World in Action looks at Steve Biko’s death

Press, 29 October 1977, Page 15

World in Action looks at Steve Biko’s death

The close touch TVl’s head of programming (Barrie Parkin) keeps with Granada Television in Britain means viewers will see a topical Granada documentary on Wednesday on the life and death of black civil rights leader, Steve Biko (picture above). Granada cables TVI once a week with the titles of documentaries it has offering from its World in Action team.

“This 25-minute programme was put together by a team already in South Africa and is described as a moving account of the life and philosophy of Biko,” Barrie Parkin said.

The documentary does not have to go through the Broadcasting Corporation ballot system as TVI has options on all World in Action programmes. The Biko programme will replace a previously advertised World in Action programme called, “Made in Hong Kong,” dealing with the abundant supply of cheap, unskilled child labour in the British colony. This has been withdrawn because of impending court action.

The World in Action team, which often goes into trouble spots in the guise of tourists with home movie-type cameras, interviewed the editor of the East London Daily Despatch, Donald Woods, who was subsequently banned from performing his professional duties. Biko, founder of the peaceful “black consciousness” movement, died in prison on September 12. But his death prompted widespread suspicion that he had succumbed to injuries inflicted by his captors.

The film, which will be brought up to date since it was made a few weeks ago, deals with the philosophy of the blacks and explores the reasons why Biko was imprisoned.

It will also examine attitudes of blacks to violence as well as aspects of the system of justice in South Africa.