BY OLEBOGENG MOLALE
The Galeshewe Memorial Project with the McGregor Museum, Kitso Development and others stakeholders, held a Memorial Lecture at Mayibuye Cultural Centre. In honour of the role played by learners who participated in the Galeshewe uprisings on 8September 1980. On this day learners took a stand and marched from St Boniface High School to Abantu Batho Centre Hall. They dumped their schoolbooks there as part of their protest.
Pinky van Wyk, Eugene Mokgoasi, Zenzele Hlatshwayo, Sello Neville Motlhabakwe, Ben Mlulami Fani and Joey Kers were later charged and convicted in 1983.
The theme for this year’s commemoration is “Reflections on and lessons learned from the Legacy of the Galeshewe Students’ Uprisings.”
As a build up to the event, interviews were held with community radio stations to educate listeners on the importance of commemorating the Uprising.
Sandile Beuzana from the Galeshewe Memorial Project said, ‘’We are using this platform to donate books. This is a symbolic gesture, today we are giving books to Tshireleco and St Boniface high school to promote literacy among our young people.”
Phemelo Sediti, General Secretary, Council for Creative Industry in South Africa, said the year 1980 will remain patched on his memory as if it happened yesterday. He was a 12year old, standard 4 pupil at Boichoko Primary School. “I do not wish anyone to experience the traumatic events that we went through”, added Sediti, referring to police brutality, burning of tyres and the lingering smell of tear gas.
Beuzana added that it is very important for communities to remember their history and build towards the future.
The Galeshewe Memorial Project was founded in August 2014 and registered as an Non-Profit Organisation. It has held a number of events ever since, notably the 34th Anniversary of the 1980 students uprising in September 2014.
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