Philanthropist and businessman Dr Iqbal Survé says the fighting spirit which was imbued within and emboldened the youth of 1976 to rise against the injustices of apartheid “is in our blood” and has existed throughout South African’s history.
Delivering a keynote at the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town on Tuesday, Survé told his audience the same spirit of courage lives in today’s generation. The event was hosted by the Cape Heritage Museum.
Fifty years after the June 16, 1976, Soweto uprising, the legacy of the student revolt continues to resonate across South Africa. The Soweto uprising, which was sparked by opposition to the compulsory use of Afrikaans in black schools, became a turning point in resistance against apartheid.
June is observed annually as Youth Month, with June 16 commemorated as National Youth Day in honour of the role young people played in the liberation struggle. This year marks the Golden Jubilee of the Soweto uprising under the theme: “Reset@50 – The Future Calls”.
The castle was a hub of activity as many young and old people came to commemorate the sacrifices of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, with several different events taking place.
Dr Iqbal Survé and Castle of Good Hope CEO, Calvyn Gilfellan, were on hand for the event. Survé delivered a keynote address reflecting on the significance of the Youth Day during the Youth Day event at the Castle of Good Hope.
CEO of the Castle of Good Hope, Calvyn Gilfellan, was on hand for the event and said that he was just 14 years old at the time of the Soweto Uprising. He shared that one of his key memories was how his father had returned from Port Elizabeth when he had been caught in protests, which had landed his father in the hospital.
“He was not mad at them. He was saying, ‘black power’. That was a slogan then… I think my being – my human being and my professional being – have been shaped by the events of 1976.”
Gilfellan then welcomed Survé, the Sekunjalo team, attorney Igshaan Higgins, students, scouts, and the learners from Trafalgar High School.
Survé opened his address with a moment of silence for jazz maestro and activist Abdullah Ibrahim, a close friend whose legacy was intertwined with the Struggle.
He acknowledged that the day is about June 16, and the special significance it has in the lives of South Africans.
Dr Iqbal Survé delivered a keynote address reflecting on the significance of the Youth Day during the Youth Day event at the Castle of Good Hope. Abdullah Ibrahim performed at Rosies Stage at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. Dr Iqbal Survé delivered a keynote address reflecting on the significance of the Youth Day during the Youth Day event at the Castle of Good Hope.
He shared not only the story of how he managed to get Ibrahim to perform at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival earlier this year, but also the joy that would come through exchanging stories with him and getting to talk about whatever was on Ibrahim’s mind.
“We have forgotten the past because those who are in power today, those who control the narratives today, don’t want us to remember the past. They don’t want us to remember who we are and where we come from. And it is as if there has been a whitewashing of our history. It’s as if there were no noble history of Struggle.
“Our struggle was a noble struggle. It was really, truly noble. What we did, and what we fought for. It was noble, but today, the Struggle is almost like a swear word, and it’s because those who have been in power are associated with the Struggle.
“In a way, they have spoilt the struggle for those of us who were there, and there’s a confusion between those that are in government, those that are in power, and people associate that with our history, which is not the case,” Survé said.
He also highlighted the Farouk Abrahams Benefit Dinner, held at Islamia Hall and supported by Survé Philanthropies, brought together respected sporting figures in a show of support for a man many described as a football legend, mentor and community builder.
Survé said that while his address touched on many different stories, he felt that doing so would help attendees get a better understanding of June 16 and the Struggle.
“Abdullah was no ordinary musician. Abdullah is from Kensington in Cape Town. His famous song is Mannenberg, with a double. Abdullah made it clear that he’s going to make Mannenberg with a double n. Not with one n. Which became the anthem of our Struggle.
“Basil Coetzee played Mannenberg on the saxophone at the launch of the UDF in Mitchell’s Plain. If you were there, Rocklands at the time,” Survé said.
Philanthropist and businessman Dr Iqbal Survé joined sports legends in support of former professional goalkeeper Farouk Abrahams at a benefit dinner in his honour. The Farouk Abrahams Benefit Dinner, held at Islamia Hall and supported by Survé Philanthropies, brought together respected sporting figures in a show of support for a man many described as a football legend, mentor and community builder. Standing: Clifford Davids and Duncan Crowie. Seated: Adeeb Abrahams, Farouk Abrahams, Dr Iqbal Survé, Vincent Barnes.
“Whenever we were with activists in the Struggle, Abdullah’s songs, all of them, were liberation songs. Abdullah did something else. He united the African people and the Coloured people of Cape Town through music.
“Madiba always referred to Abdullah as our Mozart. He was our Mozart,” Survé said.
He said that 1976 did not come out of nowhere. It came out of a proud and noble tradition of Struggle for freedom.
“It’s in our blood. We’re a people that can struggle for freedom. We’ve struggled for hundreds of years.”
He highlighted the KhoiSan dealing with the arrival of the Dutch settlers, the Anglo-Boer wars, the Anglo-Zulu war and apartheid as examples of how there has always been a fight for freedom in our history.
“All of this is about courage. It is the courage to fight for what you believe. It’s the courage to fight for what is right. It’s the courage to remember those who have come before you, young and old, who have fought and to fight within what I call the ‘slipstream’ as Formula One mentions.
“It’s the courage to be intellectual… 1976 was very much about courage. Young people stood up and said no more.
“We must have the courage to challenge those in charge. We must have the courage to tell the truth, and to tell our own stories,” he said.
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