Struggle Heroes and Heroines honoured
National awards for 32 local and foreign heroes and heroines in the Struggle
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma bestowed the 2016 National Orders Awards on distinguished locals and eminent foreign nationals yesterday who have played an instrumental role towards building a free and democratic South Africa.
Among 32 people to receive the coveted awards was Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who withstood constant harassment by the apartheid police and challenged their brutality at every turn; Major General-Jackie Sedibe for her contribution and courage in joining Umkhonto we Sizwe; and Sathyandranath Ragunanan “Mac” Maharaj, a political activist who retired last year as Zuma’s spokesperson.
Amy Thornton, from Cape Town, received the Order of Luthuli Silver for her struggle against apartheid.
“This freedom fighter joined the SA Communist Party in the 1940s, served the ANC from the 1950s and served in the Support Committee for the Treason Trial in 1956, and was later active as a member of the United Democratic Front,” Zuma said.
Thornton was instrumental in the United Women’s Organisation (UWO), which was launched in April 1981. UWO also crossed the racial divide as it propagated non-racialism and accepted white people among its ranks.
Thornton, a white woman who was a member of the Congress of Democrats, was banned for her political activities between 1959 and 1973. She was invited to join UWO by unionist and political activist Oscar Mphetha.
The organisation was formed in response to increasing state repression and aimed to unite all women, eradicate social, economic and political discrimination of women.
Brian Bishop, born in the Roeland Street jail where his grandmother was the resident matron in 1935, received a posthumous award: “The devout human rights and anti-apartheid activist in the Cape Peninsula, Brian Bishop, receives the Order of Luthuli posthu- mously in silver for fighting apartheid tyranny through human rights activism and opposition to Group Areas Act’s forced removals.”
Bishop was killed on December 28, 1985 in a motor accident, along with another stalwart in the fight for justice and peace, Molly Blackburn. They and Blackburn’s sister, Judy Chambers and Brian’s widow, Di Bishop, now Oliver, had been collecting affidavits on police brutalities against residents from Bhongalethu in Oudtshoorn. These statements and others were taken earlier in townships in De Aar, Worcester and other areas.
A year before his death, Bishop had sold his computer services bureau to assist Blackburn and Oliver in combating the abuse of human rights.
“Brian was in many ways ahead of his time; he was also fearless. He fought valiantly for non-racialism, a value to which he was fundamentally committed. Brian put his body on the line,” Oliver said yesterday.
She said his activism started in his twenties when he taught in the night schools’ association.
“I am delighted at this recognition being given to Brian. My deepest longing is for the emergence of a country truly committed to what Brian stood for, and for the next generation to do more than pay lip service to the values of our constitution,” she said.