Stephen Bantu Biko
This morning, as I was driving my youngest to her volunteer session, Peter Gabriel's Biko came randomly through the MP3 player. My daughter had not heard of Biko before this mini-introduction. As I listened to the song, I couldn't help but feel a bit choked up.
Stephen Biko (1946-1977), grew up in an apartheid South Africa. He became political while attending medical school -- his eyes opening to the injustices of South Africa's apartheid regime -- and like Mandela, the more famous anti-apartheid fighter, Biko also advocated a non-violent struggle, both men subscribing somewhat to the philosophy Gandhi, a South African of sorts. As Biko became more political, he attracted more attention from the apartheid regime, culminating in his person being banned in 1973. The ban allowed him to only speak to one person at a time, limited him on where he could speak and forbid him from being quoted or mentioned. Despite this ban, Biko's influence grew and in large part, was responsible for the Soweto riots in 1976.
A year after the riots, Biko was arrested at a police roadblock in Port Elizabeth, on terrorism charges. He was held under arrest and subjected to repeated beatings -- it was business as usual in police room 619. A month after his arrest, he was loaded in the back of a police car -- handcuffed, shackled and naked on the floor -- and was sent to a hospital in Pretoria, 1,200 km and 12 hours away. He was dead on arrival. Autopsy showed that he had massive head injuries, including five major lesions to the brain; a scalp wound; an inner cut on the lip; and abrasions and bruising around the ribs.
At first his death was dismissed -- cause: hunger strike. Later, the story was changed to involve a scuffle with police. To date, the five policemen that had Biko under custody and were accused of his murder, have not been found guilty. There was either no evidence, no witnesses, or too much time had passed for a prosecution. Biko wasn't the first to die under police custody -- he wasn't the last either.
Stephen Biko was just younger than me when his death started. It took one month for it to be completed. I was wondering this morning if Biko knew what was in store for him when he was arrested on August 18, 1977. He had encounters with the law before -- but did he suspect something different this time? Did the police that arrested him, knew they were going to end up murdering him? For fighting against evil such as apartheid, is there really such a thing as a non-violent struggle? As his life was being taken from him, I wonder if Biko reflected on that? I wouldn't consider him weak if he did -- if he did feel anger, if he did want revenge for what was being done to him and to his people. He paid the ultimate price for his beliefs that month. For his life, he gave his people and his country a chance at a new life. It took decades before his dream would be realized. Too bad he was not alive to see his South Africa given a chance.
Related links:
Stephen Biko (1946-1977), grew up in an apartheid South Africa. He became political while attending medical school -- his eyes opening to the injustices of South Africa's apartheid regime -- and like Mandela, the more famous anti-apartheid fighter, Biko also advocated a non-violent struggle, both men subscribing somewhat to the philosophy Gandhi, a South African of sorts. As Biko became more political, he attracted more attention from the apartheid regime, culminating in his person being banned in 1973. The ban allowed him to only speak to one person at a time, limited him on where he could speak and forbid him from being quoted or mentioned. Despite this ban, Biko's influence grew and in large part, was responsible for the Soweto riots in 1976.
A year after the riots, Biko was arrested at a police roadblock in Port Elizabeth, on terrorism charges. He was held under arrest and subjected to repeated beatings -- it was business as usual in police room 619. A month after his arrest, he was loaded in the back of a police car -- handcuffed, shackled and naked on the floor -- and was sent to a hospital in Pretoria, 1,200 km and 12 hours away. He was dead on arrival. Autopsy showed that he had massive head injuries, including five major lesions to the brain; a scalp wound; an inner cut on the lip; and abrasions and bruising around the ribs.
At first his death was dismissed -- cause: hunger strike. Later, the story was changed to involve a scuffle with police. To date, the five policemen that had Biko under custody and were accused of his murder, have not been found guilty. There was either no evidence, no witnesses, or too much time had passed for a prosecution. Biko wasn't the first to die under police custody -- he wasn't the last either.
Stephen Biko was just younger than me when his death started. It took one month for it to be completed. I was wondering this morning if Biko knew what was in store for him when he was arrested on August 18, 1977. He had encounters with the law before -- but did he suspect something different this time? Did the police that arrested him, knew they were going to end up murdering him? For fighting against evil such as apartheid, is there really such a thing as a non-violent struggle? As his life was being taken from him, I wonder if Biko reflected on that? I wouldn't consider him weak if he did -- if he did feel anger, if he did want revenge for what was being done to him and to his people. He paid the ultimate price for his beliefs that month. For his life, he gave his people and his country a chance at a new life. It took decades before his dream would be realized. Too bad he was not alive to see his South Africa given a chance.
Related links:
- Cry Freedom -- a Richard Attenborough film of the Steve Biko story, starring Denzel Washington.
- Watch the Peter Gabriel music video, Biko.
- 5th Steve Biko Lecture [PDF] -- by Nelson Mandela
- 4th Steve Biko Lecture [PDF] -- Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature, University of California
- Cry Freedom film analysis [PDF]
- Steve Biko and Black Consciousness -- journal article by Donald Woods
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