A thirty-year-old perspective, Steve Biko 30:30
Thirty years ago, a young man of 30 was tortured by the apartheid regime’s police, he died in jail.
His name sings out freedom to all who consider themselves black.
Thirty years later we remember the life, death and ideals of Stephen Bantu Biko, through the Biko 30:30 festival.
The festival is a year long commemorative celebration.
As part of remembering the life of Biko, Daily Sun decided to speak to a number of young adults on their interaction with the ideals and life of 30-year-old legend.
Thirty years after the death of Biko and young blacks work through their identity and how the consciousness plays it out in everyday life.
“I was born in the period of Steve Biko’s passing!” said
Mbongisi Dyantyi (30) of from, Zwelethemba, Worcester .
He said: “Being Black in South Africa means to exist in a perpetual sate of grasping, of reaching, and constantly seeking more from life.”
For him the relevancy of black consciousness is important.
Zodwa Radebe from Linmeyer said: “Black consciousness is about black people defining for themselves what freedom means.”
Lerato Seohatse from Soweto added that it was about self determination.
“Making life what you want it to be for yourself as a black person rather that following someone’s dictates.”
He added also that being black is still about changing .
“Transformation is about it’s mostly about changing the conditions of a black person and also changing the value of a black person by providing him with skills, knowledge and so on,” he said.
The One Love Movement On Bantu Biko Street Simphiwe Dana sings: “T hough my purse is empty, I will carry it when I walk down Bantu Biko Street. He said my pride should emanate from within first.”
She says the overall message of the album is “one love”.
“Steve Biko, embodies the message of ‘if you cannot love yourself how can you love someone else,” said Simphiwe.
“He stood for a level of equality where both parties are the same, whether it is on a personal level or a much greater level,” she said.
Thirty-year-old Rebone Marumo from Vosloorus believes: “The role of black consciousness is to remove the legacy of the white supremacist system and infuse pride into black people.”
She added: “Black consciousness has always challenged me to think very deeply and critically about our society.”
“The remembering Biko challenges us to think very carefully about our current day South African life and its transformations, said Lerato, “has the black person become an agent of change?”
Biko envisioned the black person being free, from external internal bondages.
His life follows through even beyond his death.
For Zodwa: “Biko is a hero because his life transcends death.”
Simphiwe added: “For me he has evolved to be the embodiment of the modern African leader, how we view him in our modern world will depend on our separate journeys with him,”
His name sings out freedom to all who consider themselves black.
Thirty years later we remember the life, death and ideals of Stephen Bantu Biko, through the Biko 30:30 festival.
The festival is a year long commemorative celebration.
As part of remembering the life of Biko, Daily Sun decided to speak to a number of young adults on their interaction with the ideals and life of 30-year-old legend.
Thirty years after the death of Biko and young blacks work through their identity and how the consciousness plays it out in everyday life.
“I was born in the period of Steve Biko’s passing!” said
Mbongisi Dyantyi (30) of from, Zwelethemba, Worcester .
He said: “Being Black in South Africa means to exist in a perpetual sate of grasping, of reaching, and constantly seeking more from life.”
For him the relevancy of black consciousness is important.
Zodwa Radebe from Linmeyer said: “Black consciousness is about black people defining for themselves what freedom means.”
Lerato Seohatse from Soweto added that it was about self determination.
“Making life what you want it to be for yourself as a black person rather that following someone’s dictates.”
He added also that being black is still about changing .
“Transformation is about it’s mostly about changing the conditions of a black person and also changing the value of a black person by providing him with skills, knowledge and so on,” he said.
The One Love Movement On Bantu Biko Street Simphiwe Dana sings: “T hough my purse is empty, I will carry it when I walk down Bantu Biko Street. He said my pride should emanate from within first.”
She says the overall message of the album is “one love”.
“Steve Biko, embodies the message of ‘if you cannot love yourself how can you love someone else,” said Simphiwe.
“He stood for a level of equality where both parties are the same, whether it is on a personal level or a much greater level,” she said.
Thirty-year-old Rebone Marumo from Vosloorus believes: “The role of black consciousness is to remove the legacy of the white supremacist system and infuse pride into black people.”
She added: “Black consciousness has always challenged me to think very deeply and critically about our society.”
“The remembering Biko challenges us to think very carefully about our current day South African life and its transformations, said Lerato, “has the black person become an agent of change?”
Biko envisioned the black person being free, from external internal bondages.
His life follows through even beyond his death.
For Zodwa: “Biko is a hero because his life transcends death.”
Simphiwe added: “For me he has evolved to be the embodiment of the modern African leader, how we view him in our modern world will depend on our separate journeys with him,”
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