ABU ASVAT MEMORIAL JUNIOR CRICKET TOURNAMENT 7 - 8 S E P T E M B E R 2 01 3 10th Edition ABU ASVAT INSTITUTE for Nation Building Who was Abu Baker Asvat A R O A D T O H U M A N R I G H T S – Q U R AY S H P A T E L Twenty-four years and buses all night from on 27 January 1989. He patients, and comrades eight months ago on a hot faraway places with names died trying to fight off the wanted to pay their last January afternoon, crowds that are hard to remember hired guns. The assassins respects, and they lived far of mourners stretching and now mostly forgotten. were convicted and given away. It is a tribute to the more than a kilometre All of them had known long sentences. One died organisers that they were walked from Impala him as friend, or patient recently and the other able to arrange fleets of Crescent in Lenasia to the or political ally; some walks the streets having buses to ferry passengers Avalon cemetery across the knew him as Hurley, others paid his debt to society. from around the country in Moroka Bypass separating as Abu and many as Dr The court found that time for the funeral the the former Indian group Asvat. The Lenasia doctor's robbery was the motive for next day. area from Soweto. Rockville, Soweto, surgery the murder. At the time Dr Asvat had travelled Young men journeyed in had become a place of rumours abounded that Dr widely around the Highveld cars and buses but many, refuge. The surgery was Asvat had come into with his mobile clinic and including older folk, the only hope for a mother dangerous knowledge band of dedicated volun- insisted on walking the full who needed medicine for about murderers parading teer nurses, students, gruelling four kilometres. her children and herself; it as freedom fighters. doctors and activists. He “To honour him, was was the place you would go Dr Asvat was a Muslim took medicine and he what one old woman said to when you were broke - so custom dictates that recorded the devastation at the time. So they walked or just broken. they should have buried wreaked by a criminal when they could have rode That surgery was also him that night. The government. To this day, in comfortable buses. It the place of death. It was doctor's family acceded to no one knows the regular took a full hour for them where two assassins, one requests to postpone the source of his abundant to reach the cemetery. with a gun, shot the doctor burial to the next day supplies of food, tents, Some had travelled in twice late in the afternoon because so many friends, clothing and medicine. In one village - at an black consciousness that always brought 1988 the anti-apartheid asbestos mine - fathers and supporter; Mrs Sisulu, like trouble to his door and newspaper The Indicator sons died young. Dr Asvat her legendary husband infuriated friend and foe. honoured him with the and a group of activists Walter, was an ANC A passionate cricketer Human Rights Award. At helped to record the extent stalwart. he led his club and the the ceremony he urged for of the problem. It is Dr Asvat also worked province to assist in closer links between comforting to know that closely with Mrs Winnie isolating the apartheid Soweto and Lenasia and he the new democratic Madikizela Mandela for government internation- spoke movingly about government banned more than 10 years. Every ally. homeless people living in asbestos mining in the project that he worked on A generation has grown limbo. country in 1998. It is had as its objective a up since his assassination. Disturbing questions nevertheless disquieting to public good. They need to know that continue to hang over the hear that no one is taking And for that security they can be proud of the assassination of one of the responsibility to clean up policemen beat him up, many, many people in our country's passionate the asbestos that lies they threatened to hurt his country who chose a road human rights activists. A around in plain sight, family, they fire-bombed that brought neither fame second police investigation slowly poisoning the men, his house, detained him nor fortune; that our in the 1990s into Dr women and children. regularly for interroga- history is rich with Asvat’s death yielded no Holding fort at the tions, his old surgery idealists and visionaries results. The hearing of the surgery was the energetic opposite a shack settle- and, curiously, men and Truth and Reconciliation president of the United ment that housed many of women who believed – and Committee raised more Democratic Front, Mrs his patients was gutted - still do - that giving, not questions and still no Albertina Sisulu, who but he continued to speak receiving, makes you answers. His wife Zohra regarded the doctor as “my often and loudly about wealthy. Asvat and children Akiel, son”. The doctor was the abuses against black He was the recipient of Haseena and Suliman national health secretary people. It was that The Star newspaper’s deserve to know. of Azapo and an ardent stubborn ethical streak community award and in 1 ABU ASVAT INSTITUTE for Nation Building W H A T I S T H E I N S T I T U T E The Institute is a non- volunteerism and selfless- emphasis on the disad- the chains of our psycho- profit NGO that was found- ness engaging with re- vantaged. logical separation, even ed in 2004 by friends of the sources of willing individu- ¥ To promote broad now, two decades after late activist Dr Abubaker als as well as organisations, participation in social, Hurley’s tragic death. Hurley Asvat. The Institute be prepared to initiate pro- political, economic and Other projects include, is dedicated to the promo- jects to overcome these sporting development the Abu Asvat Memorial tion of Nation Building on challenges. The Institute programmes to enrich the Junior Cricket Tournament, the basis of a set of values operates on an associative lives of individuals and which will be celebrating its that embody the thinking basis by initiating projects community collectives. 10th edition on the 7th and and practice of the late Dr. in the community with like- ¥ To promote activities 8th Sept 2013.This tourna- Asvat. minded organisations aimed at countering dis- ment has become a key These values include: adopting an all-inclusive crimination based on event in the promotion of ¥ The promotion of self- approach that engenders a race, sex, religion and sporting and social develop- reliance and community practical impact on the ethnicity. ment for young cricketers service. community. The projects ¥ To promote programs from the Gauteng area, with ¥ The promotion of prac- cover many spheres of aimed at the generation specific focus on the ticality and activism in human activity such as of a collective national disadvantaged communities. our community activities. health, education, sport consciousness in South The Institute has also ¥ Justice, integrity and and other areas benefitting Africa. begun running youth respect for all. the community. The com- ¥ To encourage the workshops with an ¥ The promotion of anti- mitment of the Institute is participation of youth in emphasis on anti racism racism, anti-sexism and to establish solid projects all of the above. and community service. non-sectarianism that are sustainable which A major legacy project is The Abu Asvat Memorial The Abu Asvat Institute will ultimately draw in the the naming of the road Lecture this year focussed consists of individuals from community itself for linking Lenasia to Soweto on education, with specific all walks of life, who found continuity. after Abu as a fitting tri- reference to how commu- inspiration in the life of Dr. The aims of the institute bute to him. One of his nity organisations can play Abu Baker Asvat, and felt are: credos is the promotion of a role in positively interven- that to further these values ¥ To promote activities solidarity between the two ing in our school education. would be the greatest aimed at inculcating self- communities. Abu worked All these projects are tribute that we could pay to reliance in our communi- ceaselessly to break down carried out by volunteers a remarkable human being. ties, with particular artificial barriers – the who are motivated by the With the realities of poverty emphasis on the less establishment of Lenasia legacy of Dr. Asvat. The among the masses of our fortunate of South Africa. and Soweto is a relic of the Institute calls on like people, the lack of essential ¥ To promote activities Group Areas Act of the minded organisations and amenities and a dependency supporting health pro- Apartheid Government. individuals to partner with complex, the founding of an grammes in our commu- Naming this link after Abu us in ensuring that this Institute based on nities, with particular is important in breaking legacy endures. 2 The tenth Abu Asvat ary spirit and their teams and players. In Tournament is a demon- convictions are incorrupt- addition they open up stration of a free people's ible. minds and give our young commitment to restore Over the years the people the reason to dream human dignity to one tournaments were, and big and thrive. Related another as well as to all the remain, the celebration of memorial annual Abu Asvat marginalised, promote compassion, ubuntu, moral lectures, media coverage community service and principles and hope that and other public awareness- nation building.