Despite having grown up in the Eastern Cape, Steve Biko has strong ties to the province of KwaZulu-Natal, having studied medicine at UKZN (then University of Natal), before being expelled for his political connections. Last Thursday marked the 36th anniversary of Biko’s death. Biko died on the 12th September 1977 after sustaining brutal beatings whilst in police custody in Pretoria. Father of the Black Consciousness Movement and a a key figure in the Soweto Uprising, Biko spent his adult life campaigning for the physical and psychological liberation of black people. Steve Biko has become an icon of the anti-apartheid movement, with tributes to his legacy across the globe. In eThekwini the Durban University of Technology has recognised Biko by naming their main campus after him.
Photo courtesy of colourlines.com.
Read more about the life and times of Steve Biko here.