‘Preserve historic Biko building’

TWO Nelson Mandela Bay residents spent yesterday commemorating Steve Biko in their own way – by spreading awareness about the building where he was tortured before his death.

Standing at the Strand Street entrance of the Sanlam Building in the CBD, human rights activist Adele Allen and heritage practitioner Simphiwe Msizi stopped passersby and asked if they knew about the building’s significance.

The Black Consciousness Movement founder and anti-apartheid activist died at the hands of the apartheid police. He was held in this building, interrogated and tortured before being transported to Pretoria in the back of a bakkie. He died on September 12 1977, shortly after arriving at a Pretoria hospital.

“We are here to remember Biko’s suffering. The building is a significant part of Route 67 [the Bay’s heritage and cultural route]. It is one of Biko’s legacy sites together with the Walmer police station.

“Even Nelson Mandela as a prison hero would be interested to see where other prisoners were held, especially since the city was named after him,” Msizi said. “We want to create awareness about the building to people passing by.”

He said the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality should do something about the building.

“Not even a single municipal department is involved in com- memorating Biko. Other heroes like the Cradock Four and Pebco Three are commemorated and respected . . . They must come right,” he said.

Msizi said he had tried to involve the municipality in commemorating Biko.

The municipality’s arts and culture acting assistant director Nonceba Shoba said in a letter to Msizi they did not have the funds to fix the building.

Municipal acting communications director Marthie Nel said: “Through the urban renewal programme and other heritage preservation initiatives, the municipality has engaged with private landlords of dilapidated historical and heritage buildings . . . to secure the upgrading and restoration of such buildings, with some success.”