SA bids farewell to Beyers

JOHANNESBURG – South Africans at a touching ceremony Saturday paid farewell to legendary Afrikaner cleric Beyers Naude once labelled a traitor by his own people for rejecting his church’s biblical justification of apartheid.

‘Oom Bey’ (Uncle Bey), as he was affectionately known, was remembered by several hundreds of mourners of all creed and colour at a special official funeral in Johannesburg after he died on September 7 at the age of 89. “The sacrifices he made guaranteed us our peace and reconciliation, because they told those who might sought vengeance that the Afrikaner people are not their enemies, because Beyers Naude was not their enemy, but their comrade, friend and leader,” South African President Thabo Mbeki told family members, friends and high-profile politicians in a eulogy.Naude’s 91-year-old wife, Ilse, dressed in a stylish blue suit and matching lilac blouse, looked frail as her children escorted her into the church where she laid orchids on the casket of the man she was married to for 64 years.A military procession carried his casket, covered with the colourful South African flag, to the soft beat of drums into the front of the church where a large framed picture of the charismatic Naude stood on a table next to a burning candle and a huge bunch of cheerful flowers.The tribute to Naude took place at the same church in Northcliff, Johannesburg, where he, in 1963, delivered a life-changing sermon in which denounced the Dutch Reformed Church’s justification of apartheid.After that he resigned as moderator of the church to create a multi-racial Christian centre.Naude, who was born into a prominent Afrikaner family, was a minister in the Afrikaner church for 20 years before he made the crucial decision to resign from both the church and the ‘Broederbond’ (Brother Bond), a secret Afrikaner society that spear-headed the apartheid movement.The so-called Sharpeville massacre in 1960, where more than a hundred blacks were killed in a peaceful protest march against apartheid, was Naude’s “Damascus experience”, Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu said.”He preached his last sermon in this church,” Tutu said in a moving sermon.”He was ostracised, he was vilified, he was a ‘verraaier’ (traitor), a sell-out of his own people.”(But) he helped many blacks to embrace non-racialism … he listened to the heartbeat of those deemed less than men,” Tutu said.He recalled how the Dutch Reformed Church after the end of apartheid held a special function to apologise to Naude for the years of his banning.”He came up to me and he had tears in his eyes and he said, ‘I’m so thankful it happened while Ilse (his wife) and I were still alive’,” Tutu told mourners.A family friend and anti-apartheid activist Carl Niehaus in a tribute to Naude recalled how he had told him, “I’ve never been as alone as I was then”, referring to the time when he for the first time spoke out against the church.Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela did not attend the ceremony, but a message to Naude’s family was read on his behalf.”We — persons like Beyers, I and others of our age — are a generation steadily passing on.We have in recent months and years so regularly walked in this procession coming to lay a wreath at the grave of one of ours.”A great man of our nation has laid down his spear.Hamba kahle (go well), Beyers.Until we meet again, my brother South African,” Mandela said.- Nampa-AFP”The sacrifices he made guaranteed us our peace and reconciliation, because they told those who might sought vengeance that the Afrikaner people are not their enemies, because Beyers Naude was not their enemy, but their comrade, friend and leader,” South African President Thabo Mbeki told family members, friends and high-profile politicians in a eulogy.Naude’s 91-year-old wife, Ilse, dressed in a stylish blue suit and matching lilac blouse, looked frail as her children escorted her into the church where she laid orchids on the casket of the man she was married to for 64 years.A military procession carried his casket, covered with the colourful South African flag, to the soft beat of drums into the front of the church where a large framed picture of the charismatic Naude stood on a table next to a burning candle and a huge bunch of cheerful flowers.The tribute to Naude took place at the same church in Northcliff, Johannesburg, where he, in 1963, delivered a life-changing sermon in which denounced the Dutch Reformed Church’s justification of apartheid.After that he resigned as moderator of the church to create a multi-racial Christian centre.Naude, who was born into a prominent Afrikaner family, was a minister in the Afrikaner church for 20 years before he made the crucial decision to resign from both the church and the ‘Broederbond’ (Brother Bond), a secret Afrikaner society that spear-headed the apartheid movement.The so-called Sharpeville massacre in 1960, where more than a hundred blacks were killed in a peaceful protest march against apartheid, was Naude’s “Damascus experience”, Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu said.”He preached his last sermon in this church,” Tutu said in a moving sermon.”He was ostracised, he was vilified, he was a ‘verraaier’ (traitor), a sell-out of his own people.”(But) he helped many blacks to embrace non-racialism … he listened to the heartbeat of those deemed less than men,” Tutu said.He recalled how the Dutch Reformed Church after the end of apartheid held a special function to apologise to Naude for the years of his banning.”He came up to me and he had tears in his eyes and he said, ‘I’m so thankful it happened while Ilse (his wife) and I were still alive’,” Tutu told mourners.A family friend and anti-apartheid activist Carl Niehaus in a tribute to Naude recalled how he had told him, “I’ve never been as alone as I was then”, referring to the time when he for the first time spoke out against the church.Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela did not attend the ceremony, but a message to Naude’s family was read on his behalf.”We — persons like Beyers, I and others of our age — are a generation steadily passing on.We have in recent months and years so regularly walked in this procession coming to lay a wreath at the grave of one of ours.”A great man of our nation has laid down his spear.Hamba kahle (go well), Beyers.Until we meet again, my brother South African,” Mandela said.- Nampa-AFP

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