Blog: Denis Goldberg – a tireless campaigner for justice, and a friend

I was saddened to hear the news that our comrade and friend Denis Goldberg had passed away late on 29 April. Denis dedicated his life to the struggle against apartheid and the building of a new, non racial South Africa. He was freedom fighter, an inspirational and visionary politician and a tireless campaigner for justice, rights and democracy. Denis was arrested in 1963 alongside other members of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing of the ANC, and was sentenced to life imprisonment, as one of the Rivonia trialists, including Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu and Ahmed Kathrada. Whilst his black comrades were incarcerated on Robben Island, Denis spent 22 years isolated in a whites-only prison – Pretoria Central – until his release in 1985. Denis Goldberg continued the fight against apartheid in exile, following his release. He lived in the UK until 2002, from where he worked to build international support for the ANC and a free South Africa. It was during this time he got to know UNISON and our predecessor unions and the contribution we made to the anti-apartheid movement and the building of a new South Africa. When Denis established Community H.E.A.R.T in 1995 to support development projects in southern Africa, he turned to UNISON for help. I am proud of the role our union has played in supporting the development of South Africa, through Community H.E.A.R.T, Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA) and our own UNISON International Development Fund (UIDF). Denis became an advisor to ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: General secretary's blog international south africa Source Type: news