Ashley Kriel

Ashley Kriel
Born
Ashley James Kriel

(1966-10-17)17 October 1966
Bonteheuwel, Cape Town
South Africa
Died9 July 1987(1987-07-09) (aged 20)
Athlone, Cape Town
Cause of deathShot by the South African Police
OccupationStudent
Known forAnti-apartheid activism

Ashley Kriel (17 October 1966 – 9 July 1987) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who was killed by police in Cape Town on 9 July 1987[1][2] for his role in the anti-apartheid movement. In 1999, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission granted Jeffrey Benzien amnesty for his part in the killing.[3]

Life

Kriel was born on 17 October 1966[4] in Bonteheuwel, a working-class township on Cape Town's Cape Flats.[5]

Death and funeral

The circumstances around Kriel's death have never been clearly established. According to Benzien, a security policeman known for his "wet-bag" torture of activists, he was shot by accident during a scuffle. However, forensic scientist David Klatzow believes Kriel was shot from a distance while handcuffed. His sister Michel returned to the house and found blood in numerous places, inside and outside, including on a spade, and believes he was tortured. In spite of the doubts around Benzien's testimony, he was granted amnesty by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.[6][7]

Kriel's funeral was attacked by South African police with tear gas.[8]

Legacy

On his release from prison in February 1990, Nelson Mandela acknowledged Ashley Kriel's sacrifice for the anti-apartheid struggle in his speech in Paarl.[9][10]

In his memory, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation and the University of the Western Cape created the annual Ashley Kriel Memorial Youth Lecture[11] to highlight youth leadership challenges throughout the country.

The Ashley Kriel Youth Leadership Development Project

The project was established because of the inspiration from Cape Town youth leader Ashley Kriel who was killed by the apartheid regime in the 1980s. He is recognised as representative of students and youth of the 1980s from the Cape Flats in the Western Cape. Ashley Kriel is a symbol of youths bringing about social change in and out of the Western Cape.[12]

The program involves youth in many various platforms, including physical and electronic, the project also promotes debate about youth leadership and development. By connecting a cross-section of youth from different societies, the project aims to develop young future leaders.[13]

Memory Box Initiative

Projects are combined to focus on the fostering of conversation and the sharing of personal narratives and community histories in Worcester, as means of furthering reconciliation and the impact on the IJRs Ashley Kriel Youth Leadership Development Project and Schools' Oral History.

The project aims to provide a platform whereby stories of community members in Worcester can be explored through different aspects of Arts and Theatre-based activities that create space for dialogue, peace-building, social justice and public participation.

The key element throughout the projects is the closing of the generational gap between youth and generations from different eras within the community's history, including the former anti-apartheid activists with the aim of encouraging the connection between the two eras by sharing experiences and memories.

References

  1. ^ Battersby, John D. (19 July 1987). "Labor Federation Backs Anti-Pretoria Rebels". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  2. ^ Police Fire Tear Gas Into Crowd at a Funeral in South Africa, New York Times, 19 July 1987
  3. ^ "Truth and Reconciliation Commission Amnesty Committee, Application in Terms of Section 18 of The Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation Act No. 34 of 1995. Jeffrey Theodore Benzien Applicant". www.justice.gov.za. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Ashley James Kriel". South African History Online. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  5. ^ Raubenheimer, Graeme (24 September 2022). "Bonteheuwel honours freedom fighter Ashley Kriel and others this Heritage Day". EWN. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  6. ^ Gasant Abarder (4 March 2016). "The world will know the story of Ashley Kriel". Independent Online. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  7. ^ Gadeeja Abbas (4 March 2016). "Ashley Kriel: 'It was murder'". Independent Online. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  8. ^ "Tear Gas Fired at Funeral Procession". AP NEWS. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  9. ^ SOUTH AFRICA'S NEW ERA; Transcript of Mandela's Speech at Cape Town City Hall: 'Africa It Is Ours!, New York Times, 12 February 1990
  10. ^ Nelson Mandela's address on his release from prison
  11. ^ Ashley Kriel Memorial Youth Lecture[permanent dead link‍]
  12. ^ "Freedom to create change: A collection of young voices" (PDF). Institute of Justice and Reconciliation. Institute of Justice and Reconciliation. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
  13. ^ Hirsch, Matthew. "Project building bridges between communities". Atlantic Sun. Atlantic Sun. Retrieved 29 June 2020.