Politician, minister, father remembered
[caption id="attachment_73695" align="alignright" width="147"] ALLAN HENDRICKSE -[/caption]
“THE man who went swimming on the white beaches” – this is a very common response I get from people to the name Allan Hendrickse, who died 10 years ago this week. They remember his swim at the whites only beach in defiance of beach apartheid.
I remember the husband, father, teacher, minister, politician, comrade and friend. The loving husband who bought roses for his wife every Friday.
The daddy who always did his best for us even when his politics and church permitted no weekends to spend with his children. His church and politics became a part of us, our family.
He emphasised the importance of education, respect, hard work and good manners. Respect yourself, your family and all people, irrespective of race, colour, creed or station in life.
As a grandpa, he made sure to attend the birthdays of his 13 grandchildren. He loved them “uncountable”.
As minister, he followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming minister of Dale Street Congregational Church (for 34 years), chairman of the United Congregational Churches in 1972 and Uitenhage Congregational Church in 1985 until his death in 2005. This was 54 years of ministry, not once drawing a salary from his churches.
He also served another 12 to 15 outstations. We went over the hills and dales to Baviaanskloof despite the floods “because the people are waiting for communion”.
He was the science teacher who believed in education for liberation.
From his solitary cell in Grahamstown prison (in 1976) he wrote to us after I was released from solitary confinement: “Peter, all other things aside now . . . So please study hard, all of you . . . You do your best and give attention at all times”.
He started the first high school in Uitenhage for black pupils, at the request of community leaders, Limekaya High School. He was also responsible, in 1975, for opening all “coloured” schools to all races.
The activist from high school and Fort Hare, a delegate to the Malmesbury Convention, boycotter who became a member of the CRC, member and minister of the tri-cameral parliament, ANC senator and Grand Counsellor of the Order of the Baobab in recognition of his contribution to the community and the struggle for freedom. Allan Hendrickse was a humble, forgiving and trusting person, who always saw the good in people.
He believed in moral leadership. A man of exceptionally strong faith.
You continue to live on in our hearts and minds – thank you daddy.
-Peter Hendrickse, Welgelegen, Cape Town
