Igama lika-Rick Turner lingaziwa inoma ubani oseke wachitha isikhathi eNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal. Kukhona ibhilidi labafundi eliqanjwe ngegama lakhe, kube khona umfundaze obizwa ngegama lakhe kanti ingxenye yayo inyuvesi incike eduze komgwaqo oqanjwe ngalo igama lika-Rick Turner. Khona kunjalo, ngabe bangaki abazi kabanzi ngomlando kaDokotela Richard Albert Turner?
Wazalelwa eNtshonalanga Kapa ngowe-1941 kubazali bokufika ababevela eNgilandi. Waphothula izifundo zakhe zefilosofi eNyuvesi yaseKapa lapho aphinde azibandakanya nezepolitiki futhi wajoyina inyunana yabafundi baseNingizimu Afrika eyayaziwa ngokuthi i-National Union of South African Students, i-NUSAS ngamafuphi kanye ne-African Resistance Movement, inhlangano engahlalanga isikhathi eside eyayilwisana nohulumeni wobandlululo.
Ngowe-1966, u-Turner waphothula izifundo zakhe zobudokotela befilosofi enyuvesi yezicubuthwana yase-Sorbonne e-Paris. Izifundo zakhe zazigxile ngefilosofi yezepolitiki ka-Jean Paul Satre, umbhali nosopolitiki wase-France.
Ngokugqugquzelwa imibhikisho yabafundi base-France, u-Turner wabuyela eNingizimu Afrika enogqozi nelukuluku lokuzibandakanya nomzabalazo waseNingizimu Afrika. Ngowe-1970, waqala ukufundisa eNyuvesi yakwaZulu-Natal lapho khona wathola ithuba lokwazana no-Steve Biko, owayefundela ukuba ngudokotela. U-Biko wayeseyishiyile inyunana yabafundi baseNingizimu i-Afrika futhi esesungule ihlangano yabafundi baseNingizimu Afrika i-South African Students Organisation, i-SASO ngamafuphi, eyayigqugquzela imibono ye-Black Consciousness, ukuqonda kaabanzi ngesimo somuntu omnyama.
Imibono ka-Biko yayingamukeleki kalula kubelungu, babezibuza ukuthi ngabe iyiphi indima yabo ekulwisaneni nobandlululo, abanye babecabanga nokuthi imibono ka-Biko yayibandlulula ngokobuhlanga.
U-Turner waba ngumlamuli phakathi kwe-NUSAS kanye ne-SASO emva kokuthi abafundi abamnyama beshiyile kwi-NUSAS. Waphinda futhi waba ngumeseki futhi ngumlamuli uma kukhulunywa ngendaba ye-Black Consciousness, waze wabhalela abelungu, ebachazela kabanzi ngemibono kaBiko nezizathu zabafundi abamnyama zokufuna ukwakha inhlangano yabo bodwa:
Sekujwayelekile ukuthi izinhlangano zabantu abamnyama zigxile ekuzameni ukuvuselela izimilo kubantu abamhlophe. Lokhu kuyagxekwa ngababhebhezeli be-Black Consciousness. Benza kahle ngokugxeka lokhu. Abantu abamnyama ngeke bakwazi ukuyekela izinkinga zabo zixazululwe ngabamhlophe, ezinhlanganweni zabamhlophe.
Kulelophepha ogama lalo kwakuyi-Black Consciousness and White Liberals, u-Turner wathe isimo sobandlululo sasiphuca ubuntu kubantu abamnyama kanye nabamhlophe kanti ukunqotshwa kobandlululo kuyosiza izwe lonke:
I-Black Consciousness iphikisana nenkolelo yokuthi umuntu ukuze abonakale njengomuntu, kumele abe njengabelungu. Lokhu kumele kubacacele nabelungu ukuthi kubi khona ukuthi abelungu babe njengabelungu. Kahle kahle, abelungu nabantu abamnyama bacindezelekile, kepha ngezindlela ezahlukile, ngesimo senhlalo esiveza ababusi kanye nezigqila ezimnyama, kodwa hhayi abantu abaphelele.
Ngowe-1973, u-Turner kanye nabanye abaholi be-NUSAS nabe-SASO badingiswa nguhulumeni wobandlululo.
Eminyakeni engamashumi amane eyedlule, mhla ziyi-8 kuMasingana ngowe-1978, wadutshulwa ngenhlamvu eyangena ngewindi lomuzi wakhe eThekwini. Washonela ezingalweni zendodakazi yakhe eyayineminyaka eyishumi nantathu nje kuphela. Inhlamvu eyambulala yayifana neyezibhamu ezazisetshenziswa ngamaphoyisa. U-Turner wabulawa sekushoda izinyanga ezimbili kuphele isikhathi sokudingiswa kwakhe. Kanjalo, kwase kuphele izinyanga ezine u-Steve Biko washonela esitokisini samaphoyisa.
Izithombe zivela kwabe: jwtc.org.za, www.timeslive.co.za kanye nabe www.iol.co.za