South African History Online

Speech by President Nelson Mandela at the launch of the Bram Fischer Memorial Trust (Grey College)

Bloemfontein, 28 November 1997

Master of ceremonies;
Principal of Grey College; members of the staff and
pupils
Distinguished guests,

It is a great honour to be with you today and share in the commemoration of
Bram Fischer.

The names of only very few people are remembered beyond their lives. And some
of those are remembered with revulsion for the harm they have done. But there
are those who are remembered for their good deeds and the contribution they have
made to the society in which they live.

Bram Fisher tel ongetwyfeld onder daardie klas van goeie mans en vroue wat op
die wyse deur alle Suid-Afrikaners in verering gehou sal word.

Ons weet egter dat dit nie altyd die geval was nie. In sy lewe het hy voor
die moeilikste keuses te staan gekom. En sy uiteindelike keuses, het hom 'n
uitgeworpene gelaat in sy eie gemeenskap en in die geledere van sy
beroepslui.

'n Man so hartstogtelik verbind tot die wet en die gereg het gesterwe as 'n
gevonnisde prisonier. 'n Afrikaner in murg en been, sonder verskoning of
voorbehoud, was soos 'n melaatse behandel deur sy eie mense.

Aan die ander kant: die seun van een van die mees vooraanstaande en
bevoorregte gesinne in die samelewing van daardie tyd, het sy lot inGewerp met
die van die armstes onder die armes.

Dit mag klink na 'n verhaal van teenstrydighede. Daardie teenstrydighede was
egter nie soseer in die man Bram Fisher nie; dit was die teenstrydighede van die
samelewing waarin hy, en talle Suid-Afrikaners, moes leef.

Ons regstelsel het in botsing gekom met die ideale van geregtigheid vanwee
die onderdrukking van die meerderheid, en die verwording van die wet om die
geregverdigde weerstand van daardie meerderheid te onderdruk.

Dit was die gedwonge skeiding van mense en die ontsegging van basiese
politieke regte op grond van ras en kleur, wat daartoe gelei het dat 'n mens se
respek vir sy medemens in stryd kon kom met sy sy trou aan eie gemeenskap.

Bram Fisher se durf en moed in die wyse waarop hy hierdie moeilike keuses
aangepak het, het dit makliker gemaak vir andere om op daardie pad te volg. Sy
beeld, toegewydheid tot die stryd vir vryheid en menswaardigheid, aktiewe
bevordering van nie-rassigheid - daarin le die fondamente van ons huidige
pogings tot versoening.

Now that we have won the freedom and the democracy for which Bram Fischer
gave so much, South Africans are no longer confronted by such deeply painful and
costly decisions.

We have a constitution, as the fundamental law of our land, which entrenches
our people's democratic ideals, and we have institutions to ensure that our
legal system does not deviate from the principles of justice.

All of us are now free to think of ourselves as South Africans and members of
a particular community without any tension or conflict; part of a nation that is
strong and united in its diversity.

All of us are now free to think of ourselves as South Africans and members of
a particular community without any tension or conflict; part of a nation that is
strong and united in its diversity.

And yet it would be wrong to think that there will no longer be difficult
choices to make, though thankfully they will not be painful or dangerous.

The road to a just, prosperous and equitable society will take many years to
travel.

Democracy has brought us the chance to address the legacy of our unjust and
divided past. Great progress has been made in reconciling those who were once in
conflict, and the Free State has set a shining example in this regard. The basic
amenities of life are beginning to become accessible to the majority to whom
they were denied.

But we have only made a start. Our hard-won rights will remain empty shells,
and our democracy fragile, if they do not bring real improvements in the daily
lives of all our people.

Oor die afgelope drie jaar het ons die grondslae gele vir daardie verbetering
in lewensgehalte; om nou suksesvol daarop voort te bou, sal 'n volgehoue poging
van - en vennootskap tussen - die sektore van ons samelewing vereis. En dit sal
oor baie jare volgehou moet word.

In daardie gesamentlike nasionale poging, sal die jeug van vandag, en die wat
nog op skool is, 'n kritieke rol moet speel. In teenstelling met vorige
geslagte, het alle Suid-Afrikaanse kinders vandag die geleentheid tot ordentlike
en behoorlike onderwys. Dit is nou julle plig en verantwoordelikheid om daardie
geleenthede aan te gryp en die vaardighede te bekom wat ons land so dringend
benodig.

Die vaardighede wat ons deur onderwys bekom, stel ons tot vele dinge in
staat. Dit geld veral vir diegene wat bevoorreg is om skole en inrigtings wat
goed toegerus is by te woon. Soos, byvoorbeeld hierdie skool, Grey Kollege.

I had the privilege earlier this morning to visit Tsoseletso High School in
Mangaung, not far from here. There too I found an institution committed to
excellence, pupils and teachers whose discipline and commitment have brought
outstanding and inspiring academic achievement.

They, like you and all other young South Africans, will face choices as to
how you will use what you gain through your education.

By associating the name of Bram Fischer with education, as we do in launching
the memorial trust, we are not only opening up access to this particular
educational institution and boosting its resources still further.

We are saying that the challenges of reconstruction and development which we
face today are even greater than those of the liberation struggle; that we need
as much as ever the courage, patriotism and commitment to justice above narrow
self-interest which shone so strongly in Bram Fischer; and that education brings
an opportunity, and a duty, to contribute to the realisation of the ideals which
his the name represents.

And we are affirming that education has an important part to play in
nurturing the leaders of tomorrow.

We count on the pupils of this school, present and future, to live up to
these Ideals. Together we can build the country of our dreams.

Issued by: Office of the President