Justice Albie Sachs joined Camps Bay High School Students this past Freedom Day to share his life story and his pursuit of freedom and democracy in South Africa.
Camps Bay, South Africa (03 May 2022) – Last week the students and staff of Camps Bay High School had a very special guest at their special Freedom Day Assembly, Justice Albie Sachs.
“We were deeply honoured to have Justice Albie Sachs, who was instrumental in the writing of the South African Constitution, at our special Freedom Day Assembly.” – Mr Louis Mostert, Camps Bay High School Principal
Mr Mostert said that the moving talk recounted moments of Justice Sachs’ life and how he dedicated it to freedom and democracy. The stories shared were some of the ones taught in today’s history classes.
In her introduction to Justice Sachs, the Head of Culture, Ms Bronwyn Harvey, quoted the late Civil Rights Activist John Lewis who said “Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”
As Harvey explained, “Justice Sachs is no stranger to good and necessary trouble. Justice has always been a core value for him. He was a central figure in key moments during the struggle for liberation during Apartheid and appointed to the first Constitutional Court of South Africa. He was the chief architect of South Africa’s post-Apartheid constitution.”
Sachs explained how he became involved in the Anti-apartheid movement as a student and then young lawyer practicing law in the same firm as Nelson Mandela and how he was arrested under the government’s 90 day law.
This law allowed the government to detain political prisoners for 90 days without filing charges. He spent this time in solitary confinement and, when he was released, was immediately arrested again, without explanation, and returned to solitary confinement. He shared how when he was released, he walked home to his beloved Clifton where he had grown up and where he has lived most of his life, and walked straight into the Ocean.
After his horrific ordeal, he exiled to England but missed Africa, so he moved to Mozambique after the revolution overthrew the Portuguese government. In 1988, Sachs was gravely injured by a car bomb planted by the South African security services. Doctors fought to save him, but he lost his right arm and sight in one eye.
Justice Sachs handed over a signed copy of the preamble to the South African constitution as a gift to the school.
“We will display this signed copy of the preamble in Pride of Place at the school. These words are just as important, if not more important, today, as they were when they were written over two decades ago.” – Mr Louis Mostert
Also present at the Special Freedom Day Assembly were 2020 Head Prefect, Amava Mkuku and 2021 Head Prefect, Kiera Kresfelder who performed a moving rendition of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song, which uses words from Pan Africanist, Marcus Garvey’s 1937 speech. In it, Garvey said, “None but ourselves can free our minds”
Last year the Constitution Hill Trust, of which Justice Albie Sachs and his wife, Vanessa September are trustees, put out a call for the design of the 12th Chair: The People’s Chair in commemoration of 25 years of our Constitution.
“It will represent the people’s power which has been so intrumental in promoting and defending our Constitution. The Constitutional Court has 11 Chairs for the 11 judges who serve as guardians of our Constitution and the 12th Chair will represent the people’s seat and their role too as guardians of the Constitution.” – Vanessa September
100 submissions have been shortlisted to 6 finalists and now they are calling on all people to vote for the Chair that will represent the people’s power. The winning design will be manufactured and find its home at Constitution Hill.
You can vote for your favourite design here. Voting closes on the 31st of May 2022.
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