The outpouring of grief and incomprehension at the passing of Deyika Nzeribe tells you something of the regard in which the man was held. A lot of that has appeared on Facebook, which not everyone chooses to be a user of. This below, republished with permission of its author, Dr Tanzil Chowdhury, beautifully captures his spirit.
Rest in Power my dear, dear brother and mentor Deyika Nzeribe
I can’t understand and believe what has happened. Deyika was the most self-less, tireless campaigner I ever had the pleasure of saying I worked with. We organised together over the last 6 or so years. He was so important to the struggle. Anytime I knew Deyika was a part of something, I always felt so comfortable and confident that it would be a success. People in Manchester may not realise this, but this amazing man is responsible for so much that is positive in the community.
More important than all of this though is that Deyika was an amazing human. He exuded knowledge, love and kindness. He listened to others and genuinely worked to bring people together. I’ve never met anyone in my life who worked so much and so hard.
It is no surprise that my last contact with Deyika was a few days ago when we were chatting about our petition to #FreeTheBlackPanthers
https://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/fifty-years-on-black-panth…/
That was Deyika. ALWAYS putting others before himself. Whether it was raising money for the Duggan family, organsing community events for refugees, fighting Prevent, racism or climate change (I could go on for days), Deyika’s natural disposition was to consider others before his own well-being. All of the great heroes of history that he admired, you could see in Deyika.
Remembering his legacy is vital, not just to honour and celebrate his life but because it will genuinely inspire the next group of youngsters to achieve fantastic things for their community. All of us that knew him have a responsibility to make sure this happens.
I only hope that he was able to be with us for 1 more day at least, so that he could see how much he was loved. My love and support to your family. Respect my dear friend. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. xx
Inna Lillahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Raaji’oo
manchester climate monthly 