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Joe Modise, the Army Commander of Umkhonto We the happiest moment in my life JOE MODISE, THE ARMY Comrade Gqabi took a unit we'd done a reasonable job. COMMANDER OF UMKHONTO that was going to blow a railway The following morning it was WE S&-WE, RELATES HIS line with a stick of dynamite reported in the newspaper that ROLE DURING THE FORMA­ smuggled out of the mines. saboteurs destroyed the main TIVE DAYS OF OUR PEO­ The stick of dynamite was atta­ communications as well as the PLE'S ARMY. ched to the railway line and overhead telephone lines linking according to their report it went the Vaal Triangle and Johannes­ PRIOR TO THE launching of off but the damage was minimal. burg. These were some of our Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1961 This was due to the fact that first actions before the formation there was a feeling among the apart from the lack of material of Umkhonto we Sizwe. youth that the old form of strug­ we also had very little experience. Discussions continued amongst gle, which was non-violence, was Realising that this was not a the leaders and I was contacted, not going to meet the demands very big success, we undertook apparently because my involve­ of our situation and bring about to carry out another operation ment in these early actions the desired change. We as a disci­ aimed at destroying the tele-" was known. I had discussions plined group of young people felt phone communications. We went with some of the top leaders that if the movement felt that at the time, like the late Com­ the policy of non-violence was rade Duma Nokwe and Comrade correct, we had to follow it. Walter Sisulu. We had discussions But we had misgivings about it. separately before we were offici­ However with the suppression of ally brought together in Stanger, the African National Congress Natal, at Chief Albert Luthuli's after the SharpeviUe massacre, place where the African National this feeling of a different method Congress, South African Com­ of struggle gained a lot of promi­ munist Party, Coloured People's nence in our discussions and Congress, South African Indian many people felt that there was Congress and Congress of Demo­ no other way except to resort to crats met to discuss this new armed struggle. method of struggle. After two days of consultations, it was We acted even earlier than the agreed that the ANC and SACP actual launching of MK. With were going to undertake this the declaration of the racist re­ new form of struggle whilst the public in May 1961, people were other movements that were still organised to strike. We felt that legal should continue working in order to strengthen this call legally. It was then decided that we should also act independently MK was going to be launched. I but in a different way,'no longer was told that I had to serve in in a passive and peaceful way. So MK and instructed to report to the late Comrade Joe Gqabi, Joe Modise a house in Ophirton. When I myself and a number of other to a place called Mondeor where got there I found the'late Com­ comrades decided to stop the there was a trunk line with rade Jacob Masondo. the late trains that ran between Soweto lots of telephone lines running Comrade Andrew Mashaba and and Johannesburg. We consulted underground. Our aim was to another comrade from the East technician friends who told us destroy this, using the knowledge Rand. Then to our surprise, (we that if we threw a wire over the imparted to us by the late Com­ were not told whom we were mains that supplies power to the rade Jack Hodgson who was a going to meet) in walked Com­ electric trains, this would bring thoroughly efficient teacher. We rade Nelson Mandela who was in about a short circuit and there had a pliers and cutters with hiding at that time. He told us would be no power generated which we ripped the wires off that the movement had decided onto the line to enable the completely. On our way towards to embark on armed struggle and trains to move. home we felt that not enough that we were going to be part of work had been done. We thou­ that, machinery. I think we were I led a unit that went to New amongst the first units. I dont Canada. We arrived there at ght we should give the enemy a little more work in restoring think we were the only group be­ about 3 in tne morning, took a cause subsequently when we stone, tied it to a wire and threw communications. We decided to go for the overhead telephone went to collect our. material and it across the line that was suoDly- get the little training that was ing electricity. We saw a blue lines. We cut off some barbed wire from the fence next to the given to us, we met other com­ flame coming out of the electric rades who were also coming for wire when the contact was road, tied it to a stone and threw it over the telephone theirs. At that time things were made and were sure that there still done a bit amateurishly and was going to be a short circuit. lines, then tied the wire to the back of the car and pulled it. We the question of security was not But to our disappointment an given proper attention. hour later the train passed. felt satisfied that for the night 10 ' .. DECEMBER 16 before the first one exploded. So burning and started moving to­ i «,«,<• <«.™ *u„ -u-i-*_ * we moved to our targets from wards the fence rapidly. 1 was given the responsibility for «,.. ~i .t.-^u It had been drilled into us during our training (of not more „Mi*o L *K« o« f *>«*•£ *«i my place which was our meeting units in the Soweto area, Com-/point than five minutes) that under no rades Masondo and Mashaba' mr FYPI nwnw •circumstances should we be near were given the Pretoria area. But BK* K^^wu« these explosives when they go for December 16 the former and On our way, halfway towards off because we would be blown myself were given tasks in the our target we heard a very big to pieces. So our main concern Soweto area. I was to deal with explosion. We got worried be- was to get away from the point the post office in Kliptown and cause the whole operation throu- where the explosion was going Comrade Masondo together with ghout South Africa was coordi- to take place. We reached the the other comrades in Soweto nated, so as to ensure the security fence. Under normal circumst­ were to deal with the administra- of the comrades who were going ances even at night it's not a tion offices in Meadowlands and to fche various areas because if serious problem to move back to White City. In my unit were these explosions, particularly the point which you used for Comrade Tladi and a comrade those m the same locality, went entering a yard, but under these who was the chief of volunteers off before the others, the enemy circumstances and especially be­ in Alexandra township. We were woul(3 be alerted. And whilst the cause of our fear for explosives, told that wewouM «et our mate- enemy would be looking for it was difficult for us even to rials at a place which was going people who might have been in­ see the opening. When we even­ to be given to us later. volved, it would come across tually found it, it was a problem I was later contacted and in- people who were still going to to get through. It appeared as if structed to go to a place in the tneir targets. We were a bit it had shrunk. Nevertheless we centre of Johannesburg. I went worried and thought that it managed to get through and ran into the basement where I was might have been because of towards the trees that form a given a bundle of dynamite lack of discipline or may be the boundary between Pimville and sticks with fuses. When I walked Kliptown. out of that basement where I got my training and a little paperbag To our surprise we found the where I put in my material, in three minutes taking too long, walked Comrade Uriah Mokeba* much longer than the three wearing a big overcoat. It was minutes that had been deter­ obvious we had come for the mined by our instructors. I same purpose because after I had suppose this was due to anxie­ left and moved towards the bus ty on our part because we rank, I saw him also coming with started getting worried and thou­ his little parcel on his way to­ ght that something might have wards Soweto. gone wrong. We started asking As I've said, our unit consisted one another what could have of three people. One was going| happened but before we could to place explosives on the wall, finish the explosion took place. the other one was going to set it It was big bang. I've never been alight and the third would be so happy in my life. I felt that keeping watch for our security. the actual struggle had begun. We went to reconnointre the place and noticed that it. was FIRST CASUALTY fenced behind with a 2 metre We rushed home, running for high diamond mesh wire.
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