Albie Sachs turns 90: Honouring a legacy of courage, equality, and artistic inspiration

Mark Heywood and guests during a celebration of Sachs' 90th year and exhibition of the Albie collection at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg on 7 March 2025. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

By Lerato Mutsila

11 Mar 2025

At 90 years old, Justice Albie Sachs, a lifelong anti-apartheid activist, Constitutional Court justice, and champion of human rights, continues to inspire with his unwavering commitment to justice and equality. A celebration of his extraordinary life at Constitution Hill was unveiled in the ‘Albie Collection’, a vibrant curation of art, documents, and stories that reflect his journey of resilience, love for justice, and passion for art. This collection includes a documentary exploring his fight for liberation and the transformative power of art in fostering empathy and social change.

“What do you give a man when he turns 90 — a man who never celebrated his birthday before because he believed that birth is the least thing you can take credit for? A man who, since the age of 17, has selflessly committed himself to overturning the apartheid system and creating a society where everyone can enjoy fundamental rights to equality and social justice?”

This was the question Vanessa Sachs, the wife of anti-apartheid activist and former Constitutional Court Justice Albie Sachs, posed during a celebration of his life at the Albie Collection at Constitution Hill on Thursday, 7 March 2025.

Answering her own question, Vanessa said that one such gift for an iconoclast like Justice Sachs was the Albie Collection — a curation of artwork, documents, and stories depicting the life, love, law, literature, and laughter of Justice Sachs. The collection, which was still a work in progress, included a visually stunning documentary that explored Justice Sachs’ fight for liberation and the integration of art and justice.

Art and justice

The evening was not just a celebration of Justice Sachs’ life and dedication to human rights, justice, and constitutionalism — work he has pursued since the age of 17 — but also a tribute to his love for art.

In the 73 years he has dedicated to upholding justice and human rights, Justice Sachs has inspired countless people, many of them young artists and activists. One such person is Asanda Mvana, better known to South Africans as Msaki, the brilliant composer and singer behind the hit single Fetch Your Life.

Msaki, who performed at the celebration, said that Justice Sachs was one of her foremost inspirations. The intersection between justice and art, she said, inspired her to write Blood, Guns, and Revolutions, a protest song about the Marikana Massacre and the lack of justice for the miners who were gunned down.

Read more: Albie Sachs at 90 — a life of courage, justice, human rights and legacy

“The conversation that you (Justice Sachs) kept having with art and justice gave me the confidence to say that in this case, some sort of inquiry may have failed, but we can still keep the consciousness of the question (of justice) in our hearts, for our communities petitioning for justice through song. Maybe there is an opportunity to open court within art,” she said.

Throughout his life, Justice Sachs has emphasised how art can evoke empathy and make abstract concepts like apartheid tangible through individual stories of pain and resilience. He argued that art played a vital role in fostering cultural integration and understanding in a democratic society.

Soft vengeance

Speaking to Daily Maverick on the sidelines of the event, veteran journalist and longtime friend of Justice Sachs, Redi Tlhabi, said that celebrating the former Constitutional Court justice’s life and contributions could not have come at a better time. Icons of his caliber, she said, offered society a window into possibilities, exemplifying humanity’s ability to rise above differences and unite around the common values of justice and human rights.

“I think for those of us who are disheartened by what we see globally, the fact that Albie is 90 and still championing social justice shows us that the struggle has meaning and is worth it. Wherever you are in the world, whatever you do for a living — whether you are a journalist, a pharmacist, or a judge — you have an opportunity to influence your corner of the world,” Tlhabi said.

One of the greatest lessons Justice Sachs taught her, she added, was the idea of soft vengeance.

Albie Sachs celebrates his 90th birthday and exhibition of the Albie Collection at Constitution Hill. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Albie Sachs and wife Vanessa share a hug during the celebrations. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Former Constitutional Court Justice Albie Sachs (left) and the retired Chief Justice of Kenya and president of the Supreme Court of Kenya, Justice Willy Matunga, who have been close friend since 1985. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Vanessa Sachs gives a speech at the event. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Journalist and long-time friend of Justice Sachs, Redi Tlhabi. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

Journalist Mark Heywood and guests during the celebrations. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla)

“Albie once told me in a conversation about the concept of soft vengeance versus revenge that when we are wronged, the instinct to destroy and go after those who hurt us is strong. But it can be overcome with what he called soft justice, soft vengeance.

Tlhabi noted that soft vengeance was not only a political tool, but also a personal philosophy that allowed individuals and societies to rise above their grievances.

For Justice Sachs, the concept of soft vengeance was born out of a brutal assassination attempt by the apartheid regime while he was living in exile in Mozambique in 1988.

I lost an arm, but I survived that moment

“It started with a bang — I was blown up by a car bomb in Maputo. I lost an arm, but I survived that moment. It was a sense of total joy and total conviction that as I got better, my country would get better,” Sachs said.

Months later, while recovering in London, he received a letter from a comrade in the Struggle against apartheid, vowing to take revenge on the regime. He responded by saying that vengeance was not necessary — that all he needed was the end of apartheid and the realisation of rights for all South Africans.

“I found the theme of soft vengeance enormously powerful. With soft vengeance, you have to destroy the source of your injury. If you respond with rage and revenge, you are eating at your own soul. With soft vengeance, you are actually growing your soul. It’s about thinking ahead — getting a constitution and placing it on the side of the people, building a beautiful court where people can freely talk about justice. That is soft justice,” Justice Sachs said.

Looking at the diverse audience — filled with people from different races and walks of life, who would not have been able to gather so freely just 30 years ago — Justice Sachs smiled and said: “Thank you, guys. This is soft vengeance. This beautiful, marvelous evening is soft vengeance.” DM

Categories:

Tags:

DM is much better if you are signed in...

South Africa

Art and justice

Soft vengeance