"SOUTH AFRICA IS IN URGENT NEED OF STEVE BIKOS TODAY"

At a time when South Africans are observing the 36th anniversary of the tragic death in police custody of the founder and leader of black consciousness in South Africa, calls are being made for the philosophy of black consciousness to be revived and energised in order for people to make constructive and genuine advances in their lives. Steven Bantu Biko, who was the courageous leader of the Black Peoples Convention, died 36 years ago after being brutally battered and assaulted by the then notorious apartheid security police. The following report was compiled this report for Radio Deutsche Welle (Voice of Germany) on the 36th anniversary of Biko's cruel death... . By Marimuthu Subramoney (aka Subry Govender) "I've got no doubt in my mind that there are people, and I know people in terms of my own background where I stay, are not revengeful or sadistic. Now the black man has got no ill intentions for the white man. The black man is only incensed at the white man to the extent that he wants to entrech himself in a position of power to exploit the black man." At a time in the late 1960s and 1970s when racial oppression was at its height in South Africa, it was a young and brave Steven Bantu Biko who aroused the political consciousness of the black majority through his no nonsense philosophy of - "black man you are on your own" - and - "black is beautiful". At this time - leaders of the calibre of Nelson Mandela, Govan Mbeki and Walter Sisulu were either in jail on Robben Island or had gone into exile. SYMBOL OF HOPE Biko became the symbol of hope and voice of the people ever since he initiated and founded the South African Students Organisation(SASO) along with other activists at the then Black Medical School in Durban and the Black Peoples Convention(BPC). He was also involved in the establishment of the Zanempilo Clinic and Creche; Zimele Trust Fund and the Ginsberg Trust in the Eastern Cape Province. Although only 30-years-old, he became a leader of substance who inspired university students, school children and the general public about the oppression of the black people. He was considered a threat by the apartheid regime and in early August 1977 he was arrested, detained, interrogated and tortured by the then notorious security police in Port Elizabeth. BRUTALLY BATTERED Although he was battered so brutally he was on September 11 1977 driven in the back of a police van - manacled hand and foot and naked - 1 200 kilometres to Pretoria and kept in a police cell. The next day on September 12 1977, the apartheid regime announced that Biko had died in detention. Despite being regarded as a "freedom martyr" and paying the ultimate price for the liberation of the people, Biko has not been properly recoginised in the new non-racial and democratic South Africa.

Azapo leader in KZN, Mr Mfana Nene AZAPO Mr Mfana Nene, a leader of the Azanian Peoples Organisation(AZAPO) in KwaZulu-Natal, told this correspondent in an interview in Durban on Wednesday, September 11 2013 that they were very disappointed and angry at the attitude of those in power towards Biko. LITTLE RECOGINITION "Comrade Steve Biko was very big in our struggles. Comrade Steve Biko was the best candidate for our liberation but the Government of today the way they are doing things they are showing us that they don't recoginise the work done by Steve Biko. "Look at when they are doing things of name changes. The Medical School which is at King Edward is not named after Steve Biko but Steve Biko was the only prominent political leader of this country who studied at this university. You can see now when they are doing name changes they don't check the history of this country. They just name it just as they want to." Mfana Nene, a school teacher, is involved with other AZAPO leaders all over the country in a series of events this week to commemmorate the life of Biko and to promote his values and principles. POORLY INFORMED But while Azapo is trying to re-energise the struggles of Biko, many young people appear to be disinterested or poorly informed about Biko. I visited the Durban University of Technology, which has a student campus named after Biko to honour the black consciousness leader.

Jabulo Mbonambi Jabulo Mbonambi, 19, is a civil engineering student: "Actually I don't know about the politics. What I know about Steve Biko is that he is a freedom fighter for the black people."

Gabelo Maja Gabelo Maja, 21, is a construction management student: "I know that he was very famous for his quote 'black is beautiful' and he was a student leader among the black nation."

Krenolin Naidoo Krenolin Naidoo, 19, is a first year Bio-technology student) : "Steve Biko I know was shot during the apartheid times and he was a key figure during the apartheid struggles."

Ms Ndada Mokuthama Another student is Ms Ndada Mokuthama, 24, a 3rd year quantity surveying student: "I don't know much about Steve Biko but I know that he was part of the struggle in terms of fighting for freedom and he was an activist." BIKOS IN URGENT NEED TODAY Despite their lack of interest, most of the students I talked say that South Africa is in urgent need today of leaders like Steve Biko because Biko's philosophy of self reliance and self help and service to the people appears to be sorely lacking. "WE FIGHT TODAY FOR THINGS THAT REALLY DO NOT DO MUCH FOR OUR FUTURE."

Students in front of Steve Biko statue who say that there's an urgent need for many Bikos in South Africa today Ms Mokuthama, who appeared to be determined young person, said: "He fought for something that was actually worth fighting for. Unlike the youth of today, we fight for things that really do not do much for our future. We feel entitled for things and we don't want to get and go and work it whereas he went out and made things happen." CORRUPTION A MENACE TODAY Mr Gabelo Maja, 24, a construction management student, also says that "we need leaders like Steve Biko to bring more moral values into our society". "The biggest issue today is corruption and collusion. We need leaders like Steve Biko to decrease and erase the menace of corruption." The South African Government has not yet OFFICIALLY issued any statement on the 36th anniversary of Biko's brutal death but some leaders have stated that it's the duty of Azapo and other black consciousness organisations to promote their leaders. Besides the student campus in Durban named in his honour and two streets that reflect his name in Durban and Pretoria - there are no prominent institutions such as universities or airports that carry Biko's name. What a tragedy!