It was with great sadness that the St John’s community learned of the passing of South African anti-apartheid stalwart and St John’s old boy Hugh Lewin on 16 January.
Lewin, who was also a Killarney resident, attended St John’s College between 1948 and 1957.
Executive headmaster at St John’s College Paul Edey said, “Hugh Lewin was one of those South Africans who showed extraordinary bravery in standing up to a brutal regime at a time when so few did. A man of principle and courage with a commitment to building a democratic South Africa.”
The school described Lewin as a distinguished learner who excelled in many school activities, winning prizes for his speeches and serving as editor of the school magazine. He was also a prefect, chairman of the art club, secretary of the pioneer club and committee member of the debating society. He was also secretary of the St John’s African Education Fund which sought to provide financial aid to African learners wishing to undertake higher education.
While at St John’s, he developed an awareness for the wrongs of apartheid. This was partly attributed to the sense of justice instilled in him at home by his father who was an Anglican priest, and partly from St John’s College where he often accompanied teachers to Sophiatown – a multiracial area which stood as a symbol of defiance against apartheid.
At university, Lewin was involved in anti-apartheid student politics. After graduating, he worked as a journalist at The Post newspaper in Johannesburg. In 1964, he was arrested by the apartheid government’s security police. After several months of physical abuse in police detention, he was prosecuted on account of his anti-apartheid activities and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.
Lewin recounted his experiences in his book Bandiet: Seven Years in a South African Prison. A supplemented version of which was named Bandiet out of Jail, which was published in 2002 winning the Olive Schreiner Prize and the Sunday Times Alan Paton Award. He also wrote the book Stones Against the Mirror, reflecting on his betrayal by a close friend which led to his imprisonment as well as a children’s series and poetry collection.
In 2013, Lewin was the recipient of the Golden Eagle Award recognising Old Johannians who have made significant contributions to society. In February last year, the school’s history block was named after Lewin in recognition of the brave moral stand he took against apartheid and his work as a journalist and writer.
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