Kingswood College hosted the fifth annual Neil Aggett Memorial Lecture on 12 March 2010 when pupils, alumni and guests came together to hear Dr Liz Floyd speak on the theme “Standing up against injustice”. This year’s event was a particularly special one, as it co-incided with the 40th reunion of the Kingswood Matric Class of 1970 of which Neil Aggett was a member. His former classmates especially requested that the lecture be held during their reunion, rather than its usual date which is on Heritage Day in September. They also arranged for Dr Floyd, Neil Aggett’s partner for many years to be the guest speaker at this occasion.

Dr Floyd is currently the Director in the Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development responsible for focusing on the government’s multi-sectoral AIDS response, a position she has held since 1995.  Originally from Cape Town, she commenced her medical studies at UCT in 1971 where she met first met Neil Aggett, and they developed a relationship which endured until his tragic death in detention in 1982. Like Aggett’s family and close friends, she has worked tirelessly to secure the truth surrounding his death through both his highly publicized inquest and the subsequent hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Dr Floyd was also in police detention at the time of Aggett’s death and was refused permission to attend his funeral in February 1982.  She was, however, granted permission, to pay her respects privately at his grave a week later under police escort.

After qualifying as a medical doctor in 1977, she studied public health at post-graduate level, and from 1980 to 1989,  worked in the labour movement, primarily focusing on detainee care and emergency services for the National Medical and Dental Association.

The Neil Aggett Memorial Lecture has become an annual event at Kingswood College when speakers are asked to address the theme “Standing up against injustice”. Previous speakers have been Dr Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry, also a former Kingswood pupil,  Rhodes Vice-chancellor Dr Saleem Badat and Professor Peter Vale, Nelson Mandela Chair of Politics at Rhodes. 

For copies of the lectures, click here :

Dr Rob Davies - Neil Aggett Memorial Lecture 2006

Dr Saleem Badat - Neil Aggett Memorial Lecture 2007

Professor Peter Vale - Neil Aggett Memorial Lecture 2009

Dr Liz Floyd - Neil Aggett Memorial Lecture 2010

(The lecture for 2008 was cancelled as the speaker, Professor Peter Vale was unable to deliver his lecture due to health reasons.)

Dr Liz Floyd, centre, who delivered the Neil Aggett Memorial Lecture at Kingswood on Friday 12 March, pictured here with two previous speakers in the lecture series, Dr Saleem Badat, Vice Chancellor of Rhodes University (inside left) and Professor Peter Vale, Nelson Mandela Chair of Politics at Rhodes University (inside right) as well as the Kingswood College Head, Mr Jon Trafford (far right) and co-ordinator of the lecture series, Mr Rob Charlton (far left).