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Born in 1936 Graham fought for human rights from all angles. He saw himself as a white man in Africa, here to set right the wrongs of his tribal line. He was a religious man that shared a deep spirituality with the ancestral heritage of the African continent. He found no greater enemy than the apartheid government of South Africa's cruel foreign invasion. In this period 1952 – 1974 he was a hunted man and spent most of his time labeled a notorious criminal and incarcerated, where he was starved and tortured. He fled South Africa in 1969 by foot in a futile attempt to join the P.A.C. in Tanzania. In 1975 he married Jenny Clark. Jenny had polio as a child and is 95% physically disabled. Dennis was never involved in any political party and fought for freedom, justice and equality from the unwavering truths of his heart. “Man who has experienced the inhumanities of the system institutions and survives in normal society will come to realise that he is specially chosen by a higher power.” VIC Graham's struggle was so exaggerated that it brings the concept of struggle into universal pespective. |
Thank you for the opportunity to express my experience with the author of Shadows of Justice / Graham, Michael or Dennis - as I knew him - and of course his beloved family and friends. An outstanding thing about Dennis (when I first met him) was his sense of 'divine purpose'. He explained to me his time on earth was running short and he was to finish his book. This he was able to accomplish shortly before his final breath. In fact he gave me his hard copy of Robert Sobukwe's speeches one afternooon and said 'the book is in your hands'. His book / his life story is a living handbook to humanity and his journey is an awareness of the inner child within each one of us. In the short time (6 months) that we were working together I came to know a deeply dignified side of Dennis. He was 'fair-minded,' he was hard working and he was dedicated. There is so much I have learnt. 6 months before his death and quite frail, Dennis decided he would return my work in the editing etc of his book with the renovation of my South Beach flat. Jenny agreed that this could be a good meditation and Dennis proceeded to strip the flat and completely overhaul and renovate. Dennis was extremely effecient in communicating with people and garnering the respect of everybody. He treated every aspect of his life with great care. He treated everybody with compassion. And was a fantastic gardener. When Adam read the first draft copy of the book he travelled immediately to the house of Dennis and Jenny. I happened to be there that day, Adam was amazed to meet a living person who had suffered so much and proceeded to have the most amusing conversation with Dennis, whereby Adam was saying 'you must forgive the past,' and Dennis was saying 'no, how can I forgive the past...' When we visited him in hospital only days before he died he was singing aloud and along to Bunny Wailor's 'Liberation Song'. What a fighter, what a role-model, WHAT A BOOK! There was a beautiful memorial service for him in botanic gardens in February of 2007.
Dennis always said to me that when I finished writing his book I would turn to my passion of music. And this is what I have been able to do. We are all one in the spirit of love and that is why I acknowledge that the great change Dennis created in his life is a ripple effect that can not be stopped. He did amazing things for many people and to me that is a realisation of how the light of love and life is passed from individual to individual and so on. His wife Jenny is a pillar of strength. And friendships have been extended through and with the kindness embodied in his lifes journey and its manifesation of healing and learning captured and documented in this book.
Dennis would sign his letters 'yours for the cause of human destiny!'
1love Struan