Twenty-three years ago this week, Swedish Prime Minister and longtime leader of the Social Democrats, Olof Palme, was buried at the Adolf Fredriks cemetery in Stockholm, Sweden. As one of the most prominent champions for the abolition of apartheid, Palme had been murded two weeks earlier in front of a Stockholm cinema after viewing a late-night showing with his wife. Although police eventually detained a suspect, Christer Pettersson, and charged him with the the prime minister’s murder, he was later acquitted due to a lack of evidence. When Pettersson died in 2004, most leads into the investigation died along with him. The case is, however, still open.

Palme’s last official speech, given one week before his death, was given to a Swedish group dedicated to the abolition of apartheid. Having begun his political career with South Africa at heart — he collected proceeds from fellow students’ blood donations and put the money towards anti-apartheid efforts — Palme had built much of his international career as a proponent of equal-rights campaigns. Palme demanded that the Nordic countries become accountable for joining together and putting pressure on South Africa to abolish apartheid. The policies Palme proposed became implemented in the Swedish government and in various manners within other Nordic countries.

Reading the translation of Palme’s final speech is rather jarring. Just imagine how, in 1986, interracial marriages had been allowed for barely a year under South African law, per the repeal of Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act in 1985. The inequality that Palme describes and the degree of action he urged is a burden to digest; this last speech effectively demonstrates why Palme aimed for nothing short of abolition. “A system like apartheid cannot be reformed,” he told the parliament. “It can only be abolished.”

Unfortunately, Palme would never get the chance to see first-hand how he helped bring South Africa out of the darkness of apartheid. In a way, Sweden’s pain at losing its champion for equal rights — at times, an unpopular champion — could be felt in South Africa. It would be seven long years before all-race elections ushered in a new era for South Africa, an era when equality could begin to flourish under a system in which inequality would not be legislated. In his life, Palme contributed greatly to the cause of equality in South Africa; in his death, Palme was sorely missed in the struggle against apartheid.

Although there have been huge leaps forward in South Africa since Palme’s time, we must remember that his work is not yet complete. His contributions helped greatly, but inequality still exists in South Africa, even in the absence of apartheid. The prevalence of gender inequality and sexual assault, along with the dizzying rates of HIV and AIDS, have surfaced in its place, demonstrating that the need for action still exists.

We cannot say for certain what would have happened had Palme not met his killer on that cold night in February. Would his efforts have hastened the abolition of apartheid? Would the prevention of HIV and AIDS, then a relative unknown to the world, become part of Palme’s agenda of peace and justice? Would he work as hard as he did against apartheid to give women the type of equality he strived to give blacks? There is little doubt, had Palme outlived apartheid, that he would have continued to be a champion for equality and justice in South Africa.

By remembering Palme, we can be inspired to honor his memory through speaking up the way he would have done in the face of injustice. “If the world decides to abolish apartheid,” Palme said, in his final speech, “Apartheid will disappear.” If we apply this attitude to South Africa’s struggles today, we will succeed in these issues to the forefront, and the memory of Olof Palme will live on.

Sources: Olof Palme and the Struggle Against Apartheid, The Palme Center, BBC: “On This Day”

Posted under Everything Else