The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has expressed sadness on the sudden passing of the Executive Director of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), Stanley Henkeman.
Paying tribute to Henkeman on Wednesday, the department said the most enduring of Henkeman’s legacy would be his insistence on collaboration with communities of practice and organs of state – all in the pursuit of achieving the promise of the Constitution which envisions a future South African society that is truly non-racial, non-sexist and democratic; and founded on human dignity.
According to a statement issued by the IJR, Henkeman passed away last Friday, following complications related to COVID-19.
Based in Cape Town, Henkeman was a scholar, researcher and activist, who was committed to bridging societal divisions caused by many decades of racist apartheid misrule, and its racist worldview.
“Stan believed that while researchers and activists needed to jealously guard their neutrality and independence, this need not detract from seeking ways to collaborate with the state and its institutions wherever circumstances so dictated, especially since working towards achieving the promise of the Constitution falls on all of us – both within the state and without.
“It was for this reason that the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture expressed a principled agreement to collaborate with the Institute and plans were afoot towards development of a Memorandum of Agreement between the Institute and the department,” the department said.
As a way to safeguard Henkeman’s legacy, both the Institute and the department will double efforts in ensuring that there is a clear framework for collaboration, with a commensurate Plan of Action.
“Stan was one of Minister Nathi Mthethwa’s Social Cohesion Advocates and as Social Cohesion Advocates, we had looked forward to taking full advantage of his expertise for the benefit of our programme.”
Social Cohesion Advocates are eminent persons, academics, activists and practitioners who were appointed by Mthethwa to conduct advocacy work in communities to promote social cohesion and nation building and Henkeman was one of them.
The department called upon South Africans to remain safe and follow all COVID-19 health protocols, as directed by the World Health Organization and the Department of Health.
“COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc, as we continue to lose committed souls like Stan, to our nation building project. In Stan we lost a fearless, dedicated and warm soul from whom much was still expected.
“Our thoughts and prayers at this time are with his lovely wife Sharon and his three sons Luke, Joshua and Aaron. And may his entire family, including his friends and colleagues at the Institute be comforted,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za
