IN MEMORIAM
Dawn Lindberg
1945-2020
[BA FA 1967]
One of the most prominent theatre personalities and advocate for the arts, Dawn Lindberg passed away from COVID-19 related illness on 7 December 2020 at the age of 75. Lindberg was the founder and CEO of the Naledi Theatre Awards – one of most prestigious awards events in South Africa. Lindberg matriculated from Parktown Girl’s High School and completed her degree in 1962, meeting her husband and long-time partner in music and theatre, Desmond Lindberg (BA 1963), at Wits. She said: “He was like a gentle Viking, tall, with blond hair falling over his eyes and a guitar slung over his back.” In 1965, Des and Dawn were married; they embarked on a tour of South Africa and then Rhodesia, visiting small towns and cities with their legendary show, Folk on Trek. It was promptly banned on the grounds of obscenity because of adjusted lyrics to the nursery rhyme, Mary Had a Little Lamb, and the spiritual, Dese Bones Gonna Rise Again. They went on appeal but lost the case, and all copies of the album were ordered to be destroyed. In 1973 they produced the groundbreaking musical Godspell, the first multiracial show to be staged publicly in South Africa. When the couple brought the show to South Africa, it was promptly banned by the censors on the grounds of blasphemy. Des and Dawn took the case to the Supreme Court, and they won after the show was allowed one performance so that Judge Lammie Snyman and the censors’
1963-2020
Daniel Plaatjies [PhD 2008]
Chairperson of the Financial and Fiscal Commission (FFC), Professor Daniel Plaatjies passed away “unexpectedly of natural causes” at the age of 57 on 10 October. He was born on 21 May 1963 in Netreg, Bonteheuwel, and educated at Modderdam High School. He obtained an honours degree in social science from the University of Cape Town followed by a master of philosophy degree from the University of the Western Cape. At Wits he earned a doctorate in governance, public policy and public finance. He edited three books which reflected his passion for building state capacity, governance, public accountability and public finance. Professor Plaatjies 92 W I T S R E V I E W
legal team could view it. Godspell went on to triumphantly tour the country for 18 months. It spearheaded the opening of theatres to all races in 1977. The success of this production prompted the Lindbergs to move more into the theatrical arena and over the years they staged a succession of musicals and plays that included Pippin; The Black Mikado (the first West End musical to premiere in Soweto); The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (the title was banned); and The Vagina Monologues about the abuse of women. Des and Dawn participated in the Free People’s Concert at Wits and showed what a vibrant, non-racial free South Africa could be like. The couple’s most famous songs included The Seagull’s Name was Nelson in 1971, which topped the charts for 20 weeks. Lindberg’s influence in the South African theatre industry was far-reaching and significant: her greatest achievement was the creation and nurturing of the internationally recognised Naledi Theatre Awards, which have honoured many artists and theatre makers, and awarded over 60 Lifetime Achievement Awards. She believed that “theatre and the arts are much more reflective of our current society and the demographics of the practitioners. New voices are telling our own stories and expressing our unique cultures through dance, music and the visual arts.” In 2015 the couple were appointed “Living Legends” by the Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa. Lindberg is survived by her husband Des, children Adam, Josh, daughter-in-law Zuraida and grandchildren, Zaria and Shia. Sources: www.desdawn.co.za and www.sapeople.com/2020/12/08 tributes-pour-in-for-south-africas-theatre-legend-dawn-lindberg/
was a senior manager of the public finance unit at the National Treasury and special adviser to the Human Sciences Research Council. Academics, colleagues, politicians and diplomats paid tribute to Prof Plaatjies as a South African patriot who dedicated his life to social justice and non-racialism. His acute and insightful contribution to financial and fiscal debates will be missed in Parliament and public life. Chris Barron wrote in the Sunday Times that he “was a voice in the wilderness, warning about the collapse of municipalities and making bold, evidence-based recommendations about how they could be turned around. No public servant ever spoke truth to power more persistently than he did, or was more persistently ignored.” He is survived by his wife Lydia-Anne (MA 2012) and three children. Sources: Cape Argus, The Sunday Times