Today we commemorate 37 years after the brutal murder of Apartheid activist Steve Biko.

Steve Biko’s murder was a watershed moment in the fight against Apartheid.

It exposed the brutality of the apartheid state, and the importance of entrenching human rights in a constitution.

We now have a rights based constitution thanks to the struggle symbolised today by the death of Steve Biko. We must protect these rights and freedoms and make them real for all South Africans.  
At the time of his death, Steve Biko was a powerful voice of the powerless.

Today, We encourage every South African to be a powerful voice within our present time and context.

Steve Biko once said “In time, we shall be in a position to bestow on South Africa the greatest possible gift - a more human face.”

We now have a constitution that all South Africans can be proud of. A constitution that is inclusive of all South Africans, giving a voice to the powerless.

In honouring Biko we also honour those who made sure the world was exposed to the brutality of his death, including former journalist and anti-apartheid activist Helen Zille.

It is therefore our responsibility to ensure that the ideals Steve Biko died for are upheld and that we fight for the integrity of this freedom we have attained.

This is the legacy that Steve Biko left behind and a legacy we must all honour.

Issued by the DA