Joseph Hendricks: A Tribute To A Towering Symbol Of Student Resistance

GUY Moguet was a fervent militant of the Young Communists during the German occupation of Paris by Germany and the installation of the Vichy Government.

As a result of his militant activities and his father’s involvement during the resistance, Guy was arrested and given the death sentence. Before he was shot in 1941, Guy wrote a letter in which he said: “Je vais mourir! Ce que je vous demande, toi, en particulier ma petite maman, c’est d’etre courageuse.Je le suis et je veux l’etre autant que ceux qui sont passes avant moi.Certes, j’aurais voulu vivre.Mais ce que je souhaite de tout mon coeur, c’est que ma mort serve à quelque chose.(…) A toi petit papa, si je t’ai fait ainsi qu’a ma petite maman, bien des peines, je te salue une derniere fois.Sache que j’ai fait de mon mieux pour suivre la voie que tu m’as tracée.(…) 17 ans 1/2, ma vie a ete courte, je n’ai aucun regret, si ce n’est de vous quitter tous.Je vais mourir avec Tintin, Michels.Maman, ce que je te demande, ce que je veux que tu me promettes, c’est d’etre courageuse et de surmonter ta peine.”(In English this roughly translates as the young man saying that he did not regret his life, although short, and although he would prefer to have lived, he hopes his death would serve some purpose.He calls on his family to be courageous and overcome their sorrow – Ed).This moving letter will be read by learners at schools in France at the beginning of each school year to remind them about the sacrifices of this young militant.In addition to this, Guy has a Parisian metro and street named after him.Guy is not of much relevance to our history as Namibians, but there are striking similarities and sad contradictions between Guy Moquet and Joseph Hendricks in his late teens.Alas, for the latter, he is not seen as a hero in a country he helped liberate and his brave history remains stuck in an unresolved chapter of our liberation history; the detainee issue which anew causes so much ennui in our post-independence politics.As such, a number of unknowns remain about what happened to Joseph Hendricks.It is for this reason that I requested a friend to do an interview in May 2007 with Joseph Hendricks’s family for more clarity about the life and times of Joseph Hendricks beyond what I know about him as a student leader.The only reference I have of this late/missing fearless student leader is one following his meetings during one of the most defining hours of our liberation struggle: the student protests of the late 1980s.In particular, the meetings, led by this cadre at various venues around Windhoek; at Immanuel Shifidi Secondary School, A Shipena High School and Dawid Bezuidenhout.Somehow, my admiration for this cadre was born out of his sense of politics and an unconditional duty to serve the liberation of this country.Admittedly, I chose to attend his meetings out of choice and condition for two reasons: First it was extremely annoying because Joseph Hendricks would taunt at his meetings an army of apartheid security forces in those infamous Casspirs.On the other hand, one felt reassured simply because Joseph Hendricks was fearless and committed to the struggle.On one of the numerous occasions on which Joseph Hendricks was imprisoned by the colonial government, he wrote a letter in which he says: “Al sluit julle my tien jaar op sal my mede kamerade die stryd voort sit.As julle my R20 0000 boete gee sal ek my mede kamerade help om die stryd te voer teen die koloniale regering.Aluta Continua!!!” Thus, the question as to whether Joseph Hendricks at 20 years is a vanguard or vandal should not be posed; he is a vanguard student leader of his time.And the mother of Joseph Hendricks does not demand more, she just feels insulted that her son’s contribution to the liberation of this country is not part of the official liberation narrative.It is in part for Joseph Hendricks contribution that I defend an inverse conception about the detainee issue.The voice of this young committed firebrand has been silenced, but there is no doubt that Joseph Hendricks inspired many of us.We have to be proud of this cadre, who gave so much for the liberation of this country.We live in a country whose sense of history and recognition is based on those who are fashionable with those who command the power of the state.The moment we fall out “fashion”, our place and role becomes contested.But I implore that this country, out of fairness, owes so much to the family of Joseph Hendricks and those who lost their loved ones.Out of that sense of history, we need to enter this young revolutionary in our republican eternity.I admit that this was a difficult chapter for Swapo as a liberation movement and perhaps as a ruling party.But it is even more difficult for the mother of Joseph Hendricks.Betraying Joseph Hendricks, a towering symbol of student resistance, is denying the contribution of students to the liberation of this country.Just like Guy Môguet, the life of Joseph Hendricks, gone missing at 20, was short, but we have to admit that his blood waters our freedom.This column dedicated to the life of Joseph Hendricks should be just a beginning in what ought to be a campaign of conviction by student leaders of the time as well as contemporary student leaders to put the name of Joseph Hendricks in its rightful place; the pantheon of liberation fighters.*Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari is a PhD fellow in political science at the University of Paris-Panthéon Sorbonne, France.Before he was shot in 1941, Guy wrote a letter in which he said: “Je vais mourir! Ce que je vous demande, toi, en particulier ma petite maman, c’est d’etre courageuse.Je le suis et je veux l’etre autant que ceux qui sont passes avant moi.Certes, j’aurais voulu vivre.Mais ce que je souhaite de tout mon coeur, c’est que ma mort serve à quelque chose.(…) A toi petit papa, si je t’ai fait ainsi qu’a ma petite maman, bien des peines, je te salue une derniere fois.Sache que j’ai fait de mon mieux pour suivre la voie que tu m’as tracée.(…) 17 ans 1/2, ma vie a ete courte, je n’ai aucun regret, si ce n’est de vous quitter tous.Je vais mourir avec Tintin, Michels.Maman, ce que je te demande, ce que je veux que tu me promettes, c’est d’etre courageuse et de surmonter ta peine.”(In English this roughly translates as the young man saying that he did not regret his life, although short, and although he would prefer to have lived, he hopes his death would serve some purpose.He calls on his family to be courageous and overcome their sorrow – Ed).This moving letter will be read by learners at schools in France at the beginning of each school year to remind them about the sacrifices of this young militant.In addition to this, Guy has a Parisian metro and street named after him.Guy is not of much relevance to our history as Namibians, but there are striking similarities and sad contradictions between Guy Moquet and Joseph Hendricks in his late teens.Alas, for the latter, he is not seen as a hero in a country he helped liberate and his brave history remains stuck in an unresolved chapter of our liberation history; the detainee issue which anew causes so much ennui in our post-independence politics.As such, a number of unknowns remain about what happened to Joseph Hendricks.It is for this reason that I requested a friend to do an interview in May 2007 with Joseph Hendricks’s family for more clarity about the life and times of Joseph Hendricks beyond what I know about him as a student leader.The only reference I have of this late/missing fearless student leader is one following his meetings during one of the most defining hours of our liberation struggle: the student protests of the late 1980s.In particular, the meetings, led by this cadre at various venues around Windhoek; at Immanuel Shifidi Secondary School, A Shipena High School and Dawid Bezuidenhout.Somehow, my admiration for this cadre was born out of his sense of politics and an unconditional duty to serve the liberation of this country.Admittedly, I chose to attend his meetings out of choice and condition for two reasons: First it was extre
mely annoying because Joseph Hendricks would taunt at his meetings an army of apartheid security forces in those infamous Casspirs.On the other hand, one felt reassured simply because Joseph Hendricks was fearless and committed to the struggle.On one of the numerous occasions on which Joseph Hendricks was imprisoned by the colonial government, he wrote a letter in which he says: “Al sluit julle my tien jaar op sal my mede kamerade die stryd voort sit.As julle my R20 0000 boete gee sal ek my mede kamerade help om die stryd te voer teen die koloniale regering.Aluta Continua!!!” Thus, the question as to whether Joseph Hendricks at 20 years is a vanguard or vandal should not be posed; he is a vanguard student leader of his time.And the mother of Joseph Hendricks does not demand more, she just feels insulted that her son’s contribution to the liberation of this country is not part of the official liberation narrative.It is in part for Joseph Hendricks contribution that I defend an inverse conception about the detainee issue.The voice of this young committed firebrand has been silenced, but there is no doubt that Joseph Hendricks inspired many of us.We have to be proud of this cadre, who gave so much for the liberation of this country.We live in a country whose sense of history and recognition is based on those who are fashionable with those who command the power of the state.The moment we fall out “fashion”, our place and role becomes contested.But I implore that this country, out of fairness, owes so much to the family of Joseph Hendricks and those who lost their loved ones.Out of that sense of history, we need to enter this young revolutionary in our republican eternity.I admit that this was a difficult chapter for Swapo as a liberation movement and perhaps as a ruling party.But it is even more difficult for the mother of Joseph Hendricks.Betraying Joseph Hendricks, a towering symbol of student resistance, is denying the contribution of students to the liberation of this country.Just like Guy Môguet, the life of Joseph Hendricks, gone missing at 20, was short, but we have to admit that his blood waters our freedom.This column dedicated to the life of Joseph Hendricks should be just a beginning in what ought to be a campaign of conviction by student leaders of the time as well as contemporary student leaders to put the name of Joseph Hendricks in its rightful place; the pantheon of liberation fighters.*Alfredo Tjiurimo Hengari is a PhD fellow in political science at the University of Paris-Panthéon Sorbonne, France.