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 apartheid South Africa 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 Umkhonto we Sizwe …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 Joe Slovo 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 Zambia 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 Bantustans in South included Jack Hodgson, Ronnie High Commands were established in Africa. Kasrils, Ronnie Press, Barry Feinberg, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg 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 “Chris Hani 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 Rivonia trial 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 Volume 80 / 2019 23 POLITICAL 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 Australia were with my trainers and interpreters. and impressive “armed propaganda responded to the adverts. The training covered much of activities” were carried out.