Thembisa Shologu
Renowned for his wit, bravery, and prolific photography, the late photojournalist Dr Peter Magubane, a key anti-apartheid campaigner, passed away peacefully at the age of 91 on 1 January 2024.
His lens, a powerful weapon against the injustice of apartheid, captured pivotal moments in South Africa's history, shaping global perceptions of the brutal regime.
Magubane, who would have turned 92 on 18 January, had an illustrious career as a photographer, notably serving as Nelson Mandela's insight photographer before his Presidency.
Despite facing severe challenges, including 586 days in solitary confinement and a five-year ban on taking pictures, Magubane persevered, documenting the raw realities of the Sharpeville massacre and other atrocities committed by the apartheid regime.
His work played a crucial role in changing public sentiment worldwide.
David Meyer-Gollan, Magubane's manager of 20 years, remembered him as a disciplined and dedicated individual who prioritised his craft.
"He is one of the most prolific photographers, an acknowledged photographer worldwide who captured most of the pivotal moments that shook South Africa's (SA) history. As a man, he was highly disciplined in his craft. Everything else came second to his work.
"I would like him to be remembered as a s man who did his job, as a man who assisted in showing the world not only how apartheid operated and the evils of it as a soldier for his country but also as someone who showed the beauty of our country with all the wonderful cultures of South Africa that we have, and he documented that beautifully," said Meyer-Gollan. 
He added that some of his best pictures come from him walking the streets of Johannesburg, and he won international accolades for using his camera to document the struggle of SA and its people to liberate.
"Walking with him and documenting all the cultures together has been a privilege. He took me under his wing and showed me my country, South Africa. 
"I am very grateful for that and blessed to have walked side-by-side with him for over 20 years. He loved his family extremely. Long live Peter Magubane, long live," Meyer-Gollan reflected.
The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, Zizi Kodwa, alongside Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and MEC for Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Morakane Mosupyoe, paid their respects outside Magubane's family home in Ormonde.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Minister Kodwa commended Magubane's achievements, noting that he was proud to see the photographer recognised during his lifetime, including through a programme called "Van toeka af".
"He used his camera as his Ak47 to defeat apartheid; it was his camera that mobilised the world that the United Nations isolated South Africa because the world was aware of the truth that the majority of black people were exposed to the injustices that many people were meted against them. 
"We thank him for that. We believe we must acknowledge and recognise them and give them their flowers while they can still smell them, and it is encouraging indeed that we were able to honour him whilst he can smell the flowers," said Kodwa.
He said his departure was a significant loss not only to the photojournalism industry but also to the contribution of the nation building and social cohesion. 
He stressed the importance of educating the younger generation about Magubane's legacy as the country celebrated 30 years of freedom.
"We have to work very hard as this generation to re-write and reposition to correct history, and that is why our call to make history compulsory still stands so that every child must know where we come from so that they do not commit the same (past) mistakes moving forward."
For his part, Premier Lesufi affirmed the Gauteng Provincial Government's commitment to honouring Magubane with a well-deserved provincial send-off, pending approval from the Presidency.
He said the provincial government aims to ensure Magubane's materials, including his book, are accessible in school libraries to educate future generations about his gallant fight for freedom.
"As the Gauteng Provincial Government, we are committed that his book and many other materials must be spread across all our school libraries so that our children must know that we had a gallant fighter here, we had somebody that was committed to ensuring that this country is free. 
"And we are happy that this country is free, and we will do everything to defend this country, whatever it takes to defend it," Premier Lesufi added.