POLITICS

© Shutterstock.com The Spear of the Nation – MK on the Cape Flats

All MK combatants’ blood will continue to nourish the tree that will bear the fruits of freedom.

By Oscar van Heerden

30 THE THINKER POLITICS

olonialism, which has not the Covenant or Dingaan’s Day. was made far away by others who saw bothered to put too fine a point you fit to be a recruit. Con its efforts, has never ceased The Cape Flats Since MK was a banned organisation, to maintain that the Negro is a savage Following on from that proud history the training one underwent was and for the colonist, the Negro was the lives of the people of the Cape clandestine inside the country or neither an Angolan nor a Nigerian, flats consisted of an endless struggle at times you were told to leave the for he simply spoke of 'the Negro'. For against an oppressive regime hellbent borders of the Republic and receive colonialism, this vast continent was the on ensuring that they remained second training outside the country in camps haunt of savages, a country riddled with class citizens in the country of their that were situated in neighbouring superstitions and fanaticism, destined birth. Blacks in general and Africans in countries such as Angola or Zambia for contempt, weighted down by the particular were subjected to the most among others. curse of God, a country of cannibals, in merciless treatment, oppression and MK has a very proud history, short, the Negro's country.1 subjugation. On the factory floor, in established shortly after the Sharpeville our schools, in our churches and yes in massacres in 1960. It became very Historical Context: our homes, no place was sacred for the apparent to the ANC and the SACP that The decision to form MK was regime. The ANC decided peaceful demonstrations and protests perhaps taken in 1961 but the CPSA that it had no choice but to take up were being increasingly met with utter had already identified six members to arms. violence from the Apartheid police ready themselves for military training Growing up in Mitchell’s Plain on which often resulted in the death of in China in 1959. In fact, when the the Cape Flats, 1985 – 1990 were comrades. The situation could not discussion about forming a military particularly difficult years for those that continue like this and a decision was wing of the ANC at an ANC NEC taken that armed military intervention meeting came up, Comrade Moses The colonial was required since this it seems was the Kotane opposed such a move, arguing only language the oppressive regime that it would be best if such a armed mother sought to understood. wing reside elsewhere in the broader discourage the African MK needed to have a presence liberation movement so that the throughout the country in order to image of the ANC as a non-violent masses from rebellion serve as a reminder to all that the ANC and peaceful organisation could against oppression lives and the ANC leads… that the ANC persist in the minds of our people. and dehumanisation, takes great care in wanting to protect The compromise in the end was that the people of against this Mandela and Slovo together had to seeking to convince brutal regime. This is how MK came to facilitate the formation of MK. The us that to seek our be established in the as first recruit into MK by Mandela was well. In a speech by former President Comrade Andrew Mlangeni, though emancipation was to Mbeki to the Ugandan Parliament in he was one of the six identified by the act against our own December 2005, he reminded us of CPSA earlier in 1959. Fanon’s view that: Therefore, MK’s founding members best interests. The native intellectual who takes were, among others, former president up arms to defend his nation's and Comrade Joe chose to fight against the regime. These legitimacy and who wants to bring Slovo of the SACP. were the years that could be described proofs to bear out that legitimacy, Other key members in cells around as the last kicks of the dying horse who is willing to strip himself naked the country included Jack Hogson, called Apartheid: hence the brutality. to study the history of his body, is Ahmed Kathrada, Arthur Goldreich, These struggles took on various forms, obliged to dissect the heart of his , Dennis Goldberg, Ronnie being part of the mass democratic people. Kasrils, former president , movement meant that you had to be Such an examination is not former president Jacob Zuma, Curnick an all-rounder at times – an organiser specifically national. The native Dlovu and Vuyisile Mini, to mention of workers today, and tomorrow an intellectual who decides to give a few. instigator of school students. This was battle to colonial lies fights on the History shows us that MK announced the nature of the struggle during these field of the whole continent. The its presence with a series of bomb trying times. past is given back its value. Culture, attacks on government buildings on There was however another element extracted from the past to be 16 December 1961 in Johannesburg, of struggle – that was to become one of displayed in all its splendour, is not Durban and Port Elizabeth. Now the spears of our Nation, an Umkhonto necessarily that of his own country. known as the Day of Reconciliation, the We Sizwe combatant. You could not The year 1987 saw much activity 16 December public holiday formerly simply decide to join the ranks, you in the Western Cape as far as MK commemorated the Afrikaner defeat of had to be recruited by a comrade who operations were concerned. A sizable the Zulus at the Battle of Blood River was already in the underground. In complement of cadres returned from in 1838, and was known as the Day of other words, it was not your decision, it exile (various MK camps) back into

Volume 80 / 2019 31 POLITICS

the Western Cape. The Special Branch steps ought to be. (Security Police) went into overdrive I hope that like What was perceived by and large to try and keep surveillance on most Solomon Mahlangu, as the arrest of student and youth of these comrades. Ashley Kriel was leaders in 1989 was in fact a further one of those native intellectuals that their deaths will be a clampdown on MK operatives in decided to fight but was killed by the constant reminder the Province. Many got arrested in Security Branch police in 1987, soon Bonteheuwel, Belhar, Kuilsrivier, after his return from the camps. They of what our and of course also amongst others, got a tip off from someone about the freedom cost. the MIPSCO 12. These were arrests whereabouts of Ashley and proceeded that signalled the final dying days of to advance on the house where he was the Apartheid system because by the another MK operative, Anton Franz, staying. They approached the house time most of these cadres got released was laying low in a house in Athlone. under a certain pretence and once towards the end of that year, some It transpired that Anton Franz’s they gained access, got involved in a Robben Island prisoners also got mission was to come back and scuffle with him and a shot went off. released at the same time. It was the enhance the engineering capabilities This is according to the police officer clearest sign of the times changing. of MK operatives, sharpening their responsible for Kriel’s death. He told us There are many of these stories that bomb making and explosive handling at the TRC hearings how he restrained we can tell, which should really inspire skills sets. When they approached the Ashley but the combatant would have the younger generation but alas, some house and requested that Anton Franz none of it. He then shot Ashley and of them seem not to care, reminding gave himself up, he naturally refused killed him that day. us instead that we must not reminisce and what followed was an epic seven What followed soon afterwards was on past glories. This attitude is a most hour gun battle between himself, the the arrest of the rest of the returning unfortunate development in our recent SA military and the security police. combatants. This was a major blow history. Eventually after it became apparent to the Western Cape network of MK. But I hope that their sacrifices that they were not going to get Anton Ashley Forbes, Anwar Dramat, Peter will not go unnoticed. I hope that alive given his resilience and fighting Jacobs, Yasmeen Pandy, Jeremy Veary like Solomon Mahlangu, their deaths skills, they drove a Kasper through the and others were arrested, stood trial will be a constant reminder of what living room wall and detonated an and were imprisoned for an average our freedom cost. We are told that explosive device that killed Anton. of 20 years. They were escorted to Mahlangu’s long incarceration had not The clampdown continued Robben Island after their trial. broken his spirit, and his last words unabated with the further arrests of The mantle to establish a vast were reportedly: commanders in Mitchells Plain and network of MK combatants fell on the My blood will nourish the tree elsewhere, leaving a number of MK shoulders of others. That network or as that will bear the fruits of freedom. combatants in the lurch and without it was then called detachment became Tell my people that I love them. proper direction as to what the next known as the Ashley Kriel detachment. They must continue the fight. It must have consisted of roughly All MK combatants’ blood will between 12-15 cells, comprising of They got a tip off continue to nourish the tree that will 3-5 persons per cell, hence roughly from someone about bear the fruits of freedom. between 45-60 combatants throughout Other MK operatives who did not the Province and not only located in the whereabouts of die at the hand of the apartheid regime the Cape Peninsula region. I mention Ashley and proceeded to this day make their respective this fact because for the longest time, to advance on the house contributions to our society, some in Comrades in the Western Cape our democratic government, whilst actually thought and operated as if the where he was staying. others do it through other means. province only included the Peninsula They approached the Errol April from Mitchell’s Plain is a and not the surrounding rural and peri successful farmer in the Grayton area rural areas in and around . house under a certain in the Western Cape, Gary Kruser from In July 1989 we saw the killing pretence and once the northern suburbs has made his of Robbie Waterwitch and Coline they gained access, got contribution in our police services for Williams after it transpired that the many years. Similarly, Anwar Dramat, explosive material they handled was involved in a scuffle with Peter Jacobs, Jeremy Veary and many tampered with resulting in it exploding him and a shot went others continue to make a contribution prematurely, killing them both off. This is according to the safety and security cluster in instantly. Mzansi. There are many, many more. Later that same year in November to the police officer Frantz Fanon reminds us again in his 1988, the security police arrested Mark responsible for On Culture and Identity that: Henry, an MK combatant and tortured Kriel’s death. …colonialism therefore did him. They received information that not seek to be considered by the

32 THE THINKER POLITICS

native as a gentle, loving mother crossing over. The security police had structures for sometime unless you who protects her child from a their collaborators that constantly kept want some people to identify you and hostile environment but rather as a tabs on the movement of potential then the game is up. mother who unceasingly restrains comrades and as a result it was a very I’m outlining all of these processes her fundamentally perverse offspring dangerous undertaking. It could result simply to demonstrate that it was never from managing to commit suicide in your death or imprisonment. an easy decision to be part of MK. And and from giving free rein to its I remember when I was on the run as you can see with some of the above evil instincts. The colonial mother in 1989 for a couple of months, once stories, many died in pursuit of this protects her child from itself, from they eventually caught me, they were noble cause of ours. May their memory its ego and from its physiology, its convinced during my interrogations that live on forever. biology, and its own unhappiness I had left the country for a short spell. So, what are the inspirational which is its very essence. This of course was not the case but it lessons one can take away from these In other words, the colonial mother did make me realise that they were so narratives, from these individuals that sought to discourage the African masses confident on their infiltration network in made the ultimate sacrifice and from from rebellion against oppression and the Western Cape that they simply did those of them that are still very much dehumanisation, seeking to convince not want to believe that I had managed among us today? How do we honour us that to seek our emancipation was to evade them and their informers for them appropriately and how should to act against our own best interests. such a long time (six months). Such was history remember them? The question I would like to pose the level of infiltration in the movement Frantz Fanon wrote in On National though, is what happened to this at the time. Culture that "each generation must level of commitment and progressive out of relative obscurity discover its thought in the Western Cape? Why People in the mission, fulfil it, or betray it." is it that a mere 30 years ago, you Thabo Mbeki concluded that could find people that identified Western Cape speech in Uganda in 2005 with, with a progressive cause and made understood the All of us, as political leaders, as the decision that they would want to workers, as business people, youth, participate in such a struggle knowing historical injustice in women and the intelligentsia have full well the consequences of such the 1970s and 1980s a duty to fight against poverty and decisions. In the case of joining MK, underdevelopment as well as ensure likely death. And yet they did so, and yet the continued that as Africans we define ourselves, without fear, because they believed subjection of our not in the image of our former in a greater good, a non-racial, non- colonisers but in the spirit of our sexist, democratic South Africa. They people to poverty, African ancestors, who bequeathed decided to not conform to the colonial unemployment and so much to the human race. I am mother seeking to convince us that inequality goes certain that through our determined to seek our emancipation was to act and collective struggles, we shall against our own best interest. What unchallenged today. overcome. was the material conditions then that People in the Western Cape supposedly changed today? So once you are outside the country, understood the historical injustice So, when I talk of difficult decision, your life is in the hands of complete in the 1970s and 1980s and yet the allow me to explain. You get recruited strangers. They take you to this and continued subjection of our people to into MK ranks but this is just the very that point (house), tell you to stay poverty, unemployment and inequality first step in a long process. Ifyou and wait and not to move around too goes unchallenged today. The factory are fortunate, you might receive much. Your nerves are shot because floors are conspicuously quiet, the clandestine training right here in the your mind is racing, and eventually schools are no longer sites of struggle country but for others recruitment they come and collect you and the next and the churches have fallen silent. meant leaving the country, crossing thing you travel for hours until you get What is it about a people that have the borders illegally and then get to a training camp. Life in the training just accepted their fate in life that escorted to one of the MK camps in camps was in no way rosy to say the have come to accept that manipulative a neighbouring country. These steps least. Here you spent your time honing advice from our colonial mother that are no small feat. If you are from the your skills sets, in weapons training, sought to discourage the African masses Western Cape, the nearest border explosives, combat readiness and so from rebellion against oppression and crossing would most likely have been much more. The ultimate reward for all dehumanisation, seeking to convince but many a time comrades your efforts: to be called up to return us that to seek our emancipation was travelled much further to cross at other home and execute various operations. to act against our own best interests? points of the SA northern border. This Now to return back into the country What is it, I wonder...? ■ was done for security purposes or is equally difficult just like trying to Reference the fact that you had to join up with leave illegally. But you come back and 1 African Intellectual Heritage, Molefi K. Asante and Abu another group of individuals before you have to remain in the underground S. Abarry, Temple University Press, 1996, p238

Volume 80 / 2019 33