Steve Biko - a remarkable person and martyr in South Africa

Steve was a great man!

Thank-you for this.It was good to read. I live in

Cambrridge, UK. But was born in Cape Town. And my dad was very active in the anti-apartheid movement. Long live Biko's spirit!. Gavin

Thanks for sharing Bikos story. Voted it up and will be following you. I enjoyed reading this.

Heitha again Tony: Speaking of Biko, he wrote the following: "The claim by Whites of monopoly on comfort and security has always been so exclusive that blacks see whites as the major obstacle in their progress towards peace, prosperity and a sane society. Through its association with all these negative aspects, whiteness has thus been soiled beyond recognition. At best, therefore, blacks see whiteness as a concept that warrants being despised, hated, destroyed and replaced by an inspiration with more human content in it. At worst, blacks envy white society for the comfort it has usurped and the center of this envy is the wish - nay, the secret determination in the innermost minds of most blacks who think like this, to kick whites off those comfortable garden chairs that one sees as he rides in a bus, out of town, and to claim them for themselves. ... There are those Whites who will completely disclaim responsibility for the country's inhumanity to the Black man. These are the people who are governed by logic for [four and-a-half] years but by fear at election time. The Nationalist Party has perhaps many more English votes than one imagines. All Whites collectively recognize in it a strong strong bastion against the highly played-up swart gevaar(Black peril). One must not underestimate the deeply embedded fear of the black man so prevalent in White society. Whites know only too well what exactly they have been doing to blacks and logically find reason for the Black man to angry. Their state of insecurity, however, does not outweigh their greed for power and wealth, hence, they brace themselves to react against this rage rather than to dispel it with open-mindedness and fair play This interaction between fear and the reaction then sets on a vicious cycle that multiplies both fear and reaction. This is what makes meaningful coalition between black and White totally impossible. Also, this is what makes Whites at as a group and hence become culpable as a group." Steven Bantu Biko in his book "I Write What I Like". It seems to me that the present ANC government and their Cadre have not learnt much from Biko; anyway, they were out of the country when he made this statements. What Biko was saying and seeing, is what African people and most poor Whites in the country are seeing and experiencing from the Black-led government. How then should we learn from the lessons of the past if we forget them today and repeat them to each other with impunity, today? This paradox and conundrum needs to be kept "real" to give the present "poor' South Africans a chance to make a better and dynamic society. What Biko wrote and said, is still with us today. Thank for writing about Biko- that was a Man's Man...

Tony just read again ! Raises blood pressure to read of 'State execution' It is still going on in almost every country......M

hi tony, wat were the health and human rights implications of steve bikos death, im doing an assignment on this. any help would be apreciated

Always good to remind us of those who died so others could live. Painful to read but a service nevertheless.

Hello Tony,takes me back through the years -so many murders of the good ones. It is no use screaming but that is how it makes one feel. From Peterloo to Red lion square and a million other places where the knowing and brave are put down like an unwanted animal, thanks for reminding us of the important and honourable ones,best from m.

Well, as usual, you've prompted me to learn more. I saw someone mention the movie Cry Freedom, it's not one that I have seen. So, it's going on my list. I knew the Biko was a Martyr of some type related to ending apartheid but that was it...thanks for filling in a few of the blanks.

WOW what an impressive man, and such a tragic end. I learned a valuable bit of history today. Thanks for this tribute to Biko.

Tony Brother Man! This is truth and it is bitterly beautiful. This was a true hero. His beatings are etched a little in us. God bless you Tony. None of us are free if one of us is chained.

"We have set out on a quest for true humanity..,"

Am very far(Greece),but this song "Biko" made me look in AFRICA .The song and the movie can be a hit in the heart of racism.About STEVEN BIKO i think he was more inportand person for human rights than MANDELLA .

This is a very moving Hub, and once again we see how racism shapes so much of our planet...cannot now, nor will I ever 'get it'? Humans are humans no matter their covering - we all crave and need the same things...sad - sorry for this world's loss...

Thanks tonymac, for reminding us of the high price of freedom and our personal liberties, so that we strive to never lose them!

How could people or society collectively be so cruel? To serve and protect had to have had a different meaning in So. Africa., it is embarassing for them. Surely, the criminal policemen were not prosecuted. Police have to much leeway and too much defense.

I read of Biko back in the 80s after hearing a Peter Gabriel song.

thanks again tonymac! Great story and pics. Your voice comes through very clearly.

There are ads on your hub for round trip flights to S. Africa for $929! How are the beaches and your economy? Now that I'm learning so much about S. Africa, I might want to visit.

Tony,

This article touched me. How could anyone be so cruel?

I hope it,s not like that anymore. I,ll never understand why the white race feels superior. Thank you so much for bringing us stories that sheds light on events in Africa.

Love and Peace

Thank you so much for that. I learned only a little about Biko watching a film called ¨Cry Freedom¨. I´ve never forgotten it,.

Biko was indeed a remarkable man. I read a book sometime ago that told the story of Donald Woods, a white South African journalists who was an ally of Biko, it was riveting stuff. Woods, and his wife eventually had to flee the country to avoid the death threats.

Nice concise piece Tony and great read.

What happened to him was so, so wrong! Thanks for this Tony!

I've often heard of Steve Biko. Thank you for giving me this bigger picture.

How horrible to suffer a police state. To have the actual police do the bidding of any individual or group of individuals as the mood strikes them. Intolerable!

This episode in our history was so sad and indeed a big mistake. In a way one can understand the merciless behaviour of police officers on duty – they have to get hard criminals out of society and behind bars, without the consent and co-operation of those criminals, and their lives are always in danger, they dare not trust anybody in the environment they are working, and besides frauds they are just doing what the government expect them to do. BUT there is, for sure, a line between mercilessness and cruelty. I can’t remember what happened to those who killed Biko. Wasn’t it him who was thrown out of a window and declared as a case of suicide? Let’s face it, Tony, throughout the history of the human race many-many wrongs were committed in terribly awful ways, and it didn’t end and it will never end. The ‘rules of the game’ merely gets updated, the style of the game becomes a little less barbaric, the loosing team of the past becomes the winning team of the present, and the score keeps everyone always in suspense. My heart goes out to Biko (and his family) who died as a martyr, but also to all martyrs who have died and will die for justice and fairness. As always, an excellent hub!

Thank you for this interesting Hub of a great man Tony. Wish there were more like him in the world.

Tony- You are peeling back the layers of the onion of entreched racism in South Africa by your historical articles. Biko was murdered and noone was ever brought to justice I'm guessing.Humanity turns a deaf ear to injustice until the popular voice is silenced violently. Sad state of affairs to say the least.