‘Outspoken and committed’: SA mourns ANC veteran Ben Turok

ANC veteran Ben Turok’s career has been anything but dull.

Turok, who died today at the age of 92, was an activist for the ANC in the 1950s and instrumental in drafting the Freedom Charter. He was an accused in the 1956 Treason Trial, was incarcerated under the Explosives Act in 1963 - serving three years in prison. He went into exile for 25 years.

Turok returned to South Africa in 1994 and became a member of Parliament.

In 2011 the economics professor was hauled over the coals by the ANC’s disciplinary committee for not towing the party line and voting for the Protection of State Information Bill when it was before the National Assembly. He said at the time that his objection was that the bill had ethical shortcomings.

That non-vote

In an interview in the Mail & Guardian earlier this year, Turok spoke candidly – as was his wont – about the vote.

“The Presidency and Luthuli House wanted this legislation but it was very draconian. You have never seen anything like it. It was really Gestapo stuff. Everything would be monitored. You can’t believe it. East German stuff, the way you create control.”

He said he couldn’t believe it when it became a bill.

“I left home on the day of the vote [on the bill] and I still wasn’t sure [what to do]. And I was driving to Parliament. ... and I thought, I can’t do it.”

When the motion was made in Parliament, he wrote a note to the chief whip and slipped out.

“I thought nobody saw me but the gallery did. Within 10 minutes of leaving, my phone was ringing and the whole media were on to me. My phone did not stop ringing.”

A week or two later he received a charge sheet from Luthuli House.

“It read exactly like a police charge sheet that begins with ‘you are accused etc, etc’ and what I was accused of was counter revolution. That was the exact phrase used. Wow, I was angry. I was furious. I thought I was acting on principle and they called me a counter-revolutionary? Because I voted against that bloody thing? So, I was fuming as you could imagine.”

On Zuma

In 2014 City Press ran an article quoting Turok as saying there was no doubt that former president Jacob Zuma benefited from Nkandla so he should pay up and finally put the controversy to rest.

Turok said the country was faced with an economic crisis – stagnant growth in key industries and growth of just 1.4%. These matters required urgent attention, yet the Nkandla controversy was wearing the country down, he said.

On serving in Parliament

In the interview in the Mail & Guardian, Turok spoke about state capture, democracy and his role in it, and the 20 years he spent as a member of Parliament.

“It is a very mixed experience,” he said.

“On the one hand you feel very honoured to be in the South African democratic Parliament and it gives you a very nice feeling, especially in the days of [Nelson] Mandela and even [Thabo] Mbeki. One shouldn’t underplay that — the pride in one’s country and in the ruling party at the time.

“Of course, things went rather differently under Zuma when one became rather disgusted being part of a machine, which was really not taking any action against a corrupt president. I must say that we didn’t know just how corrupt he was.”

His family

Turok’s outspokenness was hailed by his family.

“He was always outspoken and dedicated his whole life to fighting for freedom, equality and social justice in South Africa. He was a loyal, lifetime member of the ANC, but retained an independent perspective throughout,” a family statement announcing his death this morning said.

“He asked for his death to marked by a private ceremony, rather than anything official or formal, in view of the present predicament facing the country.

“His wisdom and counsel will be sorely missed.”

African Alternatives

While in exile, Turok established the Institute for African Alternatives as a vehicle to oppose the structural adjustment programmes of the IMF and the World Bank, choosing to rather promote African self-reliance.

Today, staff from the Institute for African Alternatives said Turok had remained determinedly committed to equality, nonracialism and full human rights and he demanded dignity for all the people of South Africa.

“Above all he fought to the very end, demanding transformation for all in South Africa. Never one to fear making his voice heard, he sounded strong criticism of the corruption and abuse of power in South Africa and was especially concerned at how the raiding of the fiscus by criminal elements in power hurt the poorest and the most vulnerable in our society most of all,” a statement from the institute said.

“He died still fighting; in his very last written statement he asked ‘Is there a way out of this mess’ and demanded ‘what has happened to all the aspirations for creating a society which benefits all, including the poor and unemployed?’ He had angry words for those riding high and disregarding their responsibility of providing benefits for the rest.”

The staff said Turok inspired them and instilled in them all an understanding and abhorrence of injustice.

“We will keep this alive and the same can surely be said of all those with whom he came into contact.”