Remembering Peter Magubane

Today the world mourns the loss of an icon, Peter Magubane, a luminary whose photography transcended mere imagery. Beyond his talent behind the camera, Magubane embodied unwavering courage during Apartheid South Africa, hiding his camera in hollowed-out bread loaves, empty milk cartons or even the Bible to enable him to shoot clandestinely — oftentimes facing persecution and imprisonment for daring to document the truth. His commitment to journalism and truth-telling stands as an inspiration to generations of storytellers and photojournalists worldwide.

Magubane captured moments of many of South Africa’s turning points, including the deaths of 69 unarmed demonstrators in Sharpeville in 1960, the Rivonia trial of Nelson Mandela and other leaders of the ANC in the 1960s, and the uprising of high school students in Soweto in 1976 — a visual diary that depicted the country’s tumultuous journey through apartheid and beyond. After Nelson Mandela’s release from 27 years of imprisonment in 1990, Magubane also became his official photographer for four years.

His lens, both witness and warrior, held a mirror to the nation’s struggles and resilience, documenting the human spirit, amidst the tumult of societal upheaval.

Magubane published 17 books and received seven honourary degrees and many other awards, including the prestigious Cornell Capa Infinity Award in 2010. In his later years, as he battled prostate cancer, he focused more on sunsets than protest.

I’m tired of dealing with dead people. I now deal with sunsets. They’re so beautiful,” he once said.

Today, we honour Peter Magubane, paying tribute to him as a figurehead in capturing the truth through photography and as an inspiration whose legacy lives on in the collective consciousness of a thankful nation indebted to his commitment to truth and justice.

Rest in power, Peter Magubane.