By Anita Dangazele
A man from Ginsberg in the Eastern Cape has been arrested for allegedly vandalising Steve Biko’s gravesite and stealing the bronze fists from his tombstone.
Biko’s grave is a historical and cultural landmark in Qonce, located at the Steve Biko Garden of Remembrance in Ginsberg. The bronze fists symbolise the struggle icon’s resistance to apartheid.
The man allegedly stole and sold the fists to a local scrap dealer.
Police spokesperson Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said a 31-year-old man had been arrested after information about stolen goods emerged.
“Police can confirm that a case of theft and violation of a grave has been opened,” Mawisa said, adding that the bronze fists have since been recovered.
Black consciousness movement the Azanian People’s Organisation (Azapo) voiced concern over its founder’s unfenced memorial site, claiming it had become a shelter for cattle.
“Azapo is saddened by the thuggery and the vandalism of Steve Biko’s tombstone that was unveiled on 27 March 2017, and the theft of bronze fists attached to it.”
The movement said Biko’s memorial site and his home are recognised national treasures and should be treated as such.
“Azapo is puzzled that the Buffalo City Metro and the government are not maintaining the Steve Biko Garden of Remembrance and failing to provide security for such important precincts.
“Could it be that the metro neither recognises nor cares about this great giant and the heritage he bequeathed to us? Could it be that the pivotal role played by Biko and the sacrifice he made to the people of Azania with his life is insignificant to them?”
Azapo is calling on the metro to help fence off the area and provide security guards.
Biko was at the forefront of a grassroots anti-apartheid campaign, the Black Consciousness Movement, during the late 1960s and 1970s. Following his arrest in August 1977, Biko was beaten to death by state security officers. Over 20,000 people attended his funeral.
Pictured above: Black Consciousness founder and struggle icon Steve Biko’s vandalised grave site in Ginsberg, Qonce, in the Eastern Cape.
Image source: Azapo
