Forty-one years have passed since the Duncan Village massacre. For some, 41 years is long enough for the memories of August 1985 to fade into the background of SA’s troubled history.
Yet for the survivors and families who lost loved ones during the massacre, the pain has never belonged only to the past.
The annual remembrance is more than a date on the calendar.
It is an opportunity to honour those whose lives were cut short, to listen to survivors whose memories remain vivid, and to acknowledge the suffering carried by families and the wider Duncan Village community for generations.
The victims must never become statistics in the history of our country.
Behind every name was a parent, a child, a sibling, a friend and a neighbour.
Their deaths changed families forever and left wounds that cannot simply be measured in years.
For the residents of Duncan Village, remembering is also about dignity.
Communities that have endured violence and loss deserve more than ceremonies and speeches.
They deserve to see their history respected, their stories preserved and their legitimate concerns about justice, development and opportunity taken seriously.
For one of the organisers, Mxolisi Qebeyi, the massacre left him with permanent physical and emotional scars.
He still has three bullets lodged in his body.
When he and other youngsters embarked on a protest at the time, they had dreams of a better future: nice houses, vehicles, and that their children would study and wouldn’t be suffering as they did during apartheid.
Now, he and his cohort are disillusioned. Very little of what they expected has come to fruition.
Forty-one years later, remembrance should therefore challenge all of us.
What have we learnt from Duncan Village?
Have we done enough to ensure that the sacrifices of those who died were not in vain?
And are we building a society in which communities are heard before grievances become crises and where human life is valued regardless of who the people are or where they live?
The answers cannot be found only in official statements.
They must be reflected in how government, community leaders and society engage with the people of Duncan Village today.
We should remember the victims not simply with sorrow, but with a commitment to truth, justice, dignity and peace.
We should remember the survivors not only for what they endured, but for the resilience they have shown.
Forty-one years on, the message of remembrance is clear: we remember so that the dead are honoured, the living are heard and future generations do not inherit the same violence.
Duncan Village remembers. SA must remember with it.
Daily Dispatch
