POLITICAL

organise a National Convention of representatives of all our people to Some Personal Reflections work out a new democratic, non- racial and non-sexist Constitution.

© Shutterstock.com Conference further resolved that if the on the Road to Armed regime failed to call such a conference a three-day strike would commence on Struggle the 29th May, the day that was to become a Republic. The apartheid regime mobilised the army, the police and intelligence services to arrest thousands of activists and carry out a reign of terror. Mandela responded that “if the government’s response is to crush by naked force our non-violent struggle, …in my mind we are closing a chapter …on non-violent policy”. In December 1961 SA was rocked by sabotage actions by MK units in the major cities. Its manifesto declared “We of …carried out the sabotage activities to achieve liberation without bloodshed and civil clashes… Our actions are against the Nationalist’s preparations for civil war and military rule… We are working in the interests of all our people, black, brown and white, whose future and wellbeing cannot be attained without the overthrow of the Nationalists …the Military action at every stage had to be guided people’s patience is not endless. The time comes in the life of any nation and determined by the need to generate and when there only remain two choices: submit or fight. That time has now promote political action, organisation and come to South Africa.” resistance. By 1962 the leadership concluded that the sabotage campaign had not been as effective as they had expected By Aziz Pahad largely because of lack of quality equipment and training. Govan Mbeki and were n 21 March 1960 the of Alliance leaders and cadres were asked to prepare a plan for the next apartheid police massacred 64 arrested. phase of the struggle. They produced OAfricans who were protesting This brutal retaliation failed to stop a document “Operation Mayibuye”, peacefully against the notorious pass the nationwide struggles, and the ANC which provided a framework for laws in Sharpeville. and PAC were banned on the 30th launching guerrilla warfare and This was a decisive turning point of March 1960. In a secret meeting sparking a mass uprising. in the history of the struggle against the ANC leadership took the decision The High Command accepted the apartheid. to disband the Women’s League and document but there was sharp debate The ANC called for a nationwide the Youth League and to continue the on whether the Plan was adopted by pass burning campaign led by Nelson struggle from underground. the ANC or the SACP. Bram Fischer Mandela in the then Transvaal, and In 1961 the ANC organised speaking at his trial said that Operation Chief Albert Luthuli in Natal. Thousands the All-In African Conference in Mayibuye “was a complete departure of people of all races responded to the Pietermaritzburg, which was attended from the ideas on which MK was call. by more than 1400 delegates from founded. It was a plan that was wholly The apartheid regime declared a across South Africa. The conference incorrect and wholly unsuited for the state of emergency and thousands demanded that the apartheid regime conditions in South Africa. …It was

22 THE THINKER POLITICAL totally impractical …. It could have into SA, including through Revolutionary Council. Its primary achieved nothing but disaster ...an and the then Rhodesia (the Wankie function was “internal reconstruction”, entirely unrealistic brain child of some campaign). Given the objective realities viz., to give shape and substance to the youthful and adventurous imagination, this was not successful. internal political and armed struggle. it was a plan not even approved by MK This reality only changed with the I and other RC comrades worked …and we as the Central Committee … independence of Mozambique and under the leadership of Dr Dadoo and expressed our complete disapproval”. Angola, later Zimbabwe and Namibia; Joe Slovo. However a National High and also surprisingly by the creation Other London RC comrades Command was created, and Regional of self-governing in South included Jack Hodgson, Ronnie High Commands were established in Africa. Kasrils, Ronnie Press, Barry Feinberg, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Dissatisfaction felt by MK cadres Stephanie Kemp, Harold Wolpe and Town. in Tanzania with the ANC leadership Mannie Brown. Kader Asmal in Ireland Senior leaders, including OR resulted in what came to be known as played an important role but he Tambo, Dr Dadoo, JB Marks, Moses the “ memorandum”. The reported directly to comrades Dadoo Kotane, Joe Slovo, Joe Mathews, Consultative Morogoro conference and Slovo. Michael Harmel, Johny Makathini, called to deal with the growing dissent At a time when the internal and Duma Nokwe went into exile to in MK ranks was crucial for the survival structures were decimated we recruited mobilise support for the armed struggle of the ANC. “internationalists” to assist us with and the AA struggle. Representatives of the Alliance propaganda distribution, smuggling of On the 11th of July 1963 apartheid attended in their organisational weapons into SA from the front line forces raided the underground HQ capacities. This was the first time that states, provide safe houses in the front based in Liliesleaf farm and arrested key non-Africans had attended an ANC lines states and in South Africa, create ANC leaders, including Govan Mbeki, Consultative conference as delegates. a library of SA topographical maps Walter Sisulu, Raymond Mhlaba, It was also the “first time” that non etc., creating secret compartments to Rusty Bernstein, Denis Goldberg and smuggle leaflet bombs and propaganda Ahmed Kathrada, as well as many The Consultative material to SA. other activists throughout the country. Comrade Ronnie Kasrils has Shortly afterwards Harold Wolpe and Morogoro conference published books about the wide Arthur Goldreich were arrested. called to deal with the ranging work of our “internationalist The Alliance structures were growing dissent in MK supporters”. [See Ronnie Kasrils’ article decimated and hundreds were in this issue] imprisoned, tortured and killed. ranks was crucial for Given ‘the need to know rule’ I was The started on the 6th the survival of not aware of all the people recruited October 1963 and on the 11th of July in Europe and North America and their 1964 all the accused were sentenced the ANC. deployment. to life imprisonment. I only heard of the arrests of our Many ANC cadres were sent to Africans were allowed to be members units, including the Rabkins and the other parts of Africa for training. of the ANC – but not its NEC. Hosey cells, the “Broederstroom Some returned home. The Conference created the unit”, Ahmed Timol (who was killed in The atmosphere and conditions Revolutionary Council to coordinate detention) and many others after their unexpectedly were not as favourable the armed and underground struggle arrests or killings. as the ANC had expected. and was accountable to the NEC. This There was strong sentiment for the council was led by OR Tambo and My Military training PAC in some sections of the Tanzanian Yusuf Dadoo as his deputy. In the early 70s comrade Billy Government, who were pro-PAC In January 1964, my brother Nanan and I attended a three weeks’ and pushed for unity; countries Essop and I were banned under the training course in the former GDR. were very nervous about apartheid Suppression of Communism Act. In We were trained in Military Combat regime retaliations and there was a December 1964 after our arrest and Work (MCW), including building constant push for ANC-PAC unity. trial it was decided that we should go underground structures, surveillance Governments’ attitudes changed over into exile. and counter surveillance, intelligence time, but as far as the armed struggle I became an active member of the and counter intelligence, interrogation, went we continued to face challenges. ANC Youth Section in London. lock picking, secret communication, In 1969 because of differences with In 1967, I completed my Master’s photography and creating false the Tanzanian authorities all our MK degree in International Relations at documents. We were also trained in cadres had to be airlifted to the Soviet Sussex University. using weapons, including AK 47s. Union. [See article by Shubin in this I was deployed to work full My second training, also in the issue.] time in the ANC office in London. GDR, was with 4 other comrades who The ANC leadership made several Shortly afterwards I was deployed to had come from Lusaka. attempts to infiltrate our trained cadres work for the London section of the We covered some of the courses

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I had done in my earlier training. exile and civil society organisations in overland tours in a truck “doctored” to However, this time round there was SA. This made the infiltration of MK carry unsuspecting tourists and hidden greater emphasis on combat training. cadres and weapons into SA extremely weapons.1 In May 1973 I went to Moscow for difficult. Adverts for a 6-7 weeks’ overland an eight months’ training course. However, in the 80s PMC structures tour to SA from Mombasa were placed I stayed in a flat on the outskirts in the front line states and London in magazines. of Moscow. In this challenging creatively found new ways of infiltrating Many young tourists from Europe, and difficult time my only contacts weapons and MK cadres into SA, the USA, New Zealand and were with my trainers and interpreters. and impressive “armed propaganda responded to the adverts. The training covered much of activities” were carried out. There Once the truck was modified it was my earlier training but it was more were some clashes between MK units shipped to . The tourists flew detailed and intensive. I also did field and the SADF. from the UK to Mombasa where they exercises. Some units, acting outside of ANC were picked up by the truck driver and In 1997 I was deployed to Luanda policy, attacked civilian targets. a backup person who were recruits for 6 months to share experiences mainly from the UK and Netherlands. with comrades doing similar work to Hinterland Project London was not informed of what we were doing in London. I also The Africa Hinterland Project in where the weapons were loaded and had the opportunity to visit some of the mid ’80s was a very successful delivered. our camps in Angola and get a better MK project, initiated by the PMC in The Hinterland programme was understanding of life and challenges in very successful. I was surprised to our military camps. learn that the project continued until From around 1976 the GDR started We were trained 1993 from Johannesburg. The driver providing military training for 40-50 in Military Combat was the same person we had recruited ANC cadres twice a year. Work, including in London when the project started. London was mandated to prepare This must have been part of the political lectures for the trainees. Brian building underground Vula project. Bunting, Ronnie Kasrils, Pallo Jordan structures, As the mass struggle in SA intensified, and I were involved in this project. the leadership decided that our The London RC were engaged in surveillance and “armed propaganda activities” were many tasks including: recruiting SA counter surveillance, successful but we were suffering heavy passport holders, providing extensive casualties because our underground political training, determining intelligence and structures were unable to cope with whether they should return to SA counter intelligence, the new challenges, including being to do legal or underground political the “Jungles, forests and mountains” work, and if comrades were suitable interrogation, lock for MK cadres. This included providing for MK work we referred their names picking, secret a supportive environment into which to Lusaka. We could not provide cadres could vanish if necessary, as is military training in the UK or the communication, usual in guerrilla warfare. rest of Europe, but we provided photography and The NEC created the Internal courses in Military Combat Work creating false Political and Reconstruction Unit to (MCW), including creating leaflet build a strong underground machinery, bombs and broadcasting techniques, documents. that would enhance our capacity to surveillance and counter surveillance, intensify the political and “armed creating false documentation, London. propaganda” activities. secret communications, setting up Rodney Wilkinson, who in 1982 propaganda units in SA, methodology had planted two limpet mines at the “Green Book” of recruitment and countering Koeberg Nuclear Plant, was deployed In 1978 OR Tambo led a delegation infiltration and creating “dead letter to London. to Vietnam to study the experiences drops”, and creating containers for He was obsessed with the idea of of the National Liberation Front. smuggling arms. smuggling weapons into SA. Once again the message was that the The apartheid regime had used its One of his ideas was discussed with armed struggle in SA was different from full political, economic, intelligence comrade Joe Slovo, at that time head other armed struggles, and was largely and military power to destabilise and of the MK Special Operations section, confined to the major urban areas. coerce the neighbouring countries who tasked Mannie Brown and myself In 1979 a joint meeting of the NEC not to allow ANC activities from their to work with Rodney on this project. and RC created a Politico-Military countries. They also had an effective With the help of British comrades, Strategy Commission which produced military and intelligence presence we set up the Hinterland travel a report commonly referred to as the on the borders with SA, and had company based in Greenwich. The “Green Book” which, based on the penetrated Alliance structures in objective was to organise and manage Vietnamese experience, recommended

24 THE THINKER POLITICAL that we develop an elaborate strategy a military Code of Conduct and the Socialist countries; and boldly for effective mass mobilisation; Regulations governing the handling proclaimed “that the world was going creating the broadest front for national of weapons and explosives were also through an era of transition from liberation, strengthening the ANC adopted. Interaction with all sectors of capitalism to socialism, which would underground machinery; and armed SA society increased dramatically in all be a catalyst for a “Peoples War” that struggle had to be based on mass “forward areas”. would result in the seizure of power”. struggle involving all sections of our We used these documents to Comrade Thabo Mbeki and I went people. Military action at every stage prepare lectures. They were timely to the Havana conference shortly after had to be guided and determined by because many of the cadres who had a secret meeting with the apartheid the need to generate and promote joined the ANC and MK post ’76 had National Intelligence Agency in political action, organisation and not come from within the ranks of the Switzerland and we were aware of resistance. ANC. They had a limited understanding the planned date of the unbanning of The NEC decided that that there of the ANC’s political, theoretical and organisations, including the ANC and should be a joint planning command strategic perspectives. SACP. and control to guide the political and In the mid-80s the Vula project was Although a number of SACP military aspects of the struggle. launched. The London PMC was not leaders were aware of the secret The message was clear: we had to informed about this initiative. negotiations undertaken by Mandela work on a long term strategy driven However, London had to hand over as well as those led by Thabo Mbeki by the perspectives of a people’s war. to Lusaka the names of comrades we with representatives of the apartheid We therefore had to prioritise the had recruited, some of whom were regime, “The Path to Power” strengthening of political structures that recruited to work for Vula. In the ’90s, document, nevertheless, with its would serves as “the mountains and following President FW’s dramatic insurrectionary postulates was idealistic jungles” for MK cadres. announcement of the arrest of senior in form and content. However it did The Political-Military Committee comrades involved in the Vula project, make a reference to the possibility of a (PMC) replaced the Revolutionary negotiated resolution of the conflict in Council (RC) and the PMC became South Africa. the Executive Arm of the NEC relating The objective was On February 2 1990, the then to the conduct of the political and to organise and President FW de Klerk announced armed struggle. The PMC had to the unbanning of the ANC, the SACP coordinate the activities of the political manage overland and other organisations, and agreed headquarters, the military HQ, and tours in a truck to a time frame for the release of the the intelligence department. Regional Rivonia Trialists, the return of exiles and PMCs were established in the “forward “doctored” to the release of other political prisoners. areas”. They had to set up Area Political carry unsuspecting In 1994 we had the first democratic Committees in SA. tourists and hidden elections, which the ANC won London was designated a “forward decisively. area”, and I was the Secretary of the weapons. Political Military Committee in London. Conclusion After discussions Essop Pahad, Billy I gained a better understanding of it. The Alliance decision to move from Masethla, Wally Serote and Peloka peaceful to “violent” forms of struggle Nkobi (secretary) joined the PMC. We SACP adoption of the ‘Path to Power’ came after decades of political struggle. also used the experience and expertise The SACP 7th Congress took place The PMCs in all areas, underground of other London comrades, including in Havana, Cuba in April 1989. political activities and the “armed Tito Mboweni, Harold Wolpe, Brian The “Path to Power” document, propaganda” activities of MK played Bunting, Ronnie Press, Bill Anderson which had been discussed by all Party an important role in pressuring the and Gavin Cawthra. units for at least two years dominated apartheid regime to negotiations and All “forward areas” were instructed discussions. It was an insurrectionary democracy. to intensify our efforts to meet with the document, based on books including The supreme sacrifice of thousands leadership and activists from all internal those by Regis Debray and Che of alliance leaders and cadres to formations representing political, Guevara. achieve our democracy must continue trade unions, business, women, How did this happen? to inspire us to work for a non-racial, religious, cultural, student and civic The final draft, presented to non-sexist and democratic SA, which organisations. The objective was to Congress, ignored realities, such ensures that we tackle the continuing implement the 4 pillars of the struggle: as the fall of the Berlin Wall, and challenges of unemployment, poverty mass mobilisation, strengthening the the emergence of a unipolar world and inequality to create a better life for political underground, escalating the dominated by the USA, the growing all our people. ■ armed struggle and strengthening contradictions in the Soviet Union Footnote international solidarity. and other Socialist countries and 1 The truck can now be seen, with some of its history A Political Code of Conduct, the predicted collapse of many of and that of the ‘London Recruits’ at the Liliesleaf Museum in Rivonia.

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