Give us jobs, not speeches — northern areas uprising families

“Provide us with sustainable jobs for us and our children in the memory of our beloved, who died for all in the fight for basic rights.”

That was the call from families of the 1990 northern areas uprising victims during the commemoration of the 31st anniversary at the Papenkuil Cemetery on Friday.

The prayer session was organised by the northern areas uprising committee and the victims’ families.

A wreath-laying ceremony and memorial lecture in honour of the victims is expected to take place in September.

More than 50 protesters were killed in the northern areas — many by police — during the first week of August 1990 after taking to the streets demanding a stop to rent increases, water and electricity disconnections and houses for backyard dwellers.

The protests were marred by violence and the looting of shops.

Lindy Stenekamp, 47, a brother to Deon Massyan, who was shot dead in Gelvandale, said instead of laying wreaths every August and repeating the same speeches, the government needed to take care of the families.

Stenekamp said she watched her 27-year-old brother fall to the ground after he was shot while returning from work.

“I remember the day, my brother was wearing my jersey and I could see the hole of the bullet in the chest. Since then our lives have never been the same.

“My brother was coming from work and went out to fetch my mother because the violence had escalated.

“I was sitting outside when I saw him falling and ran to him.

“We took him home and he died on the way to the hospital,” she said.

“We need to celebrate this day going forward with job creation for the living. This wreath-laying is not enough and I am tired.”

Naomi Cairncross, 44, daughter of Rodedrick DeBoer, said she was 14 when her then 33-year-old father was shot dead.

“I was still young when it happened but I remember all the effects of my father’s death when I had to become a mother and a father to my younger siblings because my mother had to work twice as hard to provide for us,” Cairncross said.

She said her father was among the men who had led the march against evictions.

“Many may not know the names of the victims but they fought a good fight.

“Now the families need help and assistance and I believe that the government in power is in a position to provide that help,” she said, adding that history books should be written about the uprising.

Northern Alliance president Gary van Niekerk, who also attended Friday’s event, said he was in matric at the time of the uprising.

“The call now is for the national recognition and national funding, but we will need both local and provincial government to come together in order for that to be a success,” he said.

Last week, the DA also commemorated the uprising at the Papenkuil Cemetery.