MOLLY BLACKBURN – AN ANTI-APARTHEID LIFE DEDICATED TO PROMOTING THE WELL-BEING ALL SOUTH AFRICANS

One of the anti-apartheid activists who played a leading role in highlighting the injustices of the former apartheid regime was Mrs Molly Blackburn. She died at the age of 55 in a tragic car accident early January 1985 at a time when she was a leading figure in the anti-apartheid struggles in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa. Despite the hatred that the apartheid regime spilled out against white opponents of apartheid, more than 30 000 people turned out to say goodbye at her funeral. The Press Trust of SA News Agency, which operated under difficult conditions at this time, published the following article on January 14 1985 about Molly Blackburn and the respect she enjoyed among black South Africans. SOUTH AFRICA: MOURNING TOGETHER The funeral of the 55-year-old white anti-apartheid activist and leader, Mrs Molly Blackburn, in the city of Port Elizabeth on January 2 1985 severely embarrassed the apartheid regime. Not only did the 30 000 black mourners, who descended on the St Johns Church in the city centre, add a dimension of township protest to the proceedings, they also made it clear that “Miss Molly” – as she was affectionately known – had a special place in their hearts. For many of the black mourners it was no easy matter to attend the funeral. They travelled long distances – on foot, by taxis, in buses – from far flung townships to be at the service. For the regime it was an uncomfortable and dangerous demonstration of mutual trust that threatened its black power myth. To avoid a repeat performance, it banned a memorial service for Mrs Blackburn two days later. It was a gross, insensitive and provocative gesture, that did nothing to reduce Mrs Blackburn’s reputation among the black people. She had already proved that it only took a sense of justice to break out of racist white society. Outside observors might find it difficult to understand how the black people can be profoundly sceptical of white society and yet offer a white politician their utmost respect. In a tribute, Mrs Ann Colvin, a colleague of Mrs Blackburn in the Black Sash civil rights group, offers an insight that helps understand the situation: “Molly Blackburn possessed a common touch very rarely found among South Africa’s ruling white classes.” In short it is a sense of justice and not race that divides South Africans – despite what the National Party says and privileged whites like to believe. More importantly “Miss Molly’s” notions of justice were not academic. She fought tenaciously to protect defenceless township dwellers from the brutality of apartheid, especially that meted out by the police and army in the smouldering townships. She stood up. When she died in a tragic car crash in which a friend, Mr Brian Bishop of the Civil Rights League in Cape Town, also died, they were returning from the small Cape Province town of Oudtshoorn. They had been visiting a black township in the ostrich farming district to collect affidavits alleging horrific police brutality following the arrest of 250 youths. It was the kind of assignment they had found themselves undertaking with increasing frequency since the police and army moved into the black townships more than a year ago. Mrs Blackburn, a mother of seven children was elected to the Provincial Council for the Walmer seat in Port Elizabeth in 1981. As the situation in the Eastern Cape took on the profile of a low scale civil war, she became immersed in the problems of the townships. Hours after the Langa massacre in March 1984 when police opened fire on a funeral procession killing 20 people, Mrs Blackburn set up a relief station; when four leading members of the United Democratic Front(UDF) in the Cradock community were murdered by alleged police agents she was there to share the sorrow of their families; when the police in the town of Uitenhage savagely beat a youth while he was manacled to a table, it was “Miss Molly” who rushed to his aid. She attended numerous funerals of victims who had died at the hands of the police in the townships and openly and sincerely shared the sorrow of the residents. Inevitably, her funeral, like those she had attended in the towships, became a political event – a rally against apartheid. It may have taken place in a white suburb in Port Elizabeth, but it was very much a township send-off. It was monitored by a large contingent of security police; the black, green and gold colours of the African National Congress(ANC) were prominent and clenched fists and freedom songs were an integral part of the funeral service.

The black township youth organisation, the Port Elizabeth Youth Congress, formed a guard of honour at the church and acted as pall bearers. The speakers at the inter-denominational service were black and white and came from both the parliamentary and extra-parliamentary groupings. It was eloquent testimony that despite differences in race, religious affiliation and political persuasion, South Africans could relate to a common sense of decency. Mrs Blackburn’s funeral is not the first instance in which black South Africans have shown their respect for white activists who have given their lives for a more just cause. When white trade unionist, Dr Neil Agett, died in police custody four years ago, his funeral in Johannesburg was also attended by thousands of black South Africans. Across the country close to a million black workers, who could not be at the funeral, downed tools to hold services in thousands of work places. Despite the profound demonstration against racism – which is what the funeral came down to – Pretoria is unlikely to stop using the immense resources at its disposal to keep racism alive and blacks out of the political processes. Thus far, however, it has clearly not succeeded in turning blacks into racists. Ends Press Trust of SA New Agency – Jan 14 1985