FIRST there were t-shirts with images of Che Guevara. Now two enterprising Sowetans are marketing clothing bearing the name 'Hector Pieterson', the 12-year-old whose death has became synonymous with the 1976 uprisings.

June 21, 2005

THERE'S the Hector Pieterson Museum, the Hector Pieterson school, a Hector Pieterson street, and now … the Hector Pieterson clothing label.

Caps, socks and t-shirts with Hector Pieterson label

Two enterprising young Sowetans, Sina Molefi and Zuza Mbatha, recently pooled their talents to form Abasha Creations, a closed corporation, to market clothing bearing the name of the famous 12-year-old who died in the uprisings that begun on 16 June, 1976.

Molefi, who is Hector's half-sister, is completing a fashion design diploma at Parktown College, while Mbatha has previously done designs for Loxion Kulca.

Mbatha was keen to launch a new label that would be meaningful to South African youth. "I noticed Che Guevara t-shirts, and wondered whether people wearing them knew anything about him."

So he decided to start a brand that would mean something to young people - "a brand that related to history". Abasha is the Zulu word for youth.

The young man first thought of using the name of Black Consciousness hero Steve Biko but discovered it had been taken by designer label Stoned Cherrie.

He then decided on Hector Pieterson and approached Antoinette Sithole, Hector's sister. Sithole was working at the Hector Pieterson Museum in Orlando West.

He was referred to Hector's mother, Dorothy Molefi, and that's when the real work began.

It took six or seven months to persuade her to allow him to use the name, Mbatha says. "I started last year in June. I believed it was a good idea, I just had to be patient."

The famous image captured by Sam Nzima of Hector being carried by Mbuyisa Makhubo, with his sister Antoinette alongside

His patience paid off. She finally agreed to the use of her only son's name - in return for royalties, which will be used to build an orphanage called the Hector Pieterson Orphanage. Molefi was herself an orphan from the age of 10, Mbatha says.

Hector Pieterson stands as a symbol for the youth, says Mbatha. "Family and youth have to benefit." He also hopes to get big business involved in sponsorship of the orphanage.

The young owners of Abasha Creations - they are both 26 - hope to have the clothes in stores by July. They also plan to have a stand at Fashion Week at the end of July, where their clothes will be modelled.

"It's going to be big time," enthuses Mbatha, with a big smile.

Tshepo Moropa, 22, has been brought on board as the designer. He says he will be "going back to the streets" with his designs. By that he means he is going to "play around with old school and urban styles, and combine them". Old school refers to the designs worn by the youth in 1976, while an urban style refers to using cotton, denim, prints, embroidery and screen-printing.

The range will consist of t-shirts, jeans, takkies, caps and spotties, belts, jewellery and socks, all with a distinctive logo bearing the letters HP above Hector's name.

To the question of whether they are exploiting Hector's name Mbatha says, "The youth must come up with their own ideas to create jobs, not to gain money. The [Pieterson] family must be looked after, no one is looking after them - it's about time they were."

So far five people have found jobs with Abasha Creations - Mbatha and Molefi, Moropa and two sales staff.

The clothes and accessories will be available in Y Shop in The Zone, Rosebank, and Cyberzone in the Carlton Centre Shopping Centre.