16 June 2010, 07:51
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Twenty years after his death in exile, youth leader Tsietsi Mashinini will finally be honoured through the unveiling of his statue to mark the 34-year anniversary of the June 16, 1976 Soweto uprising.
The statue, produced by Soweto artist Johannes Phokela, is 2,5m high and was to be unveiled on Wednesday at Morris Isaacson High School in Central Western Jabavu, where Mashinini began studying in 1971 at the age of 14.
He was one of the student leaders who organised the march to protest against the government introducing Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in schools. He was 19 at the time.
The march, however, turned violent when the police open fire on the protesters, killing more than 600.
Wanted by the police, Mashinini left the country for exile and died under mysterious circumstances in 1990.
At the time of his death, he was believed to have been the late singer Miriam Makeba's guest in Guinea.
His remains were brought to South Africa and buried at Avalon cemetery in Soweto.
Phokela, who was 10 years old during the uprising, said he was honoured and proud to have been asked to create the statue.
He studied at institutions, such as the Royal College of Art, Camberwell College of Art and St Martin's College of Art in England, and the Fuba Art Centre in SA.
He said that while working on the statue, he drew inspiration from that day because the Morris Isaacson school was less than 500m from his home.
"Doing the statue brought back memories of that day, and I hope it will educate the youth of today about the past. To some of them the events of that day and the heroic deeds of the students are just a myth."
Mashinini's brother, Dee, said it was the family who came up with the idea of the statue, while he was the one who came up with the concept of what it should look like. He then approached the City of Joburg for support.
The statue shows Tsietsi with a raised clenched fist.
It was tragic, said Dee, that his brother was being honoured only now.
"It is sad that it has taken so many years for Tsietsi to be sufficiently recognised as the 19-year old student leader that he was.
"This is very important for us as a family and we are very happy about it. It is also very important that the statue, of a black revolutionary, is located where it is. It will be the first of its kind in Soweto," Dee said.
"The clenched fist is a symbol of black power, the symbol of the spirit of 1976 at the time when Tsietsi and the others fought against Afrikaans. We wanted to retain that symbol."
The statue will be kept at the school, and next year transferred to land being developed into an exhibition centre.
This article was originally published on page 5 of The Star on June 16, 2010
The Star
Comments by Sonny
Yes Tsietsi Mashinini you fled South Africa.
Pity you had to die mysteriously, somewhere in exile, forgotten until now!
You must have felt very lonely until your untimely death!
SOWETO RIOTS 1976 - 2010
The morning was cold
The kids were bold
Defiant, angry and violent
Grieved by the introduction of Afrikaans.
From Morris Isaacson to the West of Orlando stadium they plundered
Killing their community doctor Dr Edelstein in the rush
Killing police dogs with knives and fire
Attacking all and sundry in their path!
They were all intoxicated by glue
Strings hanging down their nostrils
Eyes wide with no expression
Prodding on and sparing none!
Yes Afrikaans, Apartheid and West Rand Administration Board…
Was their ultimate targets!
© 2010 William Ernest Cox
I Salute the Day!!
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