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As we as South Africans and especially the people of Tongaat and
other areas on the North Coast face severe disruptions to the delivery of water
and electricity supplies, I would like to recall the life of Ian Mkhize, a
local activist in Hambanathi and Tongaat, who promoted the values and
principles of development, non-racialism and democracy.
A local leader and educationist, who also played a leading role in
the United Democratic Front and other activist organisations, was prepared to
lay down his life for a new South Africa. He died in March 2011 at the age of
69.
A TRIBUTE TO IAN MKHIZE
Ian Winston Sipho Mkhize was an educationist, community leader,
and struggle activist who fought and suffered for the human rights of the
oppressed people of the black township of Hambanathi and the nearby town of Tongaat
on the North Coast of the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa from 1975
to 1984 and then for the people of South Africa in general until his death in
2011.
He became a house-hold name in 1985 when he and 40 others sought
refuge at the Mahatma Gandhi Settlement in Phoenix, near Durban, after being
forced to flee Hambanathi by apartheid agents. At this time, he led the
campaign against the forced incorporation of Hambanathi into the then KwaZulu
bantustan. But Ian Mkhize and his comrades were soon forced to flee the Gandhi
Settlement as well when hordes of apartheid agents carried out a cleansing
operation to rid the nearby Inanda area of people of Indian-origin. At this
time the former National Party Government was embarking on a programme to
incorporate Inanda and other "Zulu-dominated" areas in and around
Durban into the former KwaZulu bantustan.
The rampaging mobs, after forcing the Indian-origin people to flee
for their lives, began to descend on the Gandhi Settlement. Ian Mkhize and his
comrades, after being informed of the arrival of the spear-wielding mob, fled in
a hurry after staying in the settlement for only two weeks.
The plight of Ian Mkhize, his comrades and the Indian-origin
people who were forced to flee from their homes made head-line news in South
Africa, India and other parts of the world.
Ian Mkhize caught the attention of the people for his bravery and
fortitude.
Who was this outstanding individual who refused to allow the
oppressive actions of the apartheid regime and their cohorts to deter him?
Born in Pietermaritzburg in 1941, Ian Mkhize moved to Tongaat in
the early 1970s after joining the Tongaat Hullett Group as a Personnel Officer.
He had earlier worked for the Department of Education after qualifying as a
teacher. As an employee of Tongaat Hullett he was offered accommodation at
Hambanathi, one of the residential areas for Africans in Tongaat at that time.
He soon became involved in the struggles of the people and agreed
to contest the Black Local Council in an attempt to improve the conditions of
the township of Hambanathi. He was even elected Mayor in the late 1970s but
soon became disillusioned because the apartheid authorities had no intention of
developing the township.
INTERACTION WITH OTHER ACTIVISTS
He came into contact with local activists such as Siva Naidoo and
Logie Naidoo and began to play a crucial role in organising the community of
Hambanathi to join the anti-apartheid struggles.
But the apartheid forces had other ideas and he was forced to
resign his position at the Tongaat Hullett Group and had to flee Hambanathi
township in 1983. Despite his absence, he kept in close contact with his people
in Hambanathi and worked with Indian-origin activists in Tongaat.
According to Siva Naidoo, Ian Mkhize took a conscious decision to
join the non-governmental sector.
"He became the Executive Chairperson of the Durban Crisis
Network, a structure set up primarily to provide support for victims of
apartheid. From there he proceeded to join the Diakonia Council of Churches as
the Education Programme Officer from 1987 to 1992. It was during this period
that Ian provided sterling leadership as Chairperson of the National Education
Co-ordinating Committee, just two years after founding the National Education
Union of South Africa, the forerunner of SADTU.
"Between 1992 and 1994 Ian
was appointed the Provincial Director of SACHED Trust, which was responsible
for providing strategic inputs for the transformation of tertiary institutions
and the evolution of Community Colleges. From there on Ian became the
Provincial Director of Operation Upgrade and later as its Director of External
Relations. Operation Upgrade was the premier adult basic education and training
outfit in the province."
JOINT RENT ACTION COMMITTEE
At the height of the
anti-apartheid struggle period in the 1980s and early 1990s, Ian Mkhize
assisted in the founding of the Joint Rent Action Committee (JORAC) and became
its Publicity Secretary. As a leading
anti-apartheid exponent, he ensured that JORAC and the Durban Housing Committee
(DHAC) became two of the most important constituents of the UDF.
Because of his work he was
placed under surveillance by the former dreaded apartheid security police and
was detained in 1986 and 1987 along with activists such as Siva Naidoo and
Logie Naidoo.
INVOLVEMENT AFTER THE RELEASE OF NELSON MANDELA IN EARLY 1990
Ian Mkhize played a vital role
in the mobilisation of the people after Nelson Mandela was released from 27
years in prison and after the ANC and other organisations were unbanned in
1990. As a leading NGO activist, Ian Mkhize was part of a team that went to
Zimbabwe in 1992 to prepare exiles to return home.
Since 1994, after the election
of the country's new non-racial democratic government, Ian Mkhize received a
number of accolades in recognition of his anti-apartheid activities. These
included recognition in 1997 in the Tribute Magazine's "Roll of persons
contributing to the well-being of South Africa". In the same year he
received a merit award by the former University of Durban-Westville for his
outstanding role in the struggle for human rights.
TONGAAT CIVIC ASSOCIATION
In 1992 the Tongaat Civic
Association presented him with a Civic Award for his outstanding contribution
to community service. And in October 2000 the University of Durban-Westville conferred
on him an Honorary Doctorate in the Faculty of Humanities. This was in
recoginition of his contributions to the struggle for "a fair, just and
equitable system of education" for all South Africans.
Siva Naidoo, in his tribute,
described Ian Mkhize as a struggle activist and humanitarian who was
"totally committed to the struggle for freedom and democracy".
"He was so committed to
the freedom struggle that he was prepared to pay the highest price. He was also
a democrat in a true sense of the word and eschewed all forms of racism."
Ian Mkhize was indeed a true
son of Tongaat and South Africa. One hopes that other former activists who
worked with him and also those from other parts of the country will strive to
live the life of Ian Mkhize to the full instead of using the new democracy to
promote their egos and to enrich themselves through corrupt means. Ends – subrygovender@gmail.com June 22 2022
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