Totsiens to a gracious activist
Tribute at the memorial service of Grace Bokkie Claasen by Harlan CA Cloete, Thusong Centre, Paarl, on Wednesday.
GOOD Evening, brother and sisters, members of Parliament, executive mayor, the family of the late and great Aunty Bokkie Claasen, who left such an indelible mark on the community of Paarl.
I consider this a great honour and privilege to have been asked to say something in honour of this phenomenal woman whom I loved and respected.
Aunty Bokkie referred to me and others as “my kind”, so “ek staan hier as ’n seun van Aunty Bokkie”.
Let me once again offer our sincere condolences.
Her name says it all: Grace, genade, grand without pretence.
I consider Aunty Bokkie to be the epitome of a humanitarian – a giant in her own right who had the ability to love unconditionally – the mayor of Chicago, the mother Theresa of her time, at 92 a giant, who remained an activist till her death.
It is common today for some among us to refer to ourselves as activists, but allow me to remind you what it means to be an activist; an activist is someone who cannot help but fight for something.
That person is usually not motivated by a need for power, or money, or fame, but in fact is driven slightly mad by some injustice, some cruelty, some unfairness – so much so that he or she is compelled by some internal moral engine to act to make it better.
That is how I knew her. I met her when we were laaities, in the early days of our democracy. Koinoinia (an interdenominational youth group that we started in 1993) started a project in Chicago for the youth of Chicago.
We then rented a house called Khaniysa (to bring the light) House, and from there we tried to change the world for young people.
Aunty Bokkie recruited and mobilised youth – she was the “uitkyk aunty” who had influence on, and passion for the young.
We mobilised youth and offered them an alternative through enrolling them into our youth programme that could better their chances.
Young people like Ruben Julius and Carina Ephraim (née Geduld) are all beneficiaries who have made their lives count.
In later years, I served with her as inaugural councillor of the Drakenstein Municipality, where she impacted not with fiery political speeches, but her presence alone, which in council demanded respect.
She was the one who gave my comrade Allan Paulse a political hiding, and later her daughter, Miriam, inflicted the same political pain on me when she defeated me with 27 votes, and to reinforce jy kannie ’n election wen teen die Claasens nie.
Ek vra haar eendag: “Aunty Bokkie kan mos maar na die ANC oorloop, jou hart is tog daar”. Haar antwoord was vlymskerp: “Better the devil you know than the one you don’t.” She was not a political animal.
Her political affiliation did not define her – just like former president Mandela did not belong only to the ANC, you did not belong to the NP, NNP and the DA, you transcended that and were the mother for all the people in the community, our mother with the big heart and kind, graceful nature.
We loved her, respected her, admired her for her commitment to justice and fairness.
When Aunty Bokkie turned 80, Esmerelda Meyer, my colleague at the community radio station for the people of the Paarl – Wellington area Radio KC – suggested that we honour her, took her out for breakfast and later recorded her stories.
To her children and grandchildren, I say remain activists, keep the Claasen flame burning, inspired by the love that your mother had for people and public service.
To think she was in her late sixties when she drank from the freedom cup with her vote, despite being bridled for the better part of her youth.
She was never bitter but better, she was straightforward, ’n reguit mens wat deur ’n mens kon sien.
She knew when you were playing politics and when you were sincere, because she was genuine.
Do whatever it takes to build the South Africa of her dreams. Make her proud, I hope we made her proud.
Her grandson Dominic Adriaanse is a journalist for the Cape Times: keep asking questions and tell the stories of your community.
Give it your best. Keep on keeping on – when they don’t return phone calls, keep on, when they refuse to return e-mails keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on, do whatever it takes.
The struggle is far from over. While there is poverty, unemployment, we need to keep pushing and asking: “Why not?” This is not about politics, it’s about the lives of people.
Half of our young people are unemployed and jobless. Less than half of Grade 1s finish matric.
This must upset and disturb us into action. There is work for us to do, and this aunty was an example of trying to turn the tide.
I also want to appeal to the political leadership. It is in your power to act. Let’s be bold and rename a street, a building, a library after her, but let’s ensure that the generations to come will know the name of this remarkable woman.
Let the tourists who come to our shores know who Bokkie Claasen was.
You can pick and choose, Van der Stel Street, Lady Grey, Jan van Riebeeck or the Lady Grey Bridge, the traffic department building, the Thusong Centre, the municipal building, but let’s not confine her to Chicago.
I want to conclude with what Mother Theresa said, since it summarises the life of your mother, grandmother, comrade and friend:
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centred; forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of having selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true friends; succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway. Give the world your best anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.
The Bible says the memory of the righteous will be a blessing. We will fondly remember her – Aunty Bokkie Grace Claasen…
We salute you, honour you as an activist, a freedom fighter and mother of this community.
Hamba kahle. Totsiens.
She was never bitter but better, she was straightforward, sincere, she was genuine