Most people know of the Northern side of Soweto amply referred to as ‘Bram Fischerville’, a school, main road and an International Airport named after him as well but not many know exactly who the man these places are named after.

Abraham ‘Bram’ Louis Fischer was born on the 23rd April 1908 in the then Orange Free State, South Africa and was a lawyer, notable for his anti-apartheid activism and legal defense for anti-apartheid figures and trials including the Rivonia Trial of 1963- 1964. He also led the defence in 1952 for the Defiance campaign.

Fischer was member and Chairman of the South African Communist Party in the 1940s. His role as leader of the SACP was unknown even to his closest friends. He was accused by the then Govenment of furthering the ideals of Communism and was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment. In 1943,he co-authored the constitution of the ANC with A.B. Xuma (another silent hero, who’s story will follow). He was charged with incietement of violence during the Mine worker’s Strike of 1946.

He led the defence team of the Rivonia Trial which led to a life imprisonment sentence as opposed to death. He also led the Treason Trial defence team of 1956-1961. Fischer was banned in 1953 and arrested on the 23rd September 1964, facing charges of being a member of the SACP and for contravening the Suppression of Communism Act and struck off the Advocate’s roll as a result in 1965.

One of the 1st post-apartheid housing projects (consisting of 22000 houses) in Johannesburg was named ‘Bram Fischerville’ in his honour. Bram Fischer was also awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in 1967.

Fischer got seriously ill with cancer while still in prison and after the successful release as a result of pressure from political leaders and liberal publications, he moved to his brother’s home in Bloemfontein where he passed on a few weeks later on the 8th May 1975. It was in December 2012, when the Bloemfontein International Airport was then renamed after him.

I remember this brave and courageous country man and #SilentHero who gave up his life of privilege to be ostracized at the time for standing up for what he strongly believed was the right thing to do.

Credit to sahistory.org.za and Wikipedia.org