Mural honours Dr Athol Williams’s contributions
29 April 2025
Yesterday, 28 April 2025, Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews joined Mitchells Plain residents in proudly honouring Dr Athol Williams with a striking mural on Eisleben Road, celebrating his remarkable contributions to education, justice, and community upliftment. It is the first mural in the area to honour a living community member. The impressive artwork was produced by artist Rizah Potgieter from SMART and made possible with the support and sponsorships of Read to Rise, Williams Dry Cleaners and Laundry, Cape Flats Book festival, Paint Communities, Hamiltons Paint, Artbridge, and AkoNobel.
Dr Williams, who grew up in Mitchells Plain, co-founded Read to Rise and launched the Cape Flats Book Festival to make reading accessible to all. His academic achievements include a doctorate from Oxford and five master’s degrees from top global universities. Labelled an ‘Education Champion’ and ‘South African Hero’, the mural also honours his bravery in exposing corruption, which led to international recognition and local awards. Despite global success, Dr Williams remains deeply connected to his roots. This mural stands not only as a tribute but as an invitation to the community: strive for excellence, live with compassion, and make life count.
‘In the heart of Mitchells Plain, a community that has weathered many storms, yet still dreams, still fights, and still dares to believe in a better tomorrow, a young boy named Athol Williams dared to dream bigger than his circumstances, and with the mural we are not just honouring that man. We are making a bold statement about who we are, and more importantly, about who we can be. In a world where too often the loudest stories are those of despair such as stories of gangsterism, drugs and broken dreams, we offer a different narrative. We carve into the heart of Mitchells Plain a story of hope, resilience, excellence, and of compassion. In a time when our communities are crying out for role models and real heroes, we honour Dr Williams as that kind of hero. His journey from the streets of Mitchells Plain to the halls of Oxford, Harvard, MIT, and beyond is a roadmap and a living testimony to the power of education, and service, and of a heart determined to make a difference,’ said Alderman Andrews at the unveiling.
When young people walk past this mural, the intention is for them to see more than a painting.
‘I want them to see themselves. I want them to know that they too can rise, that they too can write books, teach at world-class universities, build organisations and change lives as Dr Athol Williams has. If we are to defeat the scourge of gangsterism, if we are to push back against the tidal wave of drugs and violence, then we must flood our streets with stories like Athol’s. We must plant seeds of possibility in every classroom, every home, every heart.
‘A few years ago, at my daughter’s 21st birthday, I had the privilege of reading one of Dr Athol Williams’s poems aloud. In that moment, surrounded by my family and friends, I was struck by the extraordinary beauty of his words. Words that speak to our struggles, our hopes, and our shared humanity. His poetry is not distant or abstract, but it is rooted in the very soil of Mitchells Plain. It captures our pain, our pride and our potential,’ said Alderman Andrews.
The Deputy Mayor made a special call to colleagues in the education sector to work together to ensure that Dr Athol Williams’s poetry becomes part of the English literature setwork in our schools.
‘Let us ensure that the children whom we speak about, the ones who walk these streets and dream these dreams, to see themselves reflected in the success of this man. Let them know that they too are represented and that they belong. In telling our stories, we give future generations permission to dream, to build, to soar. The City of Cape Town wholeheartedly supports initiatives like these. We stand behind our artists, our dreamers and our educators, because we know that the future of our city depends on the success of every young person, in every street, and in every home,’ said Alderman Andrews.
‘It is our hope that the mural inspires everyone who sees it to ‘Strive for excellence. Live with compassion and possibility and achieve the extraordinary’ as the mural states in Dr Williams’s words. He is a reminder that we can all achieve great things regardless of where we start. He urges us all to remember that we have ‘Only one life’ so we should ‘make it count’ by seeking to rise above our circumstances,’ said Mr Roscoe Williams, Dr Williams’s brother.
The mural is a reminder that every generation holds the pen to write a new chapter of dignity, and excellence.
‘Let us invest in the extraordinary potential that lies right here on the Cape Flats. Let’s not just honour Athol’s story today. But let’s ensure it inspires a thousand more. I want to thank Dr Athol Williams for reminding us who we are and who we are destined to become,’ said Alderman Andrews.
High resolution photos from the event are available here.
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
