“Imam Haron would have been proud of higher education transformation” – Pandor

All those living in a post-Apartheid, democratic South Africa owe a debt of gratitude to the thousands of men and women – one of whom was Imam Abdullah Haron – who established an example of courage, commitment, humanity and sacrifice for everyone to emulate.

Addressing the sixth annual Imam Haron Memorial Lecture at the Solly and Zohra Noor Auditorium at Islamia College in Lansdowne on 29 October 2013, Home Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor paid tribute to Imam Haron as one of Cape Town’s great sons who was a leader in the struggle for liberation and one of the earliest martyrs.

“Part of his legacy lies in his work with young people and I am sure that he would have been proud of what we have been able to achieve in transforming higher education (or the post-school sector) since our liberation in 1994.

“Leaders in South Africa constantly need to remind themselves that they did not come into leadership in an ideologically or morally barren socio-political landscape. They have inherited the history and mandate of a wide range of leaders who have left an indelible mark in society,” Pandor said.

The Minister added that that government will continue to promote excellence in research at universities, something a leader of such wide interests like Imam Haron would certainly be concerned about.

“We are short of our target for PhDs. South Africa produces 1 200 PhD graduates a year, and we have set ourselves a target of 6000 a year by 2018.

“In particular, this must focus on the black community, especially black women, post-graduates and the provision of financial and academic support,” she added.

Before Minister Pandor’s speech, IAHET Trustee Mary Burton read out a message of support sent by the Neil Aggett Support Group (NASG) which also included a call for the prosecution of his Apartheid security police interrogators. Aggett, a former trade unionist, died in police detention in 1982 at the age of 28.

The NASG, which comprises his family, friends and social justice activists, and is enjoined by the highly respected Khulumani Support Group – representing about 85000 victims of apartheid abuses – together with Aggett’s former trade union, the Food Allied Workers Union, aims to not only bring his former tormentors to justice in South Africa’s courts, and discover the truth of his death. The NASG also seeks to celebrate the immeasurable legacies for which people like Imam Haron, Steve Biko, Ahmed Timol and a swathe of freedom fighters paid the ultimate price.