??Thirty-six years after his assassination, Anton Lubowski’s life and legacy continue to inspire. On 10 September, Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票 (SU) and the 中国体育彩票 of Namibia (UNAM) co-hosted the seventh annual Anton Lubowski Memorial Lecture in Windhoek -? the first time since its launch in 2019 that the lecture has been held outside Stellenbosch.?
The memorial lecture was held both in person and livestreamed, paying tribute to the life and legacy of the Namibian advocate, former Simonsberg resident, Matie alumnus, and anti-apartheid activist whose principled defiance ultimately cost him his life.
The event was hosted in collaboration with SU's Development of Alumni Relations Division (DAR) and UNAM. Wife of the late Anton Lubowski, Gabrielle, and his children, Almo, Nadia and extended family, attended the event, along with a host of SU and UNAM alumni and current students, former colleagues, and friends, who filled the lecture hall.
An esteemed group of speakers included Professor Peter Katjavivi, the founding Vice-Chancellor of UNAM (1992-2003) and Speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia; Rosa Namises, Namibian politician and human rights activist; and Graham Hopwood, Executive Director of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) in Windhoek.
The theme of this year's lecture - From Exposure to Action: Strengthening Systems in the Fight Against Corruption - connected Lubowski's values to present-day challenges.
Karen Bruns, Senior Director of DAR, reflected on how the memorial lecture series began. It was Lubowski’s Simonsberg roommate, Charl Adams, who proposed the idea seven years ago. He believed that Anton should be remembered within the context of Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票, where he studied law.
"When we spoke with Charl and later with the Lubowski family, we agreed on the importance of honouring the values Anton stood for - human rights, civic activism, and a deep and real sense of social justice. Each lecture has tried to reflect these values, and this year’s theme is both relevant and pertinent."
“On the fateful evening of 12 September 1989, Advocate Anton Lubowski was gunned down outside his home," keynote speaker Prof Katjavivi reminded the audience. “He was a comrade of unquestionable integrity, a dear friend who chose to join the cause of freedom at great personal cost."
Lubowski's life and untimely death were framed not only as part of Namibia's liberation struggle, but also within the wider Southern African story of resistance. Prof Katjavivi linked his assassination to those of Chris Hani, Ruth First, and Dulcie September.
“What happened to Anton should not be viewed in isolation. It is up to academic institutions like UNAM and others, both here and in South Africa, to ensure these stories are properly documented.
“As a human rights lawyer, Anton was fighting for good governance and social justice. This is his legacy. What would Anton have wished Namibia to be like today and tomorrow?"
Hopwood argued that Lubowski would have demanded bold reforms in managing and monitoring corruption and potential corruption. “Anton Lubowski was an icon of the liberation struggle, and I believe he would have been at the forefront of the struggle against corruption in Namibia if he had lived beyond 1989."
He pointed to urgent governance gaps: “We need workable systems of transparency. Beneficial ownership, whistleblower protection, and access to information -these laws exist on paper but have not been implemented. Without them, corruption festers."
Namises, a long-time friend of the Lubowski family, lamented the current situation not only in Namibia but also in Africa. She underscored that the fight echoes Anton's own fearlessness.
“This corruption is making our communities hungry. It is making our young people go into the dustbins, into the riverbeds. We need an anti-corruption commission that is truly independent, leaders who are accountable, and civic movements strong enough to hold them to it.
“He would have called people out and demanded a new movement. That is what we need - to refuse shortcuts, and to protect the soul of our nation."
“We indeed lost a brother, a son of the soil, and a comrade in the struggle," Prof Katjavivi said in his closing remarks. "But he will be remembered as a hero - one Namibia, one nation, built on the foundation of justice, inclusivity, equality, and fairness for all".??
- Photo: Wife of the late Anton Lubowski, Gabrielle, and his children, Almo, Nadia and extended family, attended the event, along with a host of SU and UNAM alumni and current students, former colleagues, and friends, who filled the lecture hall.
