Stalwarts plan to set history books straight

‘Duncan Village massacre names, statue incorrect’

AFTER surviving the unrest, violence and mayhem of the Duncan Village massacre of 1985, a group of struggle stalwarts are trying to keep their history alive.

They have formed a committee, made up of an executive of 10 members and four sub-committees comprising six each.

Executive member Joe Jordan said the main aim of the body was to plan a memorial to be held in August.

First on the agenda is the release of the correct names of those who died on the day, which Jordan complains is not accurate.

Second is an appeal to the government to change the figure on the statue commemorating the day – currently a Zulu warrior holding a spear – to the face of the youngest victim of the massacre, an 18-month-old baby who died when a tear gas canister was thrown through the window of the room she was sleeping in.

These issues needed to be addressed as a matter of urgency, Jordan said, as they caused dissatisfaction among the community.

“Not all of the people listed on the statue died on the day of the massacre – some of those people died afterwards of different causes,” he said.

“As the committee, we also felt the figure on the statue should change because we used no spears to fight the apartheid regime; we only relied on stones and home-made petrol bombs.

“A mother cradling a baby would have made a far better image.”

According to Jordan, many families needed counselling after they lost loved ones and stories of their involvement with the security police spread, with their remaining relatives ostracised by the community to this day.

“These are the families that did not attend the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings and they need some comfort. Most importantly, some of the stories spread were false and many good people died as a result,” he said.

Addressing the many social ills in the area is also on the agenda, with member Ntsikelelo Sikobi saying the filth in the area is the first on the list.

“We once formed a Duncan Village Trust where these issues were tackled. We managed to secure money from the presidency but because the trust was not properly up and running at that time, it was given to the municipality to manage,” Sikobi explained.

“Yes, schools and old age homes were built, but the bulk of the money went missing and development stopped. We want to get that trust up and running again so we can start focusing on uplifting the area.”

Jordan called on all struggle veterans from Duncan Village to come forward and assist them in their quest.

“This committee is not just for us to remember our history but also for the betterment of all those either from the area or still living in Duncan Village. We want to say that yes, we will commemorate, but we would like to see what we were fighting for and what people died for,” he said. —