Fabian Defu Ribeiro SCOB (19 June 1933 – 1 December 1986) was a South African doctor and anti-apartheid activist who, along with his wife

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

, was assassinated by South African government forces. Ribeiro studied at the

University of Fort Hare The University of Fort Hare is a public university in Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa. It was a key institution of higher education for Africans from 1916 to 1959 when it offered a Western-style academic education to students from across sub ...

and the

University of Natal The University of Natal was a university in the former South African province Natal which later became KwaZulu-Natal. The University of Natal no longer exists as a distinct legal entity, as it was incorporated into the University of KwaZulu-N ...

, and in 1961 opened a surgery practice in

Mamelodi Mamelodi, part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, is a township set up by the then apartheid government northeast of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. Etymology "Mamelodi" is the name derived from the Sepedi word with the prefix b ...

, where he worked until his death. He had initially considered the Roman Catholic priesthood but changed his mind, while remaining a devoted practising Catholic. During the 1970’s he recorded evidence of police brutality by taking pictures of victims who came to him for treatment. In 1980 he was imprisoned for a few months on charges of

treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...

, but was successfully defended by

George Bizos George Bizos ( el, Γιώργος Μπίζος; 14 November 19279 September 2020) was a Greek-South African human rights lawyer who campaigned against apartheid in South Africa. He was noted for representing Nelson Mandela during the Rivonia ...

. On 1 December 1986, the Ribeiros were gunned down at the kitchen door of their house. The

Truth and Reconciliation Commission A truth commission, also known as a truth and reconciliation commission or truth and justice commission, is an official body tasked with discovering and revealing past wrongdoing by a government (or, depending on the circumstances, non-state act ...

found that they were killed by a joint operation by South African Special Forces and the Northern Transvaal Security Branch. Applicants for amnesty claimed that "the Ribeiros were targeted because Dr Ribeiro provided medical assistance to people injured in security force action and allegedly provided financial assistance to those wishing to leave the country," but were "unable to provide one specific case of support". In 2004, Ribeiro was awarded the

Order of the Baobab The Order of the Baobab is a South African civilian national honour, awarded to those for service in business and the economy; science, medicine, and for technological innovation; and community service. It was instituted on 6 December 2002, and i ...

in Gold for "dedicating his life to serve the oppressed and for his outstanding contribution to the struggle for an equal, just and democratic society."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ribeiro, Fabian 1933 births 1986 deaths Roman Catholic anti-apartheid activists South African physicians Assassinated South African activists University of Fort Hare alumni University of Natal alumni Recipients of the Order of the Baobab