MOLLY BLACKBURN – AN ANTI-APARTHEID ACTIVIST WHO STOOD UP FOR THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS OF ALL SOUTH AFRICANS

 

                               

 

On January 1 1986, more than 30 000 South Africans, mainly black Africans, turned up for the funeral of an anti-apartheid activist in Port Elizabeth who they identified as one of their own. They were paying their last respects and tributes to Molly Blackburn, who died tragically in a road accident near Port Elizabeth a few days earlier on December 28 1985. She and some of her fellow activists were on their way to take up the cause of those fellow South Africans who were being harassed, intimidated and targeted by the apartheid security forces.
Born into a progressive family in Port Elizabeth in 1930, Molly Blackburn became an active opponent of the apartheid system after she returned to South Africa in 1954 following several years in the United Kingdom and Belgium.
She joined the Black Sash movement, which was made up mainly of progressive white women who tackled human rights issues all over the country. She also became a member of the Progressive Party. Because of her activism against the oppressive actions and policies of the apartheid regime, she was considered to be “trouble maker” along with other members of the Black Sash. Black South Africans easily identified her as one of their own and when she died tragically in the road accident in December 1985, they came in their thousands to say farewell to a “true comrade”.
At this time, the Press Trust of SA News Agency wrote an article about the amazing turn out of black South Africans at her funeral and her life in trying to help people overcome the inequities of the apartheid system.
This was the article that was published and circulated to news outlets around the world in January 1986.

 

SOUTH AFRICA: MOURNING TOGETHER AT THE TRAGIC DEATH OF MOLLY BLACKBURN

 

White South Africans have had it pounded into their heads by the ruling National Party that the biggest threat to their security is black majority rule.
Assurances by black leaders that they are seeking a non-racial democracy have made little difference. The government continues to prey on the imaginary fears of the white minority, claiming that all blacks want in the final resort, is total power.
However, when 30 000 black mourners flocked to the funeral earlier this month of white civil rights activist, Mrs Molly Blackburn, they clearly demonstrated that race is not the issue.
The funeral of the 55-year-old white anti-apartheid leader, Mrs Molly Blackburn, in the city of Port Elizabeth on January 2 1986 embarrassed the all-white South African Government.
Not only did the more than 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 taxi, 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 peformance 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 Blacburn’s reputation among blacks. She had already proved that it only took a sense of justice to break out of racist white society.
Outside observers might find it difficult to understand how blacks can be profoundly sceptical of white society and yet offer a white politician their utmost respect.

 

MRS BLACKBURN POSSESSED A COMMON TOUCH

 

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 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 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 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 last year (1985) 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 police in 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.

 

 
MRS BLACKBURN’S FUNERAL BECAME A RALLY     AGAINST APARTHEID

Inevitably, her funeral, like those she had attended in the townships, 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.
Although 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 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 people who have given their lives for a more just society.
When white trade unionist, Dr Neil Agett, died in police custody four years ago his funeral in Johannesburg was also attended by thousands of blacks. Across the country, close on a million black workers who could not be at the funeral downed tools to hold individual 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 News Agency January 14 1986