Legendary photojournalist Dr Peter Magubane was extolled as fearless freedom fighter who touched the hearts of many by exposing apartheid police brutality.
The words of gratitude were uttered during Magubane’s funeral service held at the Bryanston Methodist Church in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
The 91-year-old politician who fought architects and agents of apartheid died on January 1, was honoured by various speakers; President Cyril Ramaphosa, African National Congress (ANC) Veterans’ League president Snuki Zikalala, Gauteng premier Panyaza Lusufi, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa, former President Thabo Mbeki and Veteran actor and playwright Dr John Kani among the delegates.
President Ramaphosa said in his eulogy, that having read many written tributes that have been penned over the past week by people who worked alongside him and were mentored by him, it is clear that the description of him as a legend is a fitting one.
“As the New York Times obituary put it, Peter Magubane’s images documenting the cruelty and violence of Apartheid drew global acclaim, but punishment to him at home included beatings, detentions, imprisonment and 586 consecutive days of solitary confinement,” said Ramaphosa.
“Despite all attempts to break his spirit and to take him away from his craft, he would not put his camera down. We have heard of how he would smuggle his cameras into hollowed-out bread, milk cartons and I am told even the Bible, to take pictures without the notice of the authorities.”
He also said Dr Magubane's images and those of his peers, upended Hendrik Verwoerd's great lie that apartheid was benign, benevolent and a system of separate but equal and so-called good neighbourliness.
“Peter Magubane's archive testifies to an extraordinary rage. He left work which will be studied for generations to come. A great tree has fallen. We mourn Dr Magubane and pay tribute to his legacy,” he concluded.
Gauteng Premier Lesufi said Dr Magubane was a gentle giant excellent storyteller and a struggle hero. “When the said a picture is worth a thousand words, I think they meant Dr Magubane,” he uttered.
ANC Veterans’ League president Zikalala said Dr Magubane was prepared to risk his life to take quality pictures of the atrocious Apartheid living and working conditions of the black majority in South Africa.
“His pictures exposed Apartheid police and other brutality against South African activists who were protesting against the suppressive laws which discriminated against the majority in their own country,” he said.
Veteran actor John Kani said Magubane's pictures saved his when he was arrested by the apartheid government which accused him of practising communist activities.
"While I was in my cell on the 20th day, a piece of paper from the Daily Dispatch with a picture of them dragging me, that was the first time I fell asleep because that photo meant they could not kill me because the world knows they have me and that was the job done by Peter Magubane,” said Kani.
Earlier, Kodwa said Dr Magubane used his camera as his AK47 to defeat apartheid. “It was his camera that mobilised the world that the United Nations isolated South Africa," he said.
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