Carlo Petersen
ANTI-apartheid activist Professor Jakes Gerwel’s contribution to a free South Africa was commemorated yesterday with the renaming of Vanguard Drive to Jakes Gerwel Drive.
The city honoured the Struggle hero, who passed away due to heart complications in November 2012, with an official renaming ceremony in Athlone on what would have been his 69th birthday.
Mayor Patricia de Lille joined the late professor’s family and his former colleagues from the Mandela Rhodes Foundation and the Suid-oosterfees Committee at the event yesterday.
In speeches from founding chief executive of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation in Cape Town Shaun Johnson and former CPUT vice-chancellor Professor Brian Figaji, Gerwel was remembered as a quiet visionary who acted with nobility and courage.
“He would have a witty remark about this renaming, but would have loved it nonetheless,” said Johnson.
De Lille said: “When the Mandela Rhodes Foundation approached us with the renaming proposal, we were honoured to know that the city would assist in enshrining his legacy.
“Over four decades of Professor Gerwel’s life were spent here on the Cape Flats, which makes him a true son of the Cape Town soil. When he became rector of the University of the Western Cape during the late 1980s he decided to open up student enrolment to the entire population rather than just the coloured population. This was a bold act deeply rooted in his belief in the spirit of inclusivity.
“As we travel along Jakes Gerwel Drive, may we reflect on the road he has paved for us. Professor Gerwel’s life, which was characterised by an unwavering commitment to a non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society, exemplifies the kind of future we want for Cape Town.”
Heinrich Gerwel, the professor’s son, said: “I would like to paint the picture of my father the family man. One thing that stood out is that he loved his family.
“It’s important for us to remember that his idea of nation-building and togetherness is something we should cherish. His last words to us were: ‘Julle moet in vrede met mekaar saam lewe (You must live together in peace)’.”
Gerwel was involved in the Black Consciousness Movement and later became vice-chancellor of UWC. In 1994, Gerwel was appointed director-general in Nelson Mandela’s government.