oppression.
Though they have emancipated themselves from physical oppression, it is quite clear that black people still bear a huge burden of psychological bondage.
Due mainly to the fact that they have a very low opinion of themselves, they have been unable to take advantage of their political freedom to accelerate their escape from the legacy of many centuries of oppression.
In the last 16 years of political freedom we have done more to damage our culture and languages than the colonialists could do in nearly 400 years.
The teaching and role of our languages have declined alarmingly in our schools and universities. Many institutions of higher learning have in fact shut down the departments of African languages since the attainment of freedom in 1994.
Hard as it is to admit, the education of the black child has taken a terrible knock under our watch. The reason for this is not a lack of money or skill, but because we do not care enough.
Only a people who hate themselves would be guilty of such a thing. We are the only group in South Africa that is questioning everything about itself.
Is ilobolo relevant or desirable? Nobody ever asks if wedding rings are desirable. Shouldn't we abandon koma (circumcision)?
Nobody ever suggests that the other language and religious groups that practice this custom should discontinue.
We doubt our own self-worth, human validity and we are always expressing doubt about our being. Our women do not think they have the "correct" hair, so they cover their heads with dead people's hair.
(Apartheid architect HF) Verwoerd built monotonous match-box houses for us that we denounced and hated. But a black government builds much worse houses for us than Verwoerd did.
Biko wrote and spoke extensively about the need for black people to recognise the damage that white racism and oppression has done to their psyche and self-image.
The philosophy of black consciousness sought to inculcate in black people a sense of pride in what they are, and to negate all the propaganda about their alleged inferiority.
It is unfortunate that after centuries of domination and brain-washing, we have internalised these negative messages about us.
Blacks who are imbued with this philosophy would love themselves and want to excel in what they do. They would seek to uphold the dignity of their people in everything they do.
We would build ourselves better houses, teach our children with dedication and love, treat patients in our care with respect and dignity, speak our languages and practice our culture with pride.
We would be authentic people who do not try to run away from themselves.
Then our solidarity in social and economic issues would see us building a country where the colour of your skin would not matter.
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