By Rachel Mohamed
The Ashley Kriel Memorial Cypher is scheduled to take place on Friday, 11 July 2025, at the Castle of Good Hope to honour the life and legacy of the anti-apartheid activist. This event will additionally recognise progress among the youth today under the theme “Roots, Culture, Heritage, and Decolonisation,” which aims to explore how positive masculinity and leadership can advance social justice. Kriel was allegedly killed by the apartheid police on the streets of Cape Town on 9 July 1987.
Speaking on VOC airwaves, award-winning South African journalist, author, and activist Zubeida Jaffer highlighted that Kriel was one of the foremost youth leaders in the Western Cape and came from a humble background.
“His mother was a single parent because his father had been stabbed years earlier. Ashley grew into someone who inspired everyone around him, including many young people, drawing them into the anti-apartheid struggle,” she said.
Jaffer further described Kriel’s death as a brutal incident. “I remember seeing him in his coffin; he had a huge gash on his forehead. It was a slaughter, an assassination, surrounded by security police. There was no way he could escape and shooting him was a brutal act.”
“It was one of the largest funerals we have ever witnessed in the Western Cape. I recount this in my book Our Generation. It is an unforgettable memory because there were snipers on the roofs in Bonteheuwel and a heavy police presence. Eventually, when people carried the coffin out of the Anglican Church, there was a massive attack on the procession, resulting in chaos. Nevertheless, it was a powerful statement of resistance. People came out in large numbers despite the police and military presence.”
Listen for the full interview:
VOC News
Photo:@MKhalidSayed /X
