BEYERS NAUDE - RECALLING A PROGRESSIVE LIFE AT A TIME WHEN SOUTH AFRICANS ARE CAUGHT UP IN RACIAL DEBATES 

 

Researching through my work at the Press Trust of News Agency in the 1980s and early 1990s, I came across an article that we wrote about the life of an Afrikaner church leader who turned his back on the Broederbond and joined the ranks of the anti-apartheid movements in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s.

The article was about Dr Beyers Naude who also came under the hammer of the apartheid regime even though he was a former official of the Afrikaner Broederbond.

Dr Naude passed away at the age of 89 on September 7 2004.

He was one of the leaders who stood out on the side of progressive forces who ditched the conservative background of the Dutch Reformed Church in the early 1960s to join the anti-apartheid struggles and rose to become secretary general of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) in 1985. He was one of the white leaders who attended the funeral of black consciousness leader, Steve Biko, in King William’s Town on September 25 1977.

He was banned, house-arrested, harassed and intimidated by the security police, and denied several opportunities to travel overseas prior to 1994. 

I am re-publishing an article we at the Press Trust News Agency wrote about his banning and life in November 1982 and distributed throughout the world. The article is being re-published at a time when the lives of people like Dr Naude should be brought to the attention of the people.

 

TEXT

                     

               TRUE PATRIOT OF AFRICA

 

On September 25 1977 at the funeral of black consciousness leader, Steven Bantu Biko, a prominent Afrikaner, who turned his back on his people’s bigotry and racial prejudices, joined the more than 20 000 mourners in giving the power salute and shouting: “Amandhla Awethu – Power to the People”.

A black colleague watching this historic event whispered to this correspondent:

“He is a true patriot and son of Africa.”

But 24 days later the black journalist, Mono Badela, who was serving a banning order at that time, and the people as a whole heard with shock and disbelief that the “true patriot”, Dr Beyers Naude, had been served with a five-year banning and house arrest order.

At the time of his banning, Dr Naude was Director of the Christian Institute – a peace organisation he had joined after resigning as a member of the Afrikaner secret body, the Broederbond, and as a dominee of the Afrikaner church, the Nederuitse Gereformede Kerk (NGK).

Dr Naude was silenced when the Pretoria regime in one major crackdown on October 19 1977 banned the Christian Institute, 17 black organisations and their leaders.

 

                           CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE

 

Five years later, just when his banning order was about to expire, Dr Naude, who was 66-years-old at that time, had been bestowed with an unique honour by the publication of a book, “Not without honour, Tribute to Beyers Naude”.

The book, compiled by academic Peter Randall, comprised contributions by top personalities such as the chairperson of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Southern Africa, Archbishop Denis Hurley; Professor Peter Walshe of the University of Cape Town and Peter Randall himself.

The book reflected on Dr Naude, who because of his Christian beliefs, turned his back on apartheid and chose to promote racial peace and harmony between the black and white people of South Africa. His own people, the book reflected, labelled him as a heretic, agitator, communist, fellow traveller and advocate of violence.

 

                    THE CHANGE IN LIFE

 

The change in Dr Naude’s life began in 1960 when two events shook his conservative upbringing and threw doubts about the policy of apartheid.

The first event was the Sharpeville massacre in March 1960 when 57 people, who were protesting against the “dompass” system, were shot dead by the police, and the second was nine months later, when he joined 80 South Africans and six World Council of Churches representatives to discuss the situation in South Africa.

The gathering, which was known as the Cottesloe conference, made a number of statements, including declarations that racially-mixed marriages could not be condemned on Biblical grounds; that everyone, irrespective of race, had the right to buy land where they lived, and that there could be no objection in principle to so-called coloured people being represented in Parliament by coloured people themselves.

These events prompted him to take a greater interest in reconciliation between the race groups in spite of being labelled a traitor by his fellow Afrikaners.

 

                      PRO VERITATE

 

In 1963 he started an ecumenical newspaper, Pro Veritate, to promote inter-racial dialogue and became its first editor. And when in the same year he was offered the position of Director of the Christian Institute, he broke all links with Afrikanerdom by resigning as a dominee of the NGK church in the former Transvaal.

As he came into greater contact with black people, he realised that the mere reforming of apartheid would not do and that there had to be a complete change in the status quo and the disenfranchised blacks had to be given full rights.

He also became a strong critic of white minority rule and supported the principles of the black consciousness movement in the early 1970s.

He freely associated with black people and radical leaders such as Winnie Mandela, Dr Nathatho Motlana and Bishop Desmond Tutu.

In 1973, he refused to give evidence to the Schlebusch Commission, which was set up by the regime to inquire into various organisations, including the Christian Institute. He objected to the secrecy of the Commission and the fact that it was not a judicial body.

He was subsequently found guilty of refusing to testify and instead of paying the R50 fine, he presented himself for imprisonment.  But the fine was paid for him by an anonymous person.

His open flirtation with the opponents of the white regime earned him the wrath of the white people and he became the victim of threatening telephone calls, security police harassment and intimidation. His passport was withdrawn in 1977 and in October 1978 he was banned for five years. This banning order was renewed for another two years in 1982.

During his years of banning he had been refused permission to travel to Stockholm to collect a R4 450 prize for his promotion of racial peace; refused permission to attend the funeral of a close friend; his car had been wrecked by a mysterious explosion; and in September 1982 refused permission to travel to West Germany to attend a book fair.

 

       SOUTH AFRICAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES

 

After his banning order was lifted on 26 September 1984, joined the South African Council of Churches (SACC) as its general secretary. He succeeded Archbishop Desmond Tutu in this position and served in the Council from February 1985 until July 1988.

As chief of the SACC he played a vital role in helping progressive community-based and other organisations around the country.

After 1994, when the new South Africa was achieved following the election of Nelson Mandela as the new president, Dr Naude, in addition to receiving recognition for his promotion of justice and peace, was welcomed back into the Dutch Reformed Church. He was lauded as a prophet during a general synod of the DRC in 1994.

He was also awarded recognition by a number of universities in Europe and by the University of Natal in 1991 and the University of Durban-Westville in 1993.

One of the best-known landmarks in his honour is the Dr Beyers Naude motor way in Johannesburg.

Dr Naude, who was born in Roodepoort in Johannesburg in May 1915, passed on in September 2004 at the age of 89. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com  May 19 2022