Cape Town - A lifesize bronze statue of the late Professor Kader Asmal, celebrated South African lawyer, academic, and human rights activist, is unveiled at the Long March to Freedom exhibition at Century City.
The statue joins over 100 other iconic resistance leaders and freedom fighters, honouring Asmal’s contributions to South Africa’s fight for justice, equality, and democracy.
ANC stalwart and post-apartheid Cabinet member Kader Asmal has joined other Struggle luminaries with the unveiling of a lifelike statue at the Long March to Freedom exhibition site in Century City.
Speaking at the unveiling on Thursday, former comrades and close associates recalled Asmal’s unique quirks, his hard work and his anti-apartheid campaigning, particularly in Ireland which had been his home for 27 years.
Asmal passed away on June 22, 2011, at the age of 76 having served, first, as Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry and then later as Education Minister.
Long March to Freedom exhibition, next to the N1 entrance to Century City holds more than 100 bronze statues of Struggle icons.
Former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel described Asmal, as a “remarkable and distinguished individual”.
“Part of my privilege was to have been there, in certain great moments in Kader’s life. And it's not the moments I think, it’s what happens between those moments that’s worth reflecting on,” said Manuel.
One of these moments, Manuel said was Asmal’s initial disappointment upon being appointed as Water Affairs Minister, having expected he would be Justice Minister considering his work in the field.
“If you look at his tenure, as Minister of Water Affairs, nobody remembers who preceded Kader as Minister of Water Affairs…Kader took that portfolio by the scruff of its neck and turned it into something that wasn’t just a standalone about water in pipes, it was about human rights. It was the way he lived, it was the way he believed.
“It was his determination, his dedication…we lived through a period which saw great innovations like Working for Water where you could take unemployed people in rural areas by drawing them into the process that would remove alien vegetation, make water available and provide incomes,” said Manuel.
Family friend, Lawson Naidoo said Asmal, trained as a human rights lawyer and later a professor at Dublin’s famed Trinity College, had established the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and drew up the framework for what would become South Africa’s Bill of Rights at his home, while still in exile along with retired Judge Albie Sachs.
Irish Ambassador Austin Gormley said Asmal’s name still resonated in both South Africa and Ireland- his adopted home.
“In Ireland, we too will long remember his legacy as the leader of the Anti-Apartheid Movement in Ireland, as well as his contributions at Trinity College Dublin where he taught law for over 27 years,” said Gormley.
Asmal’s widow, Louise Asmal, had been invited to participate in the unveiling but she passed away early last week.
“In terms of the bilateral relationship (between South Africa and Ireland), the Asmal thread is very central and I keep hearing it repeated. Our bilateral relations are on excellent stead, and I’m happy to say, as of yesterday (Wednesday) the South African President wrote to (Irish) President (Michael) Higgins to invite Ireland to be a guest country in the G20 Presidency. This is the first time that Ireland has been invited to the G20,” said Gormley.
National Lottery Council (NLC) acting chief operating officer Anashnee Maharaj-Doman said the Long March to Freedom exhibition had to be showcased.
She said too often the NLC became engrossed in administration and bureaucracy and officials often did not understand the impact of the work on the ground.
Maharaj-Doman described Asmal as “a giant of our time whose life and legacy remains etched in the soul of our nation”.