Media Statement: Minister Marais mourns the loss of Mr John Fredericks

It is with great sadness that we mourn the loss of Mr John Fredericks, author and film writer of the iconic Noem My Skollie movie.

Minister Anroux Marais noted, “I first met Uncle John at the Noem My Skollie Premiere at the Kyknet Silwerskermfees in 2016, where we applauded him for sharing his honest account of his journey. The lived experiences shared in the blockbuster required the courage and brave conviction not many are emotionally able to introspectively engage on. For this we will internally be grateful to Uncle John.

I was even more heartened by Uncle John’s resolve to not shy away from his past, regardless of its painful nature and how he used his traumatic experiences as determination to empower the younger generation with writing, storytelling, drama and publishing skills. In October 2018, I had the privilege of sharing the platform with Uncle John as we launched the MCM Drama and Writing School’s Hanne Innie Lig, Voete Oppie Grond publication in Paarl. The now published youth was personally groomed by Mr John Fredericks and are now aspiring authors with the potential of rising above their circumstances and in turn uplifting their communities by addressing previously hidden narratives and raising awareness on the once untold community stories”. 

We express our heartfelt condolences to Uncle John’s family, friends, loved ones and all he inspired. May his legacy continue to live on through the aspirations of our younger generation. We trust his life’s work will not only inspire but motivate for increased dialogue on the often neglected lived traumatic experiences on the Cape Flats on a daily basis."