Letter: Biko’s teachings are needed now, more than ever

The Azanian Students Convention and the Azanian Youth Organisation organised a public lecture to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the banning of 17 BC organisations by then minister of justice Jimmy Kruger shortly after Steve Biko was murdered. To honour Biko today, says the writer, is to be anti-politics and pro-black. Picture: Cindy Waxa

The Azanian Students Convention and the Azanian Youth Organisation organised a public lecture to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the banning of 17 BC organisations by then minister of justice Jimmy Kruger shortly after Steve Biko was murdered. To honour Biko today, says the writer, is to be anti-politics and pro-black. Picture: Cindy Waxa

Published Dec 17, 2022

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To be in authority you have responsibilities towards yourself and those around you. In SA this is only a pipe dream. Keeping someone responsible is only an imagination.

Too many things in our country have gone wrong. We, the men in the street, are wondering what is going on and where this is leading. The trust in our country’s systems … such as our president, law and order, Eskom, Sars, banking system (VBS), Prasa, education, transport, you name it, something is not right …

People in their fifties will say: “It was better under apartheid.”

What we are experiencing now could never have been predicted by leaders such as Mr Nelson Mandela, Mr Steve Biko, etc. Constantly blaming past atrocities means the nation is not moving forward. We are all stuck in a rut of unforgiveness.

To the public, it seems our authorities don’t know what they are doing. Mr Biko said to be self-reliant don’t depend on the white apartheid regime. He knew something today’s politicians can’t identify with because for too long they have been brainwashed by the apartheid regime not to think for themselves.

Be self-reliant; take the bull by the horns and do something and stop blaming the past. Looking back there is darkness, but at the front there’s light at the end of the tunnel. God bless South Africa.

* PN Hendricks, Hanover Park.

** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.

Cape Argus

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