Holding the fort in the front office
ESTER Joseph, who was born into a working class family in the Overport area of Durban in July 1950, became embroiled in the world of black consciousness in the early 1970s when she started work at the United Congregational Church at 86 Beatrice Street in Durban.
At that time, 86 Beatrice Street was the headquarters of the South African Students Organisation (Saso) and other black consciousness organisations.
Here, while still in her teens, she came into contact with activists such as the late Steve Biko, the late Strini Moodley, Mandla Langa, Sam Moodley, Asha Rambally, Daphne Khoza, and the late Ben Langa.
At this time another doyen of the Struggle, the late Dr Beyers Naude, had started the SPROCAS group to politicise the white community and discussions were taking place to establish something similar within the black community.
One of the activists at that time, Bennie Khoapa, was given this task and he initiated the Black Community Programmes (or BCP).
“Benny Khoapa was appointed the executive director of the BCP and I was appointed the executive secretary. Hycinth Bhengu was the chairperson.
“Saso also had its offices there with people such as Asha, Steve Biko, Sam, Strini, Vino, Saths Cooper, Daphne Koza, Dawn Goodley, Ben Langa, Mandla Langa and Mamphela Ramphele.
“All these people helped me to shape my life and to become active in the Struggle against the racist political situation at that time,” she said in an interview.
“I mean the thing that appealed to me about the Black Community Programmes at that time was that it was still involved with the church and came into contact with people like Dr Beyers Naude.
“Little did I realise that I would be drawn into this fantastic community of people, who were wanting to conscientise black people and that excited me.
“Comrade Steve used to be absolutely wonderful. He was gentle in explaining that we all have to work together to overcome the evils of apartheid. And this is what I began to feel. I soon felt I found my niche with this group of people.”
Her entry into black consciousness came after she began to question the issue of racism that prevailed in the compartmentalised communities that existed at that time.
Her early life was confined to the small coloured community in the Overport area and her parents and her four sisters did not mix freely with other racial groups.
“A lady was employed to come and help us in the house and I remember a time when my mother discouraged us from chatting to her and talking to her about her family,” she recalled.
“She told us that she was here to work and that she needed to work and go home. And I think that’s where it actually started and I began to question why should it be like that.
“And, of course, my meeting with Strini and Sam and others at 86 Beatrice Street further opened my eyes to the kind of society we were living in at that time.
“It was a natural progress from then on because I suddenly found people I could talk to about the political situation in the country.”
At this time in the early 1970s the dreaded security police kept a close watch on those entering and leaving 86 Beatrice Street.
She remembers how in September 1974 black consciousness leaders were attacked and arrested when they held the pro-Frelimo rally at the famous Currie’s Fountain soccer stadium.
“After they arrested a number of our people at Currie’s Fountain, they descended on our offices in droves and arrested a number of BC leaders. They showed no mercy to the people on this day.
“After the Frelimo rally nine leaders of the BC movement – Saths Cooper, Terror Lekota, Aubrey Mokoape, Strini Moodley, Muntu Myeza, Vincent Nkomo, Pandelani Nefolovhodwe, Zitulele Cindi and Gilbert Sedibe – were charged with terrorism and sent to Robben Island.”
Joseph was with the Black Community Programmes until it was banned in 1977 along with 18 other organisations.
“I remember clearly that on the day the security police carried out sweeps throughout the country in October 1977, I was alerted that a car was waiting for me outside our home.
“The security policemen informed me they were taking me to our offices at the Congregational Church building because Saso, BPC, Union of Black Journalists (UBJ) and 16 other organisations had been outlawed.
“When we arrived at our offices, the security policemen turned the place upside down. They literally trashed the place. They cleaned up the office of all our documents and took them all to their offices.”
She said the security police also raided their offices in Johannesburg, in the Eastern Cape and at the Zanempilo Clinic also in the Eastern Cape.
After the banning of BPC and the other organisations, Jospeh joined the Diakonia Council of Churches where she joined a group of people, who were passionate about promoting social justice through religion.
Some of the people she worked with were Bishop Rubin Phillip and Paddy Kearney.
She later joined the Ecumenical Trust, which also propagated the struggles against racism and minority rule.
After a break of a few years, Joseph returned to Diakonia and became the manager of the Diakonia Centre.
When the country went to the polls in April 1994, Joseph was one of those who was first in the line.
“There was real excitement in 1994 especially because Nelson Mandela, who was such an icon, was free and leading us all to freedom.
“So yes, I voted for the ANC in 1994 but the years after that I did not vote.”
Today, 23 years into the new democracy, Jospeh believes that while the new government has achieved a great deal, there’s still much more to do, especially in the efforts to improve the quality of life of the poor, marginalised and the forgotten.
“Politicians today don’t have the same principles as the activists of the past.
“A large group of people I worked with never owned a car while they worked for justice, freedom and equal opportunities for everyone.
“I think one needs to lead by example.”
Although Joseph retired from Diakonia two years ago in July 2015, she is still involved in the social field as a trustee of the Denis Hurley Centre in Durban.
Joseph’s involvement during the Struggle as a back-room person is best captured by Dr Mamphele Ramphele in her autobiography, A Life.
Referring to Joseph she wrote: “The success of new ventures often rests with sound administrative capacity – a factor which many radical movements ignore at their peril.
“Ms Hester Fortune, a beautiful and and self-confident woman, who was executive secretary of the Black Community Programmes at 86 Beatrice Street in Durban, which became a hive of activity, attracting welcome and unwelcome visitors who wanted a piece of the action. Hester had the sophistication to keep a necessary balance in the office avoiding lack of discipline .”