Biko’s memory honoured in wine

876 08/09/2012 Cape Wine Makers travelled to the Soweto to showcase their wines at the University of Johannesburg, Soweto Campus. People they were tasting their way through over 900 wines over 3 nights at soweto's premier wine festival. and meet the winemakers behind their favorite wines. and they were discovering new wines, find their favorite varieties and buy wines at a great price. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng

876 08/09/2012 Cape Wine Makers travelled to the Soweto to showcase their wines at the University of Johannesburg, Soweto Campus. People they were tasting their way through over 900 wines over 3 nights at soweto's premier wine festival. and meet the winemakers behind their favorite wines. and they were discovering new wines, find their favorite varieties and buy wines at a great price. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng

Published Sep 10, 2012

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Johannesburg - As South Africa observes the 35th anniversary of the brutal killing of Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko this month, a special limited edition wine is to be unveiled in his honour.

This was revealed during the closing session of the Soweto Wine Festival at the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto Campus on Saturday night.

Thousands of people gathered at the venue to taste the wines on offer by exhibitors from all corners of the country, including Soweto. Wine lovers paid R120 for entry into the festival, and most said it was worth it as they tasted all kinds of wine.

Wednesday marks the 35th anniversary of the day Biko died after being assaulted by policemen. He was only 30 years old. The University of Cape Town will have an annual memorial lecture in his honour on Wednesday.

Biko supporters have over the years pleaded with the post-apartheid government to rename the Ben Schoeman Highway in honour of Biko. It never happened.

It was on this particular highway that police transported Biko naked and in chains from Port Elizabeth to his death at Pretoria Central Prison.

Later this month – on September 28 – a Steve Biko limited Shiraz wine will be unveiled. David Burger of Jonkheer Wines said the Biko wine was a combination of selected grapes from various wine farms in the Western Cape.

Burger said his company was honouring Biko for his role in the struggle. He said Jonkheer had agreed to the project following their partnership with one of Biko’s sons, Samora.

“Biko’s family have a big interest in the wine industry,” Burger said.

On August 18, 1977, Biko was seized by Port Elizabeth police and detained under section 6 of the Terrorism Act.

The law permitted the police to hold Biko in jail indefinitely, and he died in custody. Biko was held in prison for 24 days where he was interrogated, starved and brutally beaten.

It wasn’t until Biko was lying unconscious that the doctors suggested that he be transported to Pretoria for medical treatment.

On September 12, 1977, Biko became the 41st person in South Africa to die while being held in the custody of the police.

The official autopsy concluded that Biko’s death was due to a brain lesion caused by the “application of force to the head”. The officers responsible for Biko while he was detained were absolved of any wrongdoing by a court.

Biko’s funeral was attended by more than 15 000 mourners, excluding the thousands who were turned away by the police. - The Star

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