The late former ANC stalwart and Robben Island prisoner, Ahmed Kathrada was hailed as a man of principles at his 9th Annual Lecture held at the Sci-Bono Centre in Newtown, Johannesburg.
Kathrada, who was incarcerated alongside the first democratic president of South Africa and international icon Nelson Mandela, died in March last year. He is one of the ANC’s veterans who fought for the liberation movement against the then apartheid government of South Africa.
The lecture was delivered by governance specialist, columnist and lawyer, Judith February, while former leader of the Democratic Alliance in parliament, Lindiwe Mazibuko, responded to the address. The topic of the lecture was: Fixing South Africa – What needs to be done?
February said she was privileged to have delivered this lecture to honour the legacy of Ahmed Kathrada. She defined Kathrada as a hero and icon of our struggle adding that he was a man of principle, deeply committed to constitutionalism and the rule of law – ‘to whom we remain grateful’.
She added that he championed the noble cause for which he was imprisoned until the day he died and she also praised the foundation for upholding the principles that Kathrada believed in.
“The work of the foundation remains critical at this time especially espousing the principles of non-racialism and creating networks of international solidarity on human rights,” she said.
“Its work with young people at universities is specifically important, as is its research on transformation and historical context in order to inform policy-making. Its commitment to dialogue as a means of dealing with our challenges is also timely.”
On the topic of the day, February said it is quite a daunting title, given where we find ourselves citing the most talked about state capture saying it was probably at its highest level and there was a feeling that we had completely lost our way.
Mazibuko said Kathrada led no fewer than 300 visits to Robben Island – a place where he was confined for 18 ‘hellish’ years.
She said before his passing last year in March, he expressed his deepest desire to take two young leaders of the two ‘biggest’ opposition parties in South Africa, Mmusi Maimane and Julius Malema to visit Robben Island. This, she said, was part of his later life’s work to make the island a monument of leadership learning and to triumph the human spirit against adversity.
“His commitment to nurturing young leadership in politics and governance was unfailing even to the last,” said Mazibuko.
“There is an important lesson for all of us embedded on uncle Kathy’s commitment to making Robben Island a centre of leadership learning and his identifying the next generation of dynamic leaders to offer his support and mentorship regardless of their political affiliation and his willingness to put himself in enormous psychological and emotional strength again, again and again by visiting the site and memories of his unjust imprisonment for the benefit of future leaders.”
The audience was also afforded an opportunity to give inputs about what can be done to ‘fix’ South Africa.
Details: Kathrada Foundation kathradafoundationmedia5@gmail.com
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