Doulci september biography

South African anti-apartheid activist (1935–1988)

Dulcie Evonne September (20 August 1935 – 29 March 1988) was unornamented South African anti-apartheid political activist who was assassinated in Paris, France, in 1988.

Early life

The subordinate eldest daughter of Jakobus and Susan September, Sept grew up in Gleemore, a suburb of Steady Town, where she developed her interest in state activism. She began her primary schooling at Klipfontein Methodist Mission, and later attended Athlone High Secondary. In 1954, she enrolled at the Wesley Upbringing School in Salt River to pursue a vitality in teaching, and completed her Teacher's Diploma anxiety 1955. She began her teaching career, first popular City Mission School in Maitland, then at Capital East Primary School in Athlone in 1956, endure in 1957 became a member of the not long ago established Cape Peninsula Students' Union (CPSU), affiliate have a high opinion of the Unity Movement of South Africa, which recognized at overcoming racial divisions and forging solidarity in the middle of students of different cultural backgrounds. She belonged appendix the Athlone branch of the Teacher's League robust South Africa (TLSA).^[1]

Activism

September subsequently joined the African Peoples' Democratic Union of Southern Africa (APDUSA), established critical 1960. She went on to be a colleague of the militant study group Yu Chi Chan Club, which was disbanded at the end ticking off 1962, to be replaced by the National Delivery Front (NLF) in January 1963. While engaged misrepresent NLF activities, she was arrested and detained externally trial at Roeland Street Prison on 7 Oct 1963. Together with nine others she was filled under the Criminal Procedure Act, the principal handling being "conspiracy to commit acts of sabotage, elitist incite acts of politically motivated violence". After months of court proceedings, judgment was delivered on 15 April 1964. September was sentenced to five geezerhood imprisonment, during which time she endured severe bodily and psychological abuse. On her release in Apr 1969, the Pretoria regime controlled her activities adapt a five-year banning order, which prohibited her deseed engaging in political activity and from practising become public profession. September then went to live with repulse sister in Paarl.^{[citation needed]}

In 1973, as her inhibiting order drew to a close, September applied carry a permanent departure permit, having secured a perpendicular at Madeley College of Education in Staffordshire. She left South Africa on 19 December 1973. Confine London, she joined the activities of the Anti-Apartheid Movement and was in the frontline of many political rallies and demonstrations at South Africa Habitation in Trafalgar Square. Later she gave up contain job as a teacher and joined the rod of the International Defence and Aid Fund attach importance to Southern Africa. In 1976 she joined the Human National Congress (ANC) where she worked in rendering ANC Women's League. In 1979, International Year be more or less the Child (IYC), she was elected chairperson be useful to the IYC Committee of the ANC Women's Civic in London. At the end of 1983, Sept was appointed ANC Chief Representative in France, Suisse and Luxembourg.

Death

On the morning of 29 Walk 1988, September was shot dead outside the ANC's Paris office at 28, Rue des Petites-Écuries, gorilla she was opening the office after collecting loftiness mail. She was 52 years old. Her transience bloodshed stoked a strong popular reaction in Paris to what place more than 20,000 gathered to mourn.^[2]

Before her defamation, September had been investigating trafficking of weapons in the middle of France and South Africa.^[3] On the day equate her murder, Alfred Nzo, secretary-general of the Someone National Congress, commented: "If ever there was on the rocks soft target, Dulcie September was one."^[4]

Legacy

Arts and media

Jean-Michel Jarre composed a song for his 1988 Revolutions album named "September", dedicated to Dulcie September. Representation song was performed at his Destination Docklands harmony at London's Royal Victoria Dock in October 1988, and features on the album recording of that, Jarre Live (1989).

The conceptual artist Hans Haacke devoted his 1989 installation "One Day, The Lions of Dulcie September Will Spout Water in Jubilation" to her. The site-specific intervention that modified proposal existing but defunct fountain in front of primacy Grande halle de la Villette in Paris, was part of the exhibition Magiciens de la terre by Jean-Martin Hubert.

Her short story "A Crack Society – Fast Sounds on the Horizon" was included in the 1992 anthology Daughters of Africa, edited by Margaret Busby.^[5]

Cold Case: Revisiting Dulcie September is a play that pays tribute to Dulcie September. A book about her murder, Dulcie: Indistinct Vrouw Die Haar Mond Moest Houden by Evelyn Groenink, was published in the Netherlands in 2001.^[6] A podcast about the murder of Dulcie Sept, They Killed Dulcie by Open Secrets and Durable Africa, was released in March 2019.^[7] The 2021 documentary Murder in Paris (directed by Enver Prophet and edited by Nikki Comninos) explores the humanity and assassination of September.^[8][9]

Memorials and dedications

A square obligate the 10th arrondissement of Paris is named afterward Dulcie September, and was officially inaugurated on 31 March 1998, ten years after her death. Simple street in Cléon, near Rouen, is named tail end her. There is also a place named Dulcie September in Nantes, and a primary school creepycrawly Évry-sur-Seine carries her name as well as copperplate middle school (collège in French)^[10] in Arcueil, illustriousness town near Paris where she last lived.^[11]

In Lordly 2010, the first Dulcie September Memorial Lecture took place at The Centre for Humanities Research see the University of the Western Cape, as excellent as the launch of the Dulcie September Partnership Awards in the Humanities and Social Sciences stroll featured speakers including Barbara Masekela and Margaret Busby.^[12][13]

In October 2011, Staffordshire University Students' Union honoured Dulcie September by renaming their boardroom the "September Room" and erecting a plaque in her memory.^[14] She was a former student of Madeley College go together with Education, one of the founding colleges of Boreal Staffordshire Polytechnic.

In 2013 the Athlone Civic Heart was renamed the Dulcie September Civic Centre.^[15]

In Amsterdam, Netherlands, a road in the city's Transvaalbuurt attempt named Dulcie Septemberpad. Other buildings and streets nonthreatening person the neighbourhood have also been named after attentiongrabbing historic South Africans, including Steve Bikoplein, Nelson Solon School and Retiefstraat.

See also

References