Well known South African social and political activist Jay Naidoo delivered Kingswood College's Neil Aggett Memorial Lecture on the theme, 'Standing up against injustice', on Friday 13 September.
Well known South African social and political activist Jay Naidoo delivered Kingswood College's Neil Aggett Memorial Lecture on the theme, 'Standing up against injustice', on Friday 13 September.
The annual event honours the labour activist who was found dead in his cell in 1982, after being detained by apartheid security police. Aggett attended Kingswood College from 1964 to 1970.
Naidoo, who is the board chairperson of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, said he was grateful that the spirit of Aggett's activism lived on.
"I am grateful that for those courageous investigative journalists who are prepared to speak truth to power; to expose corruption wherever it is," Naidoo said. "You will be labelled as neoliberals, counter-revolutionaries, agents of imperialism. But you are the ones who speak for our people."
He said that as he spoke, a group of activists from around the Eastern Cape were marching to Bhisho, sending a strong message to the political leaders of the province.
"They are marching to demand decisive action by our government to end the corrosive, systemic corruption festering in our ship of state. Neil Aggett would have been with them marching today.
"So would I, Steve Biko, Chris Hani and the countless warriors of justice that this province has given to our freedom struggle."
Naidoo, whose audience of VIP guests, teachers and pupils filled the college's Chapel, addressed the pupils, saying, "You are the ones that will the change the world. "You no longer have to fight for this democracy. [Now] you have to be fearless and courageous and do the right thing."
Speaking of Aggett's assassination at the hands of the brutal apartheid regime, he said, "We still do not know who murdered him. We need to bring to justice his interrogators. We still need to find out what happened – not for revenge but for the truth to satisfy ourselves.
"His sacrifice was meant for our good. The 90 000 workers who joined the Aggett protest stoppage to protest and had enough motivation to build Cosatu, was a strong to the union leaders to stop arguing over non issues. Workers wanted unity to fight a repressive state and intransigent bosses."
Naidoo said he was of Aggett's generation.
"We were repulsed by the heresy of apartheid that stole our human dignity. In spite of the fears of our parents, we plunged into the struggle for political and social justice.
"What will [drive]you to take a stand? Our democracy cries out in pain for courageous young people to take a stand."
Naidoo said the march to Bhisho had been provoked by the outcome of an investigation by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU).
The unit recently announced that officials in the Eastern Cape had misappropriated R800 million in public funds. "It is headline news today. As far as we know, no one is in prison for this grand theft – but corruption in the Eastern Cape has been swept under the carpet over the past decade.
"Now the people have said enough is enough.
"We are happy that the national Minister Aaron Motsoaledi has appointed an investigation team – but would we have had action in the Eastern Cape if activists from the Treatment Action Campaign, Section 27, Denosa (Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa) and others had not built a campaign?
"My answer is a decisive no. How many clinics could have been built, how many babies died because vaccines and needles were not available or the cold chain was dysfunctional. How many nurses and doctors could have been hired to deal with the dire staff shortages? R800 million can buy a lot of hope for our people."
Naidoo said in spite of technological progress, the country had gone backwards in human values.
"The richest 300 people on earth have as much wealth as the poorest 3 billion," Naidoo said. "This is no accident. Those in power write the rules and their activities are life-threatening."
"My greatest hope is that the spirit of service and discipline that Neil Aggett symbolised will arise again in your generation."
