Preferred Citation: Ntantala, Phyllis. A Life's Mosaic: The Autobiography of Phyllis Ntantala. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992.

http://ark.cdlib.or /ark:/1!"!"/ft#f$9n9%r/

A Life's Mosaic
The Autobiography of Phyllis Ntantala
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS

Berkeley Los Angeles Oxford

1993 The Rege !s of !he U i"e#si!$ of Ca%ifo# ia

Preferred Citation: Ntantala, Phyllis. A Life's Mosaic: The Autobiography of Phyllis Ntantala. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992. http://ark.cdlib.or /ark:/1!"!"/ft#f$9n9%r/

P#eface
&t 'as one evenin at the (incoln Center in Ne' )ork. Pavarotti*s voice filled the a+ditori+, 'ith *-a,a*, one of those arias he sin s so 'ell, and the a+dience, in appreciation, ave hi, a th+ndero+s ovation. .s he ca,e back for yet another bo', ,y ,ind s+ddenly flashed back, and that other 'orld to 'hich & once belon ed ca,e into sharp foc+s / the bends of the N0abarha 1iver, the ,eado's, the ani,als, the si,ple co+ntry folk, the school kids po+rin o+t of the school2 ate at the end of the day. & sa' the, all, as & had seen the, so ,any ti,es in that far2off ti,e and place. & sat do'n, c+pped ,y head in ,y hands and bo'ed ,y head, softly sayin to ,yself: *3o' stran e4 (ittle do all these people kno' that 'hile & a, part of the, at this partic+lar ,o,ent, & a, part of another 'orld of 'hich they kno' so little. & co,e fro, 50+beni alon the bends of the N0abarha 1iver. 6hat*s 'here ,y roots are. 6hat*s ,e4* 7o,e years a o, ,y da+ hter2in2la' Casey once asked ,e: *P, ho' did yo+ and 8oe ,eet9 8+st tell +s.* (a+ hin , & dis,issed her 0+estion 'ith: *)o+ kno', 'here & co,e fro,, that is one s+b:ect parents do not disc+ss 'ith their children. -aybe one day &*ll tell yo+ ho' it happened.* ;e both la+ hed and left it at that. .fter that ni ht at the (incoln Center, it occ+rred to ,e that, perhaps, ,y other 'orld 'as part of ,e in a 'ay that not even ,y children kne', let alone the friends aro+nd ,e that ni ht. 3o' co+ld ,y children, born and raised in the city, kno' anythin of this other 'orld9 ;hat they kne' of this 'orld

'ere snatches leaned fro, ,e and their dad and all those other visitors fro, the co+ntry 'ith 'ho, they ca,e into contact 'hen < viii < they 'ere ro'in +p. =ven to ans'er Casey*s 0+estion, & had to o back to this other 'orld. &t 'as the only 'ay she 'o+ld +nderstand 'hy and ho' & ended +p ,arryin 8oe. 7o & started :ottin do'n notes, reco+ntin ,y e>periences that span three continents, e>periences that have shaped and ,o+lded ,e into the person that & a,. & 'anted to leave a record of ,y life for ,y children and ,y randchildren and all those other friends & have ,et in ,y so:o+rn thro+ h life, for the, to kno' and +nderstand that it 'as beca+se of these far2 off roots that & a, the person & a,. &t 'as to say to the,: 'Ndivel' eGqubeni nindibona n!e"' ?)o+ see ,e here4 & co,e fro, 50+beni4@ )es, this is ,y story. (ike 6rotsky, & did not leave ho,e 'ith the proverbial one2and2si> in ,y pocket. & co,e fro, a fa,ily of the landed entry in 6ranskei, the k+laks of that area. & co+ld, like ,any others in ,y class, have chosen the path of co,fort and safety, for even in apartheid 7o+th .frica, there is still that path for those 'ho 'ill collaborate. B+t & chose the path of str+ le and +ncertainty. & trace the fo+ndations of this attit+de to ,y +pbrin in in a ho,e 'here the less fort+nate and destit+te al'ays ca,e and fo+nd help and s+cco+r. Aro, a very early a e, & 'as ,ade a'are of the needs and proble,s of others and & sa' all these people treated 'ith di nity and h+,anity. 6his had a tre,endo+s i,pact on ,e as a child, even tho+ h there 'ere never any lect+res on it. .nd yet & a, still very class conscio+s and, like ,ost people fro, ,y class, very arro ant. -y arro ance, ho'ever, has al'ays been te,pered 'ith concern, sy,pathy and carin for the less fort+nate. Aro, this class position, & kne' 0+ite early that & 'as as ood as the best, black and 'hite. 6his book is not a political thesis. B+t & have +sed the story of ,y life as a pe on 'hich to han life and events in 7o+th .frica and North .,erica as & e>perienced the,. ;e have here a h+ e canvas, depictin the ,osaic that is 7o+th .frica, 'ith all its colo+rs, stron and s+bd+ed, its lines lon and short, and the dots, lar e and s,all. &n social life, it is people 'ho ,ake +p that ,osaicB it is they 'ho ,ake thin s happen. 6heir actions and interactions deter,ine the co+rse of events. .t the very centre of all this are h+,an relations, and to +nderstand those h+,an relations, 'e ,+st ,eet real people, hear the, speak, ho' they speak, and then 'e shall kno' 'hy they speak the 'ay they do. . s+,,ary of events does not and < i> < cannot ive the 'hole pict+reB the n+ances are lost in a synopsis. 6he 'hole ,osaic has to be seen / lines, dots, colo+rs and all / in its totality, to be appreciated. &n dra'in this ,osaic 'e have one back in ti,e and historyB iven a lot of back ro+nd and so,eti,es in detail, for to +nderstand the present, 'e ,+st kno' the pastB even to predict the f+t+re acc+rately, 'e have to kno' that past, as it 'as in the past that the seeds of the f+t+re 'ere so'n. Aor ho' can one e>plain and +nderstand 5ranny -atthe's, 'ife of the late Professor C. D. -atthe's, so =n lish and yet so .frican9 Ef the .frican 'o,en & kno', there are none as .frican and a'are of their reat .frican herita e as she is. .nd yet, on the s+rface, she is so =n lish. Er ho' can one +nderstand ,y h+sband ..C., peasant in o+tlook, one 'ho re,ained s+spicio+s of city 'ays to the end of his life,

and yet, as a Classical and =+ropean scholar of literat+re, history and ,+sic, one 'ho co+ld field 'ith the best9 Ene needs to kno' the roots fro, 'hich s+ch people have spr+n . 3ere is also a slice of the ,osaic that is .,erica, a co+ntry not +nlike 7o+th .frica in ,any 'ays. Both are yo+n and vi oro+s, the ,eetin 2place of .frica and =+rope. Nat+re has racio+sly s,iled on both and endo'ed the, 'ith riches +nder and above the ro+nd and 'ith a bea+ty +ns+rpassed. 6heir people are 'ar,, kind, enero+s and 'ith a concern for others. Bi otry and racis, are a c+rse on both, for in both colo+r is kin . .rro ance of po'er is a pla +e in both, po'er so r+thless and ,anip+lative that it allo's nothin to stand in its 'ay. )es, so ,+ch alike and yet so different4 6here is a pro,ise and a f+t+re in .,erica, for the bedrock of her fo+ndation is a constit+tion that +arantees liberty, e0+ality, freedo, and the p+rs+it of happiness to all her people. Aor 7o+th .frica there is no# a pro,ise, so,e hope. B+t the f+t+re is still bl+rred. 6here had been stirrin s in ,e even before & left the University of Aort 3are. 6he blatant racis, at 3ealdto'n 'here & 'ent to school had opened ,y eyes. 6his 'as not so ,+ch directed to'ards +s, the st+dents. .fter all, the 'hite establish,ent there 'as a little distant fro, +s, and the three 'hites on the 3i h 7chool staff co+ld not be acc+sed of bein racists. &t 'as the attit+de of the 'hite colony to'ards the .frican staff that dis +sted ,e. & resented this 'ith all ,y so+l and co+ld not 'ait to et o+t of that place. & stron ly s+spected that the interests of this establish,ent 'ere ini,ical to ,ine. 7o by the ti,e & ot to Aort 3are, all establish,ents 'ere s+spect. <>< &t 'as in Droonstad 'here & ca,e to teach that ,y an er 'as aro+sed. &t 'as concern for ,y st+dents 'hose hopes and a,bitions see,ed to end in a c+l2de2sac that ,ade ,e ask *'hy* and seek ans'ers to the proble,s of poverty that th'arted the a,bitions of s+ch ood st+dents. & 'as not to find ans'ers +ntil & ot to Cape 6o'n. 3ere & learnt that, tho+ h & see,ed free, there co+ld be no freedo, 'here others 'ere not free and that in fact, nobody in 7o+th .frica, or any other co+ntry, 'as free 'hile others 'ere not. & learnt also that it 'as not the ill2'ill of any individ+al 'hite person or ro+p of the,, b+t a syste, of e>ploitation that benefited only a fe' and sa' the rest of ,ankind as +nits of labo+r that co+ld be e>ploited for the benefit of those fe' 'ho held the econo,ic po'er. 6his 'as 'hat 'as responsible for the ,iserable pli ht of so ,any people in ,y co+ntry and in other parts of the 'orld. &t 'as bro+ ht ho,e to ,e in Cape 6o'n that not +ntil this syste, of e>ploitation of -an by -an had been s,ashed and disbanded co+ld there be freedo, in the 'orld. .nd it 'as people 'ho, by takin their destiny in their hands, co+ld chan e thin s, t+rn the, aro+nd and create for the,selves a ne' 'orld, a h+,ane 'orld of free, liberated people. 3avin +nderstood this, & co+ld not leave it to others to do. & had to be part of it. < >i <

-y step,other, =d'ina, 'ith baby 7o,ikaFi on the o+tside veranda at ho,e

6ata, ,y father, as & kne' hi, in ,y yo+th. 3e 'as $9 'hen this photo raph

'as taken. < >ii <

Aort 3are 1a , 19!$: Phyllis as 3arle, irl, Gin Draai as olfer

-y 'eddin day, e50+beni, 2 8an+ary 19#". < >iii <

Phyllis and baby Nandi H1$ ,onthsI, Droonstad

7ister Nontsikelelo, ..C.*s sister, 'ith baby Pallo H! 'eeksI, Droonstad

..C. 8ordan, Cape 6o'n, early 19J"s < >iv <

Nandi on her 'ay ho,e fro, the (ittle 6heatre, Cape 6o'n.

NinFi, Ne' )ork, 19JK

-eetin held on the 5rand Parade, Cape 6o'n, !" -arch 19$2, d+rin the ca,pai n a ainst the Gan 1iebeeck Celebrations. En the platfor, fro, left: Phyllis 8ordan, ;ille, van 7choor, 7... 8ayiya, 5oola, 5ool, Lan Neethlin , 8ane 5ool.

< >v <

(indi HK yearsI and Pallo H1"I 'ith Bo:ie, ..C.*s nephe', Cape 6o'n

..C. 'ith Lr Cla ert, Lirector of Center for 1esearch, University of ;isconsin, -adison, 19J2. < >vi <

C. Pallo 8ordan, (ondon

..C. and Phyllis photo raphed for the Capitol ti,es of -adison on the day the ne's broke of Pallo*s endorse,ent o+t of the U7., -arch 19JK. < >vii < . 7.(U6= 6E 6ata, ,y 5rand Eld -an, friend and first teacher ..C., ,y h+sband, co,rade and collea +e 5ranny, 7o,blophe and Ntan ashe, ,y 'onderf+l sisters 'ho protected ,e thro+ ho+t ,y ro'in years N0okoth'ana H-F+kieI, the brother for 'hose co,in & prayed and Nandi, NinFi, Pallo and (indi, ,y children and so+rce of ,y inspiration .NL . (=5.C) 6E ,y randchildren, 6h+li Ef+,a, 7a,antha (ee and Nandipha =sher < >viii <

<1<

&'ff Missio
6his is ,y ho,e. &n this ,ission ch+rch & 'as baptised by the 1ev. 8ohn 6ho,pson. 7o,e t'enty years

later, & ca,e do'n fro, Droonstad in the Eran e Aree 7tate, to be ,arried in the sa,e ch+rch by the 1ev. 8. 8. -dlekeFa. L+ff ,ission is a,on the oldest ,ission stations in this part of the co+ntry. 6he first 'as the station established by the ;esleyan 7ociety in 1%2K in B+tter'orth near Din 3intsa*s co+rt. Not to be beaten at the a,e, the Aree Ch+rch of 7cotland established the 6h+th+rha ,ission ei ht ,iles a'ay in the Centane district and then this one at L+ff ,ission in the &d+ty'a district. 6he &d+ty'a district 'as to be the first foothold of British penetration into 6ranskei. &n 1%$%, shortly after the Non 0a'+se or cattle2killin tra edy,?M@ 7ir 5eor e 5rey, 5overnor of the Cape Colony and 3i h Co,,issioner, sent a force of Arontier .r,ed and -o+nted Police to occ+py the area, to prevent Din 7arhili fro, ret+rnin to the area, after he had left it in the 'ake of the Non 0a'+se tra edy. . ,a istracy 'as set +p to e>ercise :+risdiction over the .fricans there, and &d+ty'a 'as declared a dependency of the Colony, to be overned fro, Cape 6o'n. 6he .fricans 'ho settled here 'ere offshoots of vario+s ro+ps that had lived in the area before Non 0a'+se. 6hese 'ere the 5caleka, the -fen +,?MM@ 'ho had been settled here by 3intsa 'hen they first i,,i rated, and the Ndla,be +nder 7,ith -hala, rand2 ?M@ M &n 1%$K, follo'in the prophecy of a yo+n irl, Non 0a'+se, the Nhosa people sla+ htered their stock and destroyed their crops in the e>pectation of an act of reven e by their ancestors on the 'hite colonists. ?M@ MM 6hese 'ere ref+ ees of 6shaka*s 'ars, a period kno'n as iMfecane in Nhosa and Lifaqane in 7otho. <2< son of 1harhabe, 'ho had been bro+ ht over by the British after the 'ar of 1%#2 to for, a b+ffer bet'een the Colony and the Nhosa. .s an incentive for .fricans to settle in the area, the one2fa,ily one2lot syste, of land ten+re 'as introd+ced Hrather than the ,ore +s+al syste, of co,,+nal o'nership of landI. =ach fa,ily +nit 'as iven a title2deed to its residential and arable lot. 6his enabled poly a,ists to ac0+ire lar e tracts of land, as the distrib+tion 'as on the basis of one lot per fa,ily +nit. 7+ch a syste,, ho'ever, deprived yo+n er sons of ever ac0+irin land, for on the death of the ori inal title2deed holder, his land devolved to his senior heir. 6he property 'as not divisible a,on all the children by ,eans of a 'ill. L+ff ,ission, like ,ost ,ission stations in r+ral 7o+th .frica, 'as a land rant ,ission. &t is sit+ated on one of the fertile bends of the N0abarha 1iver, abo+t seven ,iles fro, -p+thi, its so+rce, and seven ,iles fro, the to'n of &d+ty'a. 6he ,ission ho+se is a typical r+ral ,ission ho+se of the nineteenth cent+ry / a s0+are stone b+ildin 'ith a Finc roof, 'ith stables for the ,issionary*s horses and Cape cart, a cattle2fold, trees to provide shade and shelter, and a fr+it and ve etable arden on the 'est side. .bo+t thirty yards east of the ,ission ho+se is the ch+rch, 'hich serves as schoolroo, for five days in the 'eek. Behind the ch+rch is the raveyard. .lon the riverbend, on the east and 'est, are the plo+ hin fields, t'o for +se by the ,issionary, one for the principal teacher of the school, and the rest, abo+t t'enty, hired o+t to parishioners and others. .cross the N0abarha 1iver on the 'est are settle,ents of school people. 6o the east, on a knoll on one of the bends of the river, is another villa e, e1h'antsini. =ast of e1h'antsini a ain, across the Aoley strea,, a trib+tary of the N0abarha, is a f+rther settle,ent of school and non2school people,

eFi6hen:ini. &n this area is ,y ho,e, the act+al ho,estead kno'n as e50+beni by all the local people. &t is an i,posin r+ral ho,estead, facin east, 'ith a ve etable arden in front and a backdrop of 'attle and +, trees, beyond 'hich are the plo+ hin fields. .t the foot of the knoll beyond the plo+ hin fields are the deep pools of the N0abarha 1iver, as it follo's the conto+rs of the land on its lon :o+rney to the &ndian Ecean. -y ho,e is, in fact, three and a half ,iles fro, the ,ission itself. 6he .frican co,,+nities al'ays re arded a ,ission station in their ,idst as their responsibility. ;ith their labo+r and contrib+2 <!< tions, they helped the ,issionary b+ild it. 6his d+ty involved not only the school people b+t the non2 school people as 'ell, 'hose children attended the ,ission school. 6he people ta>ed the,selves to b+y the b+ildin ,aterials and those 'ho 'ere carpenters, roofers and bricklayers ave of their services free. 6hey sa' to it that the ,issionary*s fields 'ere plo+ hed and that his pantry 'as never e,pty. 6he school co,,+nity had been dra'n here beca+se they 'ere ,e,bers of the Aree Ch+rch of 7cotland and, above all, beca+se the land 'as ood. &t 'as a co,,+nity of people of ,oderate ,eans 'ho, thro+ h dili ence, raised their stock, plo+ hed their lands and 'ere able not only to feed the,selves b+t also to send their children to colle es like (ovedale, Blyths'ood, Clarkeb+ry and e- 'ali 6rainin 7chool for 5irls, to beco,e teachers or learn a trade. Beca+se there 'ere not ,any openin s for the, 'hen they ca,e back fro, colle e, ,ost of the yo+n ,en left for the cities 'here there 'ere better opport+nities. B+t all of the, kept their arable and residential lots in the co+ntry for years. 7o,e of the, ca,e backB others never did. .ll of the, left their fa,ilies behind, and so,e never sa' those fa,ilies a ain. ;hen & 'as livin in the Eran e Aree 7tate and after & ot ,arried, it str+ck ,e every ti,e & 'ent ho,e that the irls & had been 'ith in school and had kno'n in these villa es, ,any of the, ,y a e and yo+n er, 'ere livin the lives of 'ido's as their ,enfolk 'ere 'orkin in the +rban areas. &n so,e cases the ,en had not been back for years and the irls 'ere left alone in the co+ntry, raisin their children, scrapin the bare soil for a livin . . fe' of the, had fallen victi, to ,en 'ho co+ld s+pport the, and their children / teachers, a ric+lt+ral officers, ,inisters of reli ion, clerks and petty chiefs / and had children by these ,en. B+t ,any 'ere carryin on stoically, 'orkin at 'hatever :obs 'ere available, keepin their ho,es and raisin their children. 6oday, L+ff ,ission, as 'ith ,ost r+ral areas, is a place of 'o,en 'itho+t ,en. 6hro+ ho+t his stay, the ,issionary and his fa,ily 'ere s+pported and ,aintained by the co,,+nity. -y fa,ily, since the ti,e of ,y reat2 randfather, had been very ,+ch involved in this, so involved that every ,onth ,y father 'o+ld send a har,el Hor castrated ra,I to the ,ission station, to provide ,eat for the ,issionary and his fa,ily. & re,e,ber occasions 'hen a ne' ,issionary arrivedB o+r o>2 'a on 'o+ld be sent to the train station to fetch hi,, his <#< fa,ily, and their belon in s. & re,e,ber also one of the deacons anno+ncin in ch+rch that the ,ission ho+se needed repairs, and appealin to the con re ation for donations. 6he teachers, too, 'ere treated in like ,anner. &n those days, so,e of the, 'ere not localsB they ca,e fro, other parts of the co+ntry, so,eti,es as far afield as Ciskei. &t fell to the local people to s+pport and ,aintain the,. Beca+se of this co,,+nity involve,ent, ,y ho,e beca,e the second ho,e of every ,issionary or teacher at L+ff ,ission.

&t 'as in that one2roo, school hall at L+ff ,ission that & learnt ,y three 1*s. & have seen that school hall develop into three roo,s / a h+ e hall for all the be inners +p to 7tandard 2, a 'in for 7tandards ! and # and another 'in for 7tandards $ and J. .nd :+st before & rad+ated fro, 7tandard J, & 'itnessed the b+ildin of yet another classroo,, a rondavel, for 7tandard J. B+t ,y be innin s are in that one2roo, school hall, a ch+rch hall on 7+ndays and a school roo, for five days of the 'eek. .t 1iver,ead Hk'a N 0ondelaI is o+r local tradin store, r+n by .rth+r Genables and his 'ife Non0abarha. ;hite traders ca,e to the 6ranskei, hot on the heels of the ,issionaries, to provide all the ne' needs that the ,issionaries de,anded and to satisfy the ne' tastes that had been introd+ced. 6o be accepted as Christians, the .fricans had to 'ear =+ropean dress, 'hich they co+ld only et fro, the traders. 6he ,issionaries also bro+ ht ne' foods / tea, coffee, s+ ar, flo+r / and thro+ h association 'ith the ,issionaries .fricans ac0+ired a taste for these ite,s. -oreover, the traders provided the people 'ith ready2,ade tools / pots, hoes, plo+ hs, and dishes. 6hese 'ere ,+ch ,ore convenient and the people fell for the,, both the school and non2school people. 6hat they 'ere +nder,inin the ho,e handicrafts of the local people 'as not yet tho+ ht of. 6hey 'ere a hardy breed of ,en and 'o,en, these traders, isolated, lonely and hard 'orkin . &n order to s+rvive in this sea of black people, they had to learn ho' to live 'ith people. Gery fe' of the, slept 'ith revolvers +nder their pillo's or locked their doors. 6hey kne' they 'ere safe a,on their nei hbo+rs. 6hey had learnt 'ho 'as 'ho in the areas 'here they lived, in ratiated the,selves 'ith the ,ost infl+ential fa,ilies, and kept friends 'ith the ,a:ority of the people. 6hey learnt the lan +a e of the people and ,ade s+re their children learnt it too. 7o,e of the, born in these parts kne' Nhosa before they kne' =n lish. <$< ;hen Britain be an replacin the civil service personnel in 7o+th .frica 'ith locally born 'hites, ,ost of their recr+its ca,e fro, this class of 'hites, 'ho kne' the Native and spoke his lan +a e. 1ecr+its for ,issionary 'ork too ca,e fro, this class. 6hose of the, 'ho 'ent on to +niversities beca,e e>perts in the areas pertainin to .fricans / .nthropolo y, .frican lan +a es, Native .d,inistration and Native (a'. B+t tho+ h livin a,on .fricans, like all 'hite 7o+th .fricans they never for ot that they 'ere 'hite. 6he Genables 'ere reat friends of ,y fa,ily. 6heir eldest child, a irl, 'as the sa,e a e as ,y sister 5ranny. 7he 'as called *-iss 5ladys* by everybody, incl+din her parents. & did not kno' the reason then, b+t & kno' it no'. .s a 'hite person she co+ld not be called :+st *5ladys* by the Natives. 6here 'ere t'o boys, 5eor e and Larian, the a es of ,y sister =thel and ,yself respectively. =verybody called the, by their first na,es. 6here 'ere constant e>chan es of ifts bet'een -a,a and -rs Genables / bo>es of s'eets and bisc+its fro, the shop, or ve etables, fr+it and e s fro, -a,a. ;hen 'e 'ere sent to the shop carryin these 'e al'ays 'ent ro+nd to their livin 0+arters, 'here 'e played 'ith 5eor e and Larian. ;e 'o+ld play in 5rand,a*s roo,, 5rand,a bein -rs Bode H-rs Genables*s ,otherI, 'ho lived 'ith the,, and al'ays left it a ,ess. ;henever -rs Genables 'ent shoppin in =ast (ondon, she sent 'ord to -a,a, askin if she did not 'ant anythin for the children. 6his 'as not only beca+se -a,a 'as a friend, b+t also beca+se she 'as a ood c+sto,er. 6he relationship bet'een the Genables and the local people 'as so ood that 'hen he 'ent bankr+pt, the locals sent a petition on his behalf, pleadin that he be iven another chance. ;e kne' 'hen the co+rt bailiff 'as at the shop, for -r Genables 'o+ld co,e ho,e on his horse, and re,ain there the

'hole day +ntil the bailiff had one. -y +ncles and other local ,en 'o+ld co,e and sit 'ith hi,, e>pressin sy,pathy: *Child of Genables, ho' can the 'hites treat yo+ like this9 Lon*t they kno' yo+ have been a ood friend of o+rs9 B+t 'hite people are a f+nny breed4* &n this case they did not re ard hi, as a 'hite person. 3e 'as one of the, and the 'hite ene,y 'as o+t there to destroy hi,, and the, too. En one occasion, 6ata, ,y father, on a visit to 8ohannesb+r , heard that 5eor e 'as a ,ana er on a ,ine. 6ata visited hi, and fo+nd hi, ,arried 'ith a child. 5eor e thanked 6ata for the s+p2 <J< port he and other locals had iven his father. 5eor e told 6ata that Larian, also ,ana er at so,e other ,ine, 'as a'ay on honey,oon, b+t 'o+ld visit ho,e before co,in back to d+ty. ;hen Larian bro+ ht his 'ife to the 6ranskei, they visited ,y parents. . ain the locals ca,e to reet Larian and his 'ife as soon as they learnt that the car standin in o+r co+rtyard 'as Larian*s. 6his sort of relationship 'as not an isolated case. 6he traders ;hitfield Hk'a ;ofaI at ChiFele, 'here ,y sister 5ranny lived, had a very ood rapport 'ith the villa ers there. .fter =rnest ;hitfield died and the son took over the b+siness, there 'as a lot of friction bet'een hi, and his ,other. 6he son 'anted to r+n the b+siness on strict lines, s+in those 'ho defa+lted on their pay,ents. 6he ,other 'o+ld not hear of it: her h+sband =rnest had never done that. No one had ever been taken to co+rt or had his property arnished for fail+re to pay. 6hey al'ays paid 'hen they co+ld, the ,other ar +ed. &t 'as the .fricans 'ho, d+rin the 7econd ;orld ;ar, looked after the fa,ilies of traders in r+ral 7o+th .frica, once their ,en had :oined +p. . ain it 'as these .frican nei hbo+rs and friends 'ho broke the ne's to the fa,ilies 'hen sons or h+sbands died in the 'ar. Beca+se they re arded these areas as ho,e, ,any traders 'ere +pset and ref+sed to ,ove 'hen, 'ith the introd+ction of the policy of separate develop,ent, the overn,ent 'anted the, to sell +p and ,ove a'ay. *& don*t belon in Bellville,* said one, 8ack -ather. *& belon here. -y roots are here. & a, the fo+rth eneration of traders here. & a, not oin any'here.* B+t for all that, these traders never for ot that they 'ere 'hite. 6heir children attended 'hite schools in to'n and not the local .frican school, :+st a fe' ,iles fro, ho,e. <K<

M$ Peo(%e
-y father*s randfather, Ntantala, 'as a N 0ika, a co+rtier of -a0o,a, 'arrior2kin and N 0ika*s first2born son. 3e ca,e to 6ranskei a year before the Non 0a'+se tra edy. Beca+se he 'as the son of a ,istress, his father advised hi, to cross the Dei, 'here there 'as still plenty of land, and seek his fort+ne there. 7o Ntantala, 'ith his t'o 'ives and their children, crossed the Dei, p+t hi,self at the service of 7arhili, the Nhosa kin , and 'as iven a place in 'hich to settle. Beca+se of his keen ,ind, his 'isdo, and elo0+ence, he soon distin +ished hi,self in the 5caleka co+rt and 'as ad,itted to the inner co+ncils of the kin do,. 6hen ca,e the Non 0a'+se story. Gario+s people / co+ncillors of the co+rt / 'ere sent by the kin to o and verify the irl*s story of people 'ho spoke to her fro, behind the reeds in the riverbed, of ,ovin ob:ects in the sea. En one of these occasions Ntantala 'as a,on those 'ho 'ent do'n to the 5>arha strea, to see for the,selves. 3e ca,e back +nconvinced, it is reported, and in his report2back,

he ,ade it 0+ite plain that the 'hole thin 'as a hoa>. 7o elo0+ent 'as his evidence that do+bt entered the ,inds of even those co+rtiers 'ho had been convinced by the story. 6hen the reat debate 'ent on and on for 'eeks, 'ith the people see2sa'in bet'een belief and disbelief. &n an er and fr+stration, those 'ho 'ere for the killin of their livestock, a$aTha$ba as they 'ere called, t+rned ro+nd and reb+ked their fello' 5calekas for listenin to a ne'co,er, a N 0ika, 'hose feet 'ere still 'et 'ith the de' of the ,ornin of his arrival. 6hen Ntantala realised that those close to the co+rt co+ld not be ,ovedB they 'ere bent on their o'n destr+ctionB they 'o+ld press the kin to ive the o2ahead. 3e 'ent to the kin and asked for per,ission to leave 5calekaland. 6his 'as <%< ranted. Collectin his fa,ily and his livestock, he left for 3ohita, one of the o+tposts of 3intsa*s kin do,. 3e re,ained there for ,ore than ten years, and prospered. ;hen 7arhili and so,e of his follo'ers fled to 3ohita after the Non 0a'+se tra edy, they fo+nd Ntantala there, a prospero+s ,an. .fter ten years in 3ohita, 7arhili 'as allo'ed back to his area, no' all carved +p by the British into 5calekaland, Ain oland and the &d+ty'a 1eserve. Ntantala sent his kin ten heifers to help hi, start his ne' life. Aor this service he earned for hi,self a place in the 5caleka co+rt, and to the end of his days he, and his sons after hi,, beca,e tr+sted co+ncillors. Ntantala ca,e back fro, 3ohita in 1%K" and settled at Cithen:ini in the &d+ty'a district. &n reco nition of his services, 7arhili / 'ho, on his ret+rn, had been iven so,e li,ited po'ers over the .fricans in the &d+ty'a and 5atyana Hor ;illo'valeI districts / appointed Ntantala his overseer in the villa es of Cithen:ini, 1h'antsini, C+n c'ini, Aalakahla, N 0+th+, and Phesheya k'e N0abarha, all in the &d+ty'a district. 3e also took a :ob as police,an, risin to the position of ser eant in the ne' .frican police force in &d+ty'a. Ntantala*s t'o yo+n est sons / 5ovan, ,y father*s father, and -andoyi / follo'ed their father into the police force in &d+ty'a, also reachin the rank of ser eant. Beca+se he 'as a poly a,ist 'ith three 'ives, his descendants n+,ber h+ndreds of people, all settled in the Cithen:ini villa e. -ost of the, beca,e ,en of ,eans, rich in stock, lar e and s,all. .nd beca+se they had taken advanta e of the land distrib+tion in &d+ty'a, they ac0+ired lar e estates. .l,ost every lar e tract of land, arable and residential, in this area belon s to so,e ,e,ber of ,y fa,ily. &t is not clear ho' 5ovan, a yo+n er son, beca,e the centre of the fa,ily and 'ielded ,ore infl+ence in the area than his older brothers. ;e can only s+r,ise that this 'as beca+se of his position in the 'hite ad,inistration in &d+ty'a. 5ovan*s ho,estead beca,e the centre of the 'hole fa,ily. 3ere 'ere the fa,ily rain2pitsB here the fa,ily athered to observe fa,ily traditionsB here i,portant visitors fro, the 5caleka co+rt 'ere received. 6he ho,estead ca,e to be kno'n as k+la -Fi -kh+l+ Hthe ,ain ho,esteadI or :+st e50+beni Hthe place of the h+ e piles of co' ,an+reI. -y father, 5eor e Ndabakayise, 'as the eldest son of 5ovan by his 'ife No,a0'elane HNo3anti to her in2la'sI, a -pondo,ise <9< 'o,an of the -a:ola ho+se. 3e 'as born on 9 .pril 1%%1, in the year of the final cr+shin of the -pondo,ise, the year of the disar,a,ent of the 7otho and the anne>ation of -pondoland. &n 1%K9, the Nhosa had been finally defeated in the ;ar of N cayechibiB 7arhili, the kin , 'as forced to flee and seek asyl+, a,on his ,other*s people, the Bo,vana. &n 1%K9, too, the C+l+ had been defeated and Cety'ayo, the Din , 'as arrested and sent to 1obben &sland.

6hese events 'ere still fresh in people*s ,inds as 5eor e 'as ro'in +p. 6he acco+nts of these happenin s ,ade a deep i,pression on hi,, and he follo'ed 'ith s+ch keen interest the story of the ;ars of Lispossession that later in life he beca,e a kno'led eable st+dent of their history and this period of British e>pansion in 7o+th .frica. Aro, the local school at L+ff, 5eor e*s father sent hi, to Connebloe, Colle e in Cape 6o'n. Connebloe,, the =ton of 7o+th .frica, had been established for the trainin of the sons of .frican ,onarchs and notables, as 'ell as the sons of senior ad,inistration officials. 3e 'as fifteen years old and 'as to re,ain in Cape 6o'n for the ne>t seven years, ,akin the :o+rney ho,e only three ti,es. 3o' his father, a police,an in &d+ty'a, ever ot to hear of Connebloe,, 'e do not kno'. &t 'as a lon :o+rney fro, ho,eB first on horseback thro+ h the Dei 5or e to a,aBhele 'here one ca+ ht the train to Cape 6o'n. Er on horseback to a,aBhele, then the train to =ast (ondon, 'here one ca+ ht the boat to Cape 6o'n. Cape 6o'n4 &n fara'ay Cape 6o'n, 'ho 'o+ld look after hi, 'hen he 'as not in school9 Aort+nately, 8a,es 6olbatt / 'ho hailed fro, 5eor e*s nei hbo+rhood / and his 'ife 'ere there and they took char e of hi,. &t had been arran ed that beca+se of the distance, 5eor e 'o+ld 'ork d+rin the 'inter holidays and co,e ho,e once a year. 3e fo+nd 'ork in the ho+se of a Lr and -rs ;aterkant as office boy, helpin the doctor in his s+r ery and also as ho+se2boy, helpin in the kitchen. 6he 'ork in the doctor*s s+r ery ta+ ht hi, a lot abo+t ho' to treat infection and 'o+nds. . better ,edical assistant yo+ co+ld not find any'here. 6he ho+se'ork also helped rid hi, of those pre:+dices so co,,on a,on ,en. 6ata co+ld cook, clean ho+se, 'ash and iron, so,ethin +nheard of a,on ,en in those days and, in so,e cases, even these days. 6he ;aterkants liked hi, so ,+ch they 'anted to take hi, back to =n land 'ith the, 'hen they left 7o+th .frica, so that he co+ld < 1" < contin+e his ed+cation there. 5ratef+l as he 'as he declined the offer, re,indin the, that he 'as the first in his fa,ily to have co,e that far for an ed+cationB that his people back ho,e had do+bted he 'o+ld ever ret+rn 'hen they heard he had been sent to a school in Cape 6o'n. &f he left 'ith the ;aterkants these fears 'o+ld be confir,ed and it 'o+ld ,ean the end of schoolin for ,e,bers of his fa,ily, ,any of 'ho, 'ere not yet school people. 3e re,ained in Connebloe, and co,pleted his ed+cation. .,on his best friends and conte,poraries at school 'ere Chief -as+pha, one of the sons of Din -oshoeshoe, after 'ho, 6ata na,ed his first randson. &n Cape 6o'n, years later, & 'as to ,eet -r 3eneke, e>2principal of 6rafal ar 3i h 7chool, 'ho 'as a :+nior at Connebloe, 'hen 6ata 'as there. -r 3eneke 'as e>cited to kno' that the 8ordan children he 'as teachin at .thlone 3i h 7chool 'ere the randchildren of 5eor e, one of the fello's he had ad,ired and respected in Connebloe, as a fresh,an there. 5eor e Ndabakayise ca,e ho,e in 19"2, after seven years in Cape 6o'n. 3e 'as t'enty2t'o years, old eno+ h to take a 'ife. .nd the bi 0+estion 'as: ;ho, 'as he to ,arry9 ;ere there irls ood eno+ h locally to ,arry this polished entle,an fro, Cape 6o'n9 3is ,other, No,a0'elane, did not think there 'ere any. Perhaps in the Colony, across the Dei, a,on the first fa,ilies of converts, there ,i ht be one. -y ,other 'as &da Balfo+r, one of the ,any da+ hters of -akhaphela 7an ani Balfo+r, eldest son of Noyi, 'ho, on baptis, as a Christian, ass+,ed the na,e Balfo+r, after that e,inent 7cottish scholar Lr Balfo+r of 5las o'. -y ,other*s ,other 'as =,,a, randda+ hter of -hala, kin of the Ndla,bes.

Cyril -hala, 'ho 'ent to Canterb+ry for his ed+cation, 'as one of her brothers. -y ,other 'as born in 1%%$ at (ovedale, the ho,e of the Balfo+rs. Noyi Hno' Balfo+rI had helped the 1ev. 8ohn Bennie alphabetise Nhosa and, in 1%22, these t'o had prod+ced the first Nhosa pri,er. .t the Ncerha station, Balfo+r and Bennie co,pleted the translation of the Ne' 6esta,ent into Nhosa and in 1%!# 'ent to 7o,erset =ast to print it. &t 'as on their ret+rn fro, 7o,erset =ast that they fo+nd that the ,ission station had been b+rned do'n d+rin the recent 'ar, the so2called ;ar of 3intsa. Balfo+r 'ent to 6yhali, the re ent, to ask for another site. 6yhali ave the ,issionaries a tho+sand ,or en of land 'est of the 6yh+,ie, to b+ild a school that 'o+ld be a < 11 < herita e for .frican children till the end of ti,e. 6his is the present (ovedale, fro, 'hich have rad+ated so,e of the ,ost ill+strio+s ,en and 'o,en, 'hite and black, fro, so+thern .frica. ;hen the 0+estion of findin a s+itable irl for 5eor e ca,e +p, his ,other 'as ada,ant that there 'ere no s+itable irls locally. 6he randfather, Ntantala, then s+ ested the Balfo+r fa,ily at 6heko 7prin s. No irl co+ld be ,ore s+itable for s+ch as his randson than a irl fro, the Balfo+rs. 7o to 6heko 7prin s the Ntantala envoys 'ent. 6hey fo+nd there fo+r, all of ,arria eable a e and bea+tif+l. 6he older t'o 'ere en a edB the ne>t t'o, &da, a ed seventeen, and her sister, .nnie, a ed si>teen, 'ere not. Both fa,ilies settled for the seventeen2year2old &da, tall and strikin ly bea+tif+l. 6his 'as her first year of teachin at the local school, havin finished her teacher trainin at (a,plo+ h 5irls* 7chool in B+tter'orth. &da and 5eor e 'ere ,arried at 6h+th+rha ch+rch in Lece,ber 19"!. 7he 'as :+st ei hteen years old. &da had hoped that her favo+rite brother, -enFi'a Hor Bh+t* - 'enye as they called hi,I, 'o+ld be there for her 'eddin . 3e did not co,e, for he 'as r+nnin a b+siness in -ossel Bay. 3o'ever, -enFi'a ca,e back a year after her 'eddin and one of the first thin s he did 'as to visit his sister to find o+t for hi,self 'ho this *l+cky yo+n ,an* 'as. ;hen he arrived, his sister is reported to have said, introd+cin her h+sband to hi,: *-eet this boy that yo+r father ,arried ,e to. ;hat do yo+ think of hi,9* .t t'enty2t'o, 6ata ,+st have looked a ,ere boy of ei hteen. 3is looks belied his a e. .t fifty he still looked a yo+n ,an of thirty2five. .ny'ay, 'hat the brother sa' pleased hi,. 3ere 'as an ele ant, handso,e yo+n ,an, 'ith a keen ,ind, kno'led eable and sophisticated, a entle,an to his fin er2tips. -enFi'a and 6ata hit it off 'ell to ether fro, the start and re,ained the best of friends to the end of their days. 6o +s children, no +ncle 'as as loved as -al+,e - 'enye, he loved +s in ret+rn. 3is 'ife, Nobani, a N c'elesha 'o,an of the ho+se of 6sha'e, beca,e one of -a,a*s best friends. 7he 'as an ele ant to'n 'o,an. & think ,y parents 'ere a near2perfect pair. -y father 'as si> foot t'o, 'ell b+ilt, dark co,ple>ioned, di nified, 'ar,, kind, enero+s, slo' to an er, +nderstandin , 'ith a healthy attit+de to'ards 'o,en, a entle,an thro+ h and thro+ h. -any of his fe,ale conte,poraries often said that in his presence they never felt inferior or < 12 < inade0+ate, for he al'ays treated the, as h+,an bein s. -y ,other, five foot nine, 'as a rich pink br+nette 'ith a ready la+ h, o+t oin and o+tspoken, a balance to ,y father*s rather reserved disposition.

6hose 'ho kne' of her co,in as a yo+n bride into the Ntantala fa,ily often told ho' her ,other2in2 la' 'as beside herself 'ith pride and e>cite,ent. 6his 'as the kind of irl she had hoped for for her sophisticated son. 5rand,a p+t her on a pedestal, allo'ed her to do thin s that other ne'ly'eds 'ere not allo'ed to do. Aor e>a,ple, -a,a 'as allo'ed to acco,pany 6ata to the places he 'ent to / co+ntry fairs, e>hibitions, choir co,petitionsB she 'as also allo'ed to visit her n+,ero+s sisters and brothers 'ho, in t+rn, visited her. -any of the fa,ily c+sto,s 'ere 'aived in her case. .ll this 'as done beca+se accordin to 5rand,a, *c+lt+red people* did not have to observe s+ch c+sto,s. 6o be free to r+n their lives as they sa' fit / as *c+lt+red people* / the yo+n co+ple 'ere enco+ra ed to ,ove o+t of the bi ho,estead H-Fi,kh+l+I to b+ild their o'n ho,e. En this site they b+ilt their ,odern, three2 bedroo,ed s0+are ho+se, 'ith t'o rondavels on each side, and stables for the horses and their Cape cart. 6hey ave their ho,e a backdrop of trees, 'ith a ve etable and flo'er arden in front, so,e fr+it trees at the back, beyond 'hich 'ere the plo+ hin fields, all fenced in. 6his is ,y ho,e, ,y birthplace and that of ,y siblin s. &t 'as to this ho+se that the ,issionaries, their fa,ilies and the teachers ca,e. &t 'as here that visitors of all sorts / local and fro, abroad / ca,e. &n this ho+se & first ,et and sa' a black .,erican, Lr ;ri ht. .nd beca+se 'e had been told that .,erica 'as a co+ntry 'here the people had freed the,selves, & tho+ ht .,erica 'as a co+ntry of black people. Beca+se of the 1ev. 6ho,pson, ,any visitors to 6ranskei 'o+ld visit o+r ,ission station and, invariably, he 'o+ld brin the, ho,e to ,eet ,y parents or to ,eet -a,a if they had already ,et 6ata. Besides, all the ed+cated fa,ilies in the district and beyond kne' each other and 'ere very close. Gisits a,on the, 'ere co,,on. .ll this 'as in addition to visits fro, -a,a*s h+ e fa,ily. -a,a soon beca,e pop+lar as sea,stress and dress,aker. ;eddin o'ns 'ere her speciality. H-y sister 5ranny 'as to follo' her in this.I 7he ,+st have been in reat de,and, for & re,e,ber piles and piles of bridal ,aterial in one corner of the roo,. 6he irls 'o+ld co,e to o+r ho+se for ,eas+re,ents and fittin s, 'ith so,e < 1! < of the, re,ainin there for days if their ho,es 'ere far. 6he dress 'o+ld be taken to the irl*s ho,e a day or so before the 'eddin , or her fa,ily 'o+ld co,e pick it +p. =arly on the ,ornin of the 'eddin , 6ata 'o+ld drive -a,a there, for she had to dress +p the bride, acco,pany her to the door of the ch+rch and be 'ith her the 'hole day. 7he ca,e ho,e only in the evenin s. B+t if the irl*s ho,e 'as not in o+r locality, -a,a had to o to her ho,e the day before and co,e back the day after. &n r+ral 7o+th .frica, 'eddin s are not only at the irl*s ho,e, b+t also at the roo,*s, and -a,a, as dress,aker, had to be at both places. 6his ,eant a 'hole 'eek fro, ho,e so,eti,es. En s+ch occasions, -a,2nci, 'ife of one of o+r +ncles, 'o+ld be left in char e of +s. 6ata 'as al'ays there 'ith +s. 6here 'ere also the 'eddin s of -a,a*s nieces and nephe's, to 'hich both she and 6ata 'o+ld o. -a,2nci a ain 'o+ld take char e, assisted by 5ranny, o+r eldest sister. -a,a 'as so pop+lar a,on her sisters and brothers that her ho+se beca,e the *finishin school* for their da+ hters. .s a res+lt, ,any of o+r fe,ale co+sins have lived 'ith +s, on and off, for a year or t'o before they ot ,arried. & have never been able to find o+t 'hy this 'as so. ;hen ,y sister 5ranny and a+nt . nes H6ata*s co+sinI 'ere st+dents at (ovedale, the first 7+nday after they ca,e ho,e for the Christ,as holidays 'as kno'n as the *7+nday of the (ovedaleans*. 6here 'ere seven of the, fro, o+r ,ission station. En this day, they 'o+ld be :oined by others fro, 6haleni, N cin 'ane, ChiFele and 5ood 3ope, ,akin a total of abo+t t'enty yo+n people, 'ith a sprinklin of local teachers and older people. .fter the ch+rch service, they 'o+ld all conver e on o+r ho+se

'here dinner 'o+ld be 'aitin for the,. 7is* -a2Can 'a, o+r help, 'o+ld have prepared the dinner, 'ith ,y sisters 7o,hlophe and Ntan ashe r+nnin errands for her. .s soon as -a,a ca,e in, she 'o+ld o to the kitchen to see that everythin 'as all ri htB then she 'o+ld ret+rn to the dinin 2roo,, p+t in the t'o leaves to e>tend the table, cover it 'ith a starched tablecloth, invite her +ests to the table and feed the,. 6hese 'ere al'ays lively, happy atherin s. 6hose 'ere the days4 .nd yet for all these thin s, so,e of the, so vivid in ,y ,e,ory, & do not have a co,plete day2to2day ,ental pict+re of -a,a. -y pict+re of her on the 7+nday of the (ovedaleans is of her 'earin a dove2 rey three20+arter s+it, approachin o+r ate 'ith three other ladies, also in 7+nday dress. 6hen & see her 'ith :acket off, spread2 < 1# < in the tablecloth, 'ith 7o,hlophe and Ntan ashe standin by 'ith the knives and forks, 'hile & a, fl+tterin aro+nd the,. &n yet another, she is abo+t to serve her +ests. 7he is 'earin a black skirt, a 'hite blo+se 'ith hi h collar and a black bo'. 6here she is enterin the dinin 2roo,, balancin a platter of baked ,eat and potatoes. 6he +ests are already seated at the table. .fter placin the platter in front of 6ata, she steps back and declares *(et +s say race*, bo's her head and says the blessin . &t is s+ch i,a es of her that re,ain in ,y head. &da and 5eor e had seven children, t'o of 'ho, 'ere t'ins. 6he yo+n er t'in, . rinette NoFiF'e, and the boy after the,, Car,ichael -akhaya, died in infancy. 6heir eldest son, =lliott Carlson -Folisa, died d+rin the 191% infl+enFa epide,ic. 3e 'as fo+rteen years old. 6hen they 'ere left 'ith fo+r irls: 6heodora 5ranny, =velyn Nonk+l+leko H7o,hlopheI, =thel 1+th HNtan asheI and Priscilla Phyllis. .ll fo+r irls 'ere different in te,pera,ent, positive and stron , and the pride of their father. 6ata told +s early in life not to take second place to anybody, beca+se 'e 'ere as ood as the best, incl+din ,en. &n these days of 'o,en*s liberation, & tell people that & a, a charter ,e,ber of that or anisation and it 'as 6ata 'ho ind+cted ,e into it. & 'as born on K 8an+ary 192", 'ith the risin of the s+n. -y parents 'ere hopin for a boy, havin lost their only son t'o years back. 6hey na,ed ,e Priscilla Phyllis at the re0+est of Lr (+,ley, o+r fa,ily doctor and reat friend of 6ata, for 'ho, he had 'orked 'hen he first ca,e back fro, Cape 6o'n. 6he (+,ley irl 'ith these na,es had died at fo+rteen and her parents 'ished that na,e to live thro+ h ,e, the da+ hter of their friend. 6he first year of ,y life 'as +neventf+l. B+t at fifteen ,onths, & fell serio+sly ill. & 'as already 'alkin and r+nnin abo+t like ,ost toddlers at that a e. & re ressed as a res+lt of the illness. & 'as so sick that -a,a and 5rand,a had to ,ove to a place in to'n to be near the doctor. =ven 'ith the doctor checkin on ,e every day, there 'as no i,prove,ent. 7o -a,a and 5rand,a decided to o ho,e so that, at least, & ,i ht die at ho,e. & a, told that 'hen & sa' ,y sister 5ranny at ho,e, & stretched o+t ,y 'ithered ar,s to her and she took ,e in her ar,s. -a,a allo'ed her to hold ,e :+st for a fe' ,in+tes, sayin , *5ive her back, 5rannyB she ,+st not die in ,y child*s ar,s.* =verybody tho+ ht & 'o+ld not live thro+ h the ni ht. < 1$ < =arly the ne>t day one of the nei hbo+rs, -rs -athikinca Ha+nt -a2-peth'ana as -a,a called herI ca,e over. 7he had heard that -a,a 'as back 'ith ,e and & 'as not e>pected to live. .+nt -a2

-peth'ana bro+ ht 'ith her so,e herbs. 7he bre'ed these and 'hen the bre' 'as cool, ave ,e a spoonf+l, tellin -a,a to s+spend all other ,edicines fro, the doctor. ;hen she left, she instr+cted -a,a to ive ,e another spoonf+l of the bre' at bedti,e. 6he ne>t day and the ne>t, a+nt -a2 -peth'ana 'as there to ,ake s+re & 'as iven this herbal bre'. &n a 'eek & sho'ed si ns of i,prove,ent. & beca,e alert a ain, sho'ed interest in people and thin s aro+nd ,e. & contin+ed to i,prove, a+nt -a2-peth'ana ,akin s+re that -a,a did not slacken in ivin ,e this herbal bre'. ;hen & had i,proved eno+ h, -a,a took ,e to 6heko for a rest, 'hich she too needed. 3ere at 6heko & contin+ed to i,prove, started 'alkin a ain, started talkin and p+t on so,e 'ei ht. People tell ,e that & 'as so active, chasin chickens and everythin & sa' ,ovin , askin 0+estions, that they likened ,e to the tiny rass 'arbler %Nogqa&a' and they called ,e that, a na,e that 'as to beco,e ,y Nhosa na,e. .ll the people 'ho kne' ,e at 6heko call ,e No 0aFa. -e,bers of ,y fa,ily too and all those 'ho kne' ,e as a child ro'in +p +se this na,e, and & like it. . ood fe' call ,e Phyllie, and others still 'hen they really 'ant to be s'eet, call ,e No,phyl. 6ata +sed both No 0aFa and Phyllie, and & 'o+ld not have hi, call ,e anythin else, to the e>tent of not 'antin hi, to 'rite *Phyllis* in a letter to ,e. ;hen in his old a e, 'ith his si ht failin , he ot so,eone to 'rite for hi, and the letter 'o+ld have *Lear Phyllis*, & 'o+ld be so annoyedB it 'o+ld take ,e a day or t'o to read that letter and & 'o+ld 'rite back sayin , *Please tell 'hoever 'rites for yo+ that & a, not Phyllis to yo+, b+t Phyllie or No 0aFa.* &n his reply he al'ays apolo ised, addin , *People don*t 0+ite realise 'hat these na,es ,ean to +s.* Nobody e>cept a+nt -a2-peth'ana see,ed to kno' 'hat this herbal bre' 'as. B+t 'hatever it 'as, it 'as an eli>ir of life, for & have en:oyed ood health ever since. & then beca,e a special child to this old lady. 7he had saved ,e fro, death and this she 'o+ld never for et. ;hen & 'as ro'in +p at ho,e, she kept an eye on ,e. En ,y 'ay to and fro, school, she 'o+ld be standin there lookin o+t for ,e. 3er ho+se 'as on o+r 'ay to school. .fter & had one to boardin school, she ca,e to see ,e every ti,e & < 1J < ret+rned ho,e for the holidays. Bi as & 'as then, she still 'anted to n+rt+re ,e, ,ade ,e sit by her side and so,eti,es let ,e share her plate of food. &n her old a e, she be an to lose her si ht and co+ld not see ,e 'ell. 3o' to+chin it 'as 'hen she 'o+ld ,ake ,e stand in front of her, feel ,e all over / ,y face, nose, ears, ar,s and 'hole body. 6hen she 'o+ld invite ,e to sit ne>t to her and tell her abo+t ,y life at boardin school. .s & 'as talkin , she 'o+ld say: *8+st say that a ain. & did not 0+ite catch it.* & s+ppose ,y voice 'as ,+sic to her ears and 'hatever & said 'as bea+tif+l. 7he 'as one of those 'ho never called ,e anythin b+t No 0aFa. & did not see her ,+ch after & ot ,arried. -y visits ho,e 'ere fe' and far bet'een. & ca,e back one holiday and she 'as one. 6ata had 'ritten to tell ,e she 'as dead. 6ho+ h she 'as old, & co+ld not i,a ine bein ho,e and not seein her. & feared even to visit her rave, beca+se & did not think & 'o+ld be able to take it. & did, tho+ h, for & had co,e to accept that it had been ti,e for her to o. -y a+nt -a2-peth'ana4 < 1K <

The )o'seho%*
6he ho,e of a ,an of ,eans in the r+ral areas is a h+ e establish,ent, 'here all sorts of people ather. E+rs 'as s+ch a ho,e. 3ere ca,e relatives, close and distant, on short or lon visits, so,eti,es brin in their children 'ith the,. 7o,e of the, ca,e to ask for blankets and clothes to see the, thro+ h the ne>t 'inter. Ene s+ch 'as 7is* Linah, a distant niece of -a,a. .fter she had been bo+ ht this and that by -a,a, she al'ays 'ent to the 'ashin 2basket and picked a fe' ,ore thin s for herself and her children, especially ,y dresses for her da+ hter Nto,bentsha, 'ho 'as ,y a e. -a,a 'o+ld discover this after she 'as one. 7is* Linah 'as able to et a'ay 'ith it beca+se the 'ashin 2basket 'as in the store2roo, for the convenience of a+nt -a2-la,bo, 'ho co+ld et to it 'henever she ca,e to do the 'ashin , so she did not have to 'ait for -a,a. 7o,e arrived beca+se of so,e disp+te 'ith a h+sband or a son and ca,e to ask 6ata to intercede on their behalfB others ca,e beca+se they had not seen +s in a lon ti,e. None of these people co+ld not be sent a'ay e,pty handed. -any of the, proved of reat help 'hile they 'ere here. 6hey helped in harvestin beans, s+n2dryin the p+,pkins, ettin the corn into the silos, rain2pits and tanks. 6hey helped in the plo+ hin fields, hoein and aro+nd the ho,e, p+ttin ne' plaster onto the rondavels. 6hen on the day 6ata 'ent to sell his bales of 'ool, those 'ho ca,e for a blanket or coat 'ere taken alon and ca,e back, not only 'ith the blanket or coat, b+t 'ith other articles of clothin . 6here 'o+ld be :oy all aro+nd. 6hey 'ere ratef+l and pleased. 6ata 'o+ld be pleased too that he had been able to f+lfil his obli ations. ;hen relatives arrived beca+se of tro+ble at ho,e, and the h+sband or son event+ally ca,e alon , the fa,ily heads 'ere called, and the disp+te 'as < 1% < settledB and after ettin her share of presents for havin tarried 'ith +s so lon , each of these too left at last. 6hen there 'ere the travellers, 'ho stopped here askin for 'ater to drink and to rest +nder the trees. 6hese travellers co+ld not be iven only the 'ater for 'hich they had asked, b+t 'o+ld be iven tea and food before they res+,ed their :o+rney. &t 'as +nthinkable to send the, a'ay 'itho+t feedin the,. 7o,e of the travellers 'ere sales'o,en or sales,en, ha'kin their 'ares fro, villa e to villa e. 6hey 'ere +s+ally 'o,en fro, -nd+nd+ and 1ha,rha in 5atyana, -fen + 'o,en sellin tobacco, ,ats, baskets and pottery. ;ord 'o+ld have one aro+nd that travellin sales'o,en had been spotted so,e'here in the nei hbo+rhood. ;e, the children, 'o+ld be asked to look o+t for the,, and tell the, that o+r parents 'anted to b+y so,ethin fro, the,. Aor days 'e 'o+ld be on the looko+t, and 'hen 'e spotted the,, 'o+ld r+n off to call the,, askin the, to stop at o+r place. 6ata see,ed to prefer their tobacco to that bo+ ht at the store. 6hen these 'o,en 'o+ld arrive, drivin their donkeys laden 'ith ba s of tobacco, 'hile they the,selves carried their ,ats, baskets and pots on their heads. En the veranda or +nder the trees their 'ares 'o+ld be displayed, and 6ata 'o+ld b+y 'hat he 'anted, 'hile -a,a 'o+ld be lookin at the ,ats and baskets Hseldo, the pots, for 'e did not need the, as 'e did not bre' any of the ho,e2,ade bre's fro, cornI. 7he too 'o+ld pick 'hat she 'anted. ;hile all this 'as oin on, a 'ar, conversation bet'een o+r parents and these 'o,en 'o+ld ens+e. ;e, the children, 'o+ld be b+sy ,akin tea for everybody and ettin food ready to feed the starvin sales'o,en. 6hey, too, co+ld not be sent a'ay h+n ry. =n rossed in their conversation, they 'o+ld for et that ti,e 'as passin and not 'aitin for the,. (ate in the afternoon 'o+ld be heard e>cla,ations of *)ho4 &s it this late already9 &t 'ill be dark by the ti,e 'e cross 6hethis'ayo ?a ford in the N0abarha 1iver@. ;e do not 'ant to cross that part of the river in

the dark. &t is not safe.* *.nd even after yo+ have crossed, yo+ still have far to et ho,e,* one of o+r parents 'o+ld observe. *)es, yo+ are ri ht. ;e 'ere not a'are it 'as ettin this late already.* *)o+ ,i ht as 'ell stop over for the ni ht and res+,e yo+r :o+rney to,orro',* one of the parents 'o+ld s+ est. 6his 'o+ld be a reed +pon and the sales'o,en 'o+ld be o+r < 19 < +ests for that ni ht. Nobody tho+ ht it stran e. 6his 'as as it sho+ld be. 6hen there 'ere the daily drop2ins 'ho ca,e for a chat and 'o+ld re,ain here for the ,idday ,eal and so,eti,es for the evenin ,eal. &n addition there 'ere those 'ho ca,e to help 'ith the daily chores / cleanin the yard, plasterin , hoein , harvestin , ,endin the cattle2fold or the fence, and all the chores aro+nd a ho,e. 6ho+ h this 'as *free* help, they all e>pected to be iven so,ethin 'hen the chore 'as done. .nother cate ory 'as those 'ho ca,e to 'ork in the fields to earn cash or kind. 6hese, too, e>pected to be fed 'hen they had finished and before they 'ent ho,e. 6his ,eant a bi pot every day for people kno'n to be here and even those 'ho still had to decide 'hether to stop or not. 6hen there 'as the central core fa,ily / the fa,ily itself, the helper in the kitchen, the yard2,an and the herd2boys Hfo+r, a ed ten to fifteenI. 6ata +s+ally had fo+r herd2boys / t'o for the s,all stock and one for the cattle and an older one floatin bet'een the cattle and the yard2'ork. 6his core ro+p lived as a fa,ily +nit, 'ith all ro'n2+ps 'ieldin a+thority over the children. None of +s dared to say to 7is* -a2Can 'a, o+r kitchen help, or to Bh+t* Nobh+la, o+r eneral factot+,, *)o+ are not ,y parentB yo+ cannot order ,e abo+t,* or tell the, that they 'ere bein paid for 'hat they did. 7+ch talk 'o+ld have ,eant p+nish,ent and they 'o+ld not have hesitated to take the ,atter to o+r parents, for tho+ h they 'ere servants, they 'ere not o+r servants. 6he ,en earned a beast a year H+s+ally a fe,ale beastI or ten sheep, 'hich they co+ld send ho,e or keep 'ith o+r stock +ntil they left. 7o,e of the 'orkers, especially the herd2boys, beca,e as brothers to +s. &n the kitchen at ni ht 'e ta+ ht the, the three 1*s. Nose, 'ho had co,e to +s at the a e of ten and left at fifteen, learnt to read and 'rite in o+r kitchen. 3e had beco,e so ,+ch part of o+r fa,ily that his ,other 'as concerned he 'o+ld never 'ant to o back to his ho,e a ain. Aearin this, the ,other ca,e to plead 'ith 6ata to release hi,. *3e is ,y only child. 3e is so happy here. & fear he 'ill for et +s. )o+ kno', 'henever he co,es ho,e, 'e cannot eat 'itho+t sayin race first. 6hese are thin s he has learnt here and he likes the,.* .t fifteen Nose left +s 'ith fo+r head of cattle and t'enty sheep. 6ata al'ays said to hi,: *8+st tell ,e, ho' ,any yo+n ,en 'ho have been to 8ohannesb+r have as ,+ch stock as yo+9* < 2" < Nose 'as not the only one 'ho learnt to read and 'rite in o+r kitchen. 6here 'ere ,any others 'ho did. 7o,eti,es livin 'ith +s 'o+ld be children 'ho had co,e to o+r school for 7tandards $ and J, beca+se the schools in their areas only 'ent +p to 7tandard #. 6hey never paid any boardin fees. No' and a ain, a parent 'o+ld send so,e contrib+tion in kind / beans, p+,pkins, ve etables or a har,el / to'ards the +pkeep of the child. &n a settin like this, children learn to live 'ith and ad:+st to all sorts of people. 7eldo, does one find clashes of s+ch a nat+re as to ,ake life intolerable.

=ach child had a chore to do, and 'oe to those 'ho ne lected their chores. &f yo+ had a p+ppy, it 'as yo+r d+ty to feed, 'ash and clean +p after it. &f yo+r chore 'as to feed the chickens, it 'as yo+r d+ty to see that they 'ere fed in the ,ornin and iven fresh 'ater, the e s 'ere collected at the appropriate ti,es, and the eese 'ere let o+t to o to the river for their s'i,. 6hose in the chicken yard had the responsibility of openin the ate in the afternoon for the eese to co,e in. 6here 'ere pi s to be fed and iven 'ater. 7o,eti,es a e'e 'o+ld die in childbirth and 6ata 'o+ld assi n the responsibility of raisin that la,b to one of +s, 'ith the pro,ise that if it s+rvived, it 'o+ld be that child*s o'n. 6he child 'o+ld then n+rse that ,otherless la,b, feedin it 'ar, ,ilk, cleanin its feedin bottle and findin so,e e'e that had lost its la,b to s+ckle it. ;e earned a fe' sheep this 'ay. &t 'as 'e, the children, 'ho sa' to it that the sta,ped ,ealies for the ne>t day*s pot 'ere ready the ni ht before. &n the ,ornin there 'as no ti,e for that before school. .nd if this 'as not done, 7is* -a2 Can 'a 'o+ld say in the ,ornin , :+st as 'e 'ere ettin ready for school: *3ey4 & do not kno' 'hat they 'ill eat 'hen they co,e back fro, school. & a, oin to help in the fields today.* .nd she 'o+ld do :+st that. 7is* -a2Can 'a, o+r kitchen help, had ,ore say than -a,a abo+t 'hat each of +s had to do. 7he 'o+ld anno+nce: *& a, oin to the strea, to do the 'ashin today and =thel is co,in 'ith ,e. Nonk+l+leko, yo+ re,ain behind to ,ake tea for Bh+ti 'hen he co,es ho,e. )o+ did not ,ake it yesterday, beca+se yo+ 'ere late co,in back fro, school and =thel had to.* Er she 'o+ld pick one of the kids to o to the store 'ith her. 7he nearly al'ays picked Ntan ashe, for she 'as 0+iet and 'o+ld not co,e back 'ith reports of all the people ,et on the 'ay or at the store, as ,y sister 7o,hlophe did. En those days 'hen she 'as oin to cook for the 'orkers in the fields, she 'o+ld assi n the fa,ily pot to the chil2 < 21 < dren, and there 'as no 0+estionin that co,,and. 6his 'as ood trainin , ,akin children ro' +p responsible people. None of +s ever considered it harsh. &t 'as life, and these thin s had to be done. & still re,e,ber of a ,ornin d+rin the plo+ hin and hoein season 6ata, standin early at the kitchen door, sayin : *6here are so,e 'o,en in the fields today. Please see to it they are fed before they leave for ho,e.* *)es, Bh+ti4* 7is* -a2Can 'a 'o+ld respond. *Lid yo+ hear 'hat Bh+ti said9* / this to the children. *& a, oin to cook for those 'orkers in the fields. )o+ 'ill have to take char e of the fa,ily ,eal.* 7o, sayin , 7is* -a2Can 'a 'o+ld drop everythin and b+sy herself 'ith preparations for the ,eal for the 'orkers in the fields. &n fact, she never even cooked for the,, for once she had set the pot, she 'o+ld o to the fields to chat 'ith the,, leavin +s, the children, to ,ind her pot. .t noon the 'orkers 'o+ld co,e back fro, the fields, sit +nder the trees, and ask for 'ater to drink and 'ash their hands. 7is* -a2Can 'a 'o+ld :oin the, +nder the trees, keepin the, co,pany. .nd 'hen her *pots* 'ere ready, she 'o+ld feed the,. 6heir 'ork 'as not ,eas+red by ho+rs. 7o,e days they 'o+ld sit there, chattin +ntil it 'as ti,e for the, to o ho,e. 6hen they 'o+ld have their s+ ar 'ei hed o+t and iven to the,, or their bars of bl+e soap, or kerosene, for 'hich they had co,e to 'ork. Gery fe' of the, ca,e to 'ork for ,oney. ;hen there 'as a bi :ob in the fields or aro+nd the ho,e / reroofin the rondavels 'ith ne' rass or re2plasterin the, / then a 'ork party 'o+ld be or anised. -y parents 'o+ld dele ate one of o+r nei hbo+rs, so,eone 'ith the rep+tation of bein a ood or aniser. Lays before the party, this individ+al 'o+ld co,e 'ith her helpers, to prepare the food for that day / to sta,p ,ealies, bre' $arhe#u bake bread. Lependin on the siFe of the party, one or t'o sheep 'o+ld be sla+ htered. &t

'as on s+ch occasions that 'e tasted $arhe#u . .fter this bevera e had been bre'ed and fer,ented 'ell, the 'o,an 'ho bre'ed it 'o+ld brin -a,a a beakerf+l, sayin to her: *Please do have so,e, before it all oes. &t is so tasty. &t is the best & have ever bre'ed in all ,y life.* Beca+se this bre' 'as not part of o+r daily fare, & never ac0+ired a taste for it. .nd yet those 'ho kno' it say it is very no+rishin , ood for people 'orkin in the fields. -y people4 3o' they see,ed to take life in their stride. < 22 <

S!a#!i g Schoo%
. yo+n er child in a fa,ily, & think, is al'ays at an advanta e over older siblin s. 7+ch a child ,oves into the 'orld of children sooner, ettin to kno' all the thin s that the siblin s are doin B and if precocio+s, as & 'as, absorbs ,ost of the thin s the older children are learnin . .t fo+r years old & 'as ready for school. =ven tho+ h & co+ld not 'rite, & kne' ,y alphabet fro, . to C and & co+ld co+nt to t'enty. (ookin at Ntan ashe*s 7tandard 2 =n lish reader and reco nisin the pict+re acco,panyin the lesson *. 5arden in a Plate*, & 'o+ld read to -a,a the first sentence and translate it as Ntan ashe did: *3a4 3a4 ;ho ever sa' a arden in a plate9* '(ho)oyi" Mntan' entan)u$ba" Ngubani o#a)he #abona igadi esepleytini* -y favo+rites 'ere *6he 1oll Call* in 7o,hlophe*s 7tandard # reader and *6he 7oldier*s 1eprieve* in the sa,e book. (ookin at the pict+re of the little irl 'ho had sent the letter to the President, no' :+st standin o+tside the door, & 'o+ld call *Co,e in4* as the President did. .nd 'ith -a,a*s lasses on ,y nose, & 'o+ld ask, *;ho is Bennie9* *-y brother, 7ir. 6hey are oin to shoot hi, for sleepin at his post.* 6hen the President: *Eh yes4 & re,e,ber. &t 'as a fatal sleep.* 6o this very day & a, very senti,ental 'hen & hear the chor+s *5ood -orro' to -y (ady Aair*, for & san it 'ith -a,a and 7o,hlophe, before & 'ent to school. & can still re,e,ber 7o,hlophe*s bea+tif+l soprano: ;ake, ,y (ady Aair, 5ood ,orro', ood ,orro', < 2! < .'ake, ,y (ady Aair. and -a,a*s contralto: (ady Aair, a'ake, a'akeB ;ake, ,y (ady Aair, (ady AairB 5ood ,orro', ood ,orro', .'ake, a'ake, ,y (ady Aair. & 'as ready for school and ,y parents kne' it. 7o all the r+les abo+t a e 'ere 'aived and & 'ent to school. .nd as -a,a said to all those 'ho re,arked +pon it, *&f and 'hen she ets tired, she 'ill stop

and stay ho,e.* & never stopped. =ven the three2and2a2half ,iles to and fro, school did not deter ,e. & had 'alked that distance on 7+ndays, oin to ch+rch 'ith ,y parents. Loin it for five days in the 'eek 'as not oin to be so forbiddin . .ny'ay, 'hat teacher, ,ana er or even inspector of schools co+ld say *no* if ,y parents 'anted ,e in school9 =verybody at ho,e 'as enth+siastic abo+t ,y oin . 7o,hlophe vol+nteered to carry ,e pi y2back part of the 'ay. .s she had so ,any friends, so,e days & never 'alked, for her friends took t+rns carryin ,e. 6hey liked it and so did &. &t 'as only on ,y 'ay back ho,e that & 'o+ld 'alk those three2and2a2half ,iles, for 7o,hlophe, in the +pper classes, co+ld not leave 'ith +s. 6he schoolchildren accepted and 'elco,ed ,e the very first day & ot there. Aor 'ere they not, ,ost of the,, ,y sister 7o,hlophe*s friends9 En that first day, one of her friends, NoFipho Ntshona, ca,e to say *3i, Phyllie* d+rin recess, and shared 'ith ,e so,e of her 'ild t+rnips she had d+ +p. 6hese 'ild t+rnips 'ere very pop+lar a,on schoolchildren. 6he teachers, 'ho on ,any 7+ndays ca,e to eat dinner at ho,e, 'ere no stran ers to ,e. & kne' the, and they kne' ,e. 7chool 'as no stran e place to ,e. & ,oved into that settin as if & had al'ays belon ed there, and & liked it. .nd yet for all that, -a,a 'as so,e'hat apprehensive. & re,e,ber her sayin , as she 'as tyin +p ,y )appie ?bonnet@ and strai htenin ,y dress, *;hen the teacher asks yo+ a 0+estion, speak +p and ans'er the 0+estion. Lon*t cry, Philli2 irl.* 7he said this beca+se ,y sister Ntan ashe, shy and 0+iet, took a lon ti,e to ad:+st to the school at,osphere of lively, lo+d, stran e children. 3o'ever, by the ti,e & 'ent to school Ntan ashe had ot over her fears and had 0+ite a n+,ber of friends, too, a,on the schoolchildren. (ittle did -a,a kno' that there 'as no need to tell ,e to speak +p 'hen spoken to. & ans'ered 0+estions even before they 'ere directed at ,e. < 2# < ;e 'ere late co,in to school that ,ornin , and as the c+sto, 'as, late2co,ers had to 'ait by the door +ntil the teacher2in2char e ca,e to find o+t 'hy the st+dents 'ere not on ti,e. -iss Llova 'as cond+ctin a reli io+s instr+ction lesson across the hall not very far fro, the door. *;ho can tell ,e 'hat the =i hth Co,,and,ent is9* asked the teacher. .nd before any of the class ans'ered, a tiny voice fro, those by the door called o+t: *6ho+ shalt not steal.* & had taken -a,a*s advice serio+sly and 'as ans'erin the 0+estion asked. .ny'ay, & kne' the 6en Co,,and,ents fro, ,y 7+nday school. (ater in life, 'henever -iss Llova con rat+lated ,e on ,y achieve,ents, she 'o+ld say: *& kne' yo+ 'o+ld do 'ell. )o+ passed 'ith hono+rs even before yo+r na,e 'as in the .d,ission 1e ister.* & ,+st have taken -a,a*s advice too ,+ch to heart. 6hat 'hole day in class, 'henever the teacher asked a 0+estion, ,y hand shot +p, ready 'ith an ans'er. & do not recall if & kne' every ans'er and & do+bt if & did in fact. .t the end of the day o+r teacher, -iss Ntshona, took ,e aside and asked 'hy ,y hand 'ent +p every ti,e she asked a 0+estion. *-a,a told ,e to speak +p and not cry,* & shot back. 7he la+ hed, helped ,e 'ith ,y )appie and sent ,e ho,e 'ith the others. Ene day & had on a bea+tif+l ne' dress. & ,+st have been pro+d of ,yself. 6hat 'hole ,ornin & never sat for lon er than fifteen ,in+tes in the classroo,. ;henever any irl 'anted to o o+t, & vol+nteered to o alon 'ith her. ;e 'ere allo'ed o+t in pairs, so 'e 'o+ld troop +p to the teacher 'ith o+r *Please, -iss, ,ay & o o+t9* H;hy 'e had to ,ake this re0+est in =n lish, & have never been able to +nderstand. & s+ppose it 'as part of o+r ed+cation.I .s 'e 'ere co,in back fro, one of these forays o+tside, the teacher called ,e: *Phyllie, yo+ have not sat ten ,in+tes in the classroo,. ;hy9* =>trovert that & a,, & pointed to ,y ne' dress. *Lon*t yo+ see9* 7he had to la+ h. No' 'hat teacher does not like a child like that9

Before the end of ,y first year in school, 'hen & 'as fo+r and ei ht ,onths, -a,a died. 7he had been ill early in the a+t+,n, b+t recovered. 6hen she 'ent do'n 'ith pne+,onia late in Ectober and died 'ithin a 'eek. 7he had been n+rsin a+nt Laisy, 6ata*s sister, 'ho had been bro+ ht very ill fro, her ho,e to 5rand,a*s ho+se. < 2$ < 7h+ttlin bet'een the t'o ho,es / o+rs and 5rand,a*s / -a,a ca+ ht the pne+,onia vir+s that 'as to kill her. 6he fa,ily doctor, -rs 6ho,pson, 'as called in t'ice to see -a,a. 3er last visit 'as on the afternoon of the 7at+rday she died. 6he doctor told both 6ata and the patient that the pne+,onia had not peaked yet, b+t 'ith the dr+ s she 'as leavin , it sho+ld peak by the ne>t day. 7he left, pro,isin to co,e back on -onday. -y cot 'as in the roo, 'here ,y parents slept. En either side of the roo, 'ere their beds, 'ith a table in the ,iddle, a dresser on the side of 6ata*s bed, and ,y cot bet'een -a,a*s bed and the dresser. & 'oke +p that 7+nday ,ornin , and looked across at -a,a*s bed. 7he 'as lyin on the ,attress on the floor, and her bed 'as folded and p+t behind the door. 6ata 'as sittin on the ed e of his bed, dressed, and on one of the chairs in the roo, Eo, Papana, -a,a*s co+sin, 'as also sittin . 7o,hlophe ca,e in 'ith a tray of ,ornin coffee, set it on the table, stood at the foot of 6ata*s bed, and looked across at the ,attress on the floor. 6hen 6ata broke the ne's to her: *Nonk+l+leko, -a,a has left +s, ,y child. 7he died early this ,ornin .* 7o,hlophe stood there for a fe' ,in+tes, t+rned ro+nd and 0+ietly 'ent o+t. 6o this day & do not kno' 'ho broke the ne's to Ntan ashe and 'hat her reaction 'as. Nor do & re,e,ber seein either of the, cryin . & do not recall 'ho helped ,e dress, nor 'hat the reaction 'as 'hen 'e three ,et. ;hat & re,e,ber ne>t is the three of +s sittin on the steps in front, eatin $vubo 'hich 6ata ave +s. & do not even recall finishin eatin and 'hat 'e did after that. B+t & re,e,ber 5randpa, co,in fro, -Fi,kh+l+, breakin do'n as soon as he entered o+r ate, and 6ata oin +p to hi,, leadin hi, to the roo, 'here -a,a 'as. 6hen o+r co+sin N0alolo, 'ho lived at 5randpa*s, bro+ ht o+t the o>en, inspanned the o>2'a on and headed for to'n. 6hro+ ho+t the day, people ca,e / o+r relatives, nei hbo+rs, -a,2nci Nopitoli, +ncle 7olo,on*s 'ife, and others. &t 'as a stran e and f+nny day. =arly in the evenin , the o>2'a on ca,e back laden 'ith s+pplies and planks. &n it 'as o+r a+nt . nes, 'ho, 'e called *Colosa*, ,y ,other*s 'ido'ed yo+n er sister 'ho lived at Colosa, abo+t seven ,iles fro, o+r ho,e. .+nt Colosa i,,ediately took +s +nder her 'in , sa' to o+r co,fort, ,oved ,e to the rondavel 'here ,y sisters slept and slept there 'ith +s. 7he took o+t so,e of o+r best dresses, se'ed black bands on the sleeves and did every2 < 2J < thin possible to ,ake +s co,fortable. Colosa 'as very ,+ch concerned abo+t Ntan ashe, she told +s after'ards, for Ntan ashe 'o+ld steal a'ay fro, 7o,hlophe and ,e and fro, her, to o cry all by herself. Colosa also told +s that of all her children -a,a feared ,ore for her 0+iet, shy =thel, in case of her death. 6hro+ ho+t her life, Colosa 'as to sho' this concern abo+t Ntan ashe. 7he 'as the only person 'ho co+ld separate ,e fro, Ntan ashe, 'hen she 'o+ld invite her for a holiday to her ho,e and leave ,e behind.

.s & re' older & +nderstood 'hy a 0+iet, shy and reserved child like Ntan ashe 'as al'ays ,is+nderstood. &n school s+ch a child is often acc+sed of bein cheeky and +nfriendly by the teachers and other people. =ven at ho,e, the only people 'ho +nderstood Ntan ashe 'ere 6ata and &. -y t'o sisters, 5ranny and 7o,hlophe, 'o+ld so,eti,es r+b Ntan ashe +p the 'ron 'ay. .nd 6ata 'o+ld ca+tion: *(eave =thel alone. Lo not r+sh her. Lon*t try to bend her yo+r 'ay. 7he is very +nderstandin .* 3o' very tr+e. ;e never had any ,a:or 0+arrels, for if she did not accept ,y point of vie', & al'ays backed do'n, ivin her ti,e to sort thin s o+t her o'n 'ay. 6hro+ ho+t o+r life, she 'as ,y s+pporter and shield, and no yo+n er siblin 'as protected by an older as & 'as by ,y sister Ntan ashe. 6his bond of +nderstandin bet'een +s re' stron er as 'e fended for o+rselves at a very early a e +nder a ne lectf+l step,other. 6hey b+ried -a,a the follo'in 7at+rday. .s 'e left the raveyard, 7o,hlophe p+t her coat over her head and started cryin . .+nt -a2-iya, -a,a*s friend and one of the nei hbo+rs, 'ent +p to her: *Nonk+l+leko, 'ipe off those tears, 'ipe off those tears4*, p+t her ar, over her sho+lders and 'alked ho,e 'ith her. &n front of the ho+se 'as a bath f+ll of 'ater and accordin to c+sto, everyone 'ashed handsB Colosa and a+nt -a2-iya helped +s 'ash o+rs. 6hen 'e 'ent in. Colosa re,ained 'ith +s for t'o 'eeks and then ret+rned ho,e. . ,onth after -a,a*s death ,y sister 5ranny ca,e ho,e fro, (ovedale for the s+,,er holiday. 7he had not attended the f+neral as this 'as e>a,ination ti,e and she co+ld not afford to ,iss her finals. Colosa ca,e do'n to be there 'hen 5ranny arrived ho,e. Not once did & see 6ata 'ipe a tear d+rin all this period and yet -a,2nci Nopitoli, +ncle 7olo,on*s 'ife, says: *Never in ,y life have & seen a ,an 'ho has lost his 'ife 'eep and rieve as Bh+ti did.* & < 2K < believe it. (ookin back, & think they 'ere happy to ether. 6hey did thin s to ether, and 'hen she 'as one, his life 'as a void. .nd then there 'ere their children, the eldest of 'ho, 'as seventeen and the yo+n est barely five, children 'ho kne' no other ho,e b+t their ,other*s, children 'ho had never spent a ni ht even at 5rand,a*s ne>t door. 6o lose a parent is a very tra+,atic e>perience for children. &t can ,ake or destroy the,, dependin on their a es and 'here they live. ;e 'ere fort+nate in o+r case for 'e had 6ata, lovin , patient, +nderstandin , enero+s, tolerant. 6ata played, as ,+ch as is h+,anly possible, the role of father and ,other to'ards +s. =ven in o+r case the loss of a ,other affected +s profo+ndly, perhaps not so adversely for Ntan ashe and ,e, as 'e had to learn 0+ite early in o+r life ho' to cope, fend for o+rselves and, above all, ho' to close ranks. ;e kne' 'hat solidarity 'as and 'hat it co+ld do for +s. 6his lesson 'as to stand +s 'ell in later life. 7is* 5ranny, tho+ h not 0+ite o+t of her teens 'hen -a,a died, 'as by co+ntry standards ro'n +p and that 'as 'hy at nineteen she co+ld et ,arried. Besides, she had received all the trainin that -a,a co+ld have iven her. Beca+se of this, she 'as able to ,ake a s+ccess of her ,arria e and co+ld even look after +s fro, a distance of seven ,iles. 6he person, & think, adversely affected 'as 7o,hlophe, :+st thirteen at the ti,e of -a,a*s death, no lon er a child, b+t not yet a ro'n2+p. 6here 'as no ,other to tide her over this period of p+berty, in spite of all the love and care 6ata ave. 7he needed a ,other to do it. (ike the three of +s, 7o,hlophe 'as stron , and in addition she had a char, that 'as infectio+s and e>+ded 'ar,th. 7he 'as a entle person. Beca+se of these 0+alities she dre' a lar e circle of all sorts of people as friends. .nd yet, for all these 0+alities, she tended to be less reso+rcef+l and leaned on 6ata, 5ranny, Ntan ashe and ,e, even tho+ h 'e t'o 'ere yo+n er than herself. Unfort+nately, she ,arried a very selfish ,an, a ,ale

cha+vinist, 'ho 'anted to break her into 'hat he tho+ ht a ,arried 'o,an sho+ld be. Upin ton Gillie, her h+sband, 'o+ld co,plain: *)o+r father spoilt yo+ and ,ade yo+ think yo+ 'ere 'hite 'o,en.* 6ata never ta+ ht +s that. .ll he ta+ ht +s 'as that 'e 'ere the e0+als of everyone else and sho+ld never take second place to anybody, incl+din ,en. 7o,hlophe co+ld not handle this sit+ation. 7he tried to ,eet the de,ands of her h+sband, b+t co+ld not, for she 'as not < 2% < bro+ ht +p that 'ay. 7o thro+ ho+t her ,arried life, she 'as not happy. Ntan ashe, faced 'ith s+ch a sit+ation, 'o+ld have kno'n 'hat to do. & 'o+ld have kno'n too, & a, s+re. < 29 <

+#o,i g U(
B+t life ,+st o on. ;e soon ot back to the ro+tine of schoolB chased b+tterflies as all children doB d+ o+r 'ild t+rnips in the school paddockB s'a, in the deep pools of the N0abarha behind the school. 6ho+ h & 'as ,+ch yo+n er than ,ost of ,y class,ates, & soon ,ade friends in school and earned respect beca+se of ,y ood rades. .fter a year in the s+b2standards, three of +s, all ood friends / G+yis'a -beki, No,a2&ndiya Ntshan a and ,yself / 'ere pro,oted to 7tandard 2, on condition that 'e kept o+r ood rades and o+r ood attendance. . ,onth after & had been pro,oted, & fell ill and had to be a'ay fro, school. & cried and cried, fearin & 'o+ld be sent back to 7tandard 1. &t had been arran ed that & sho+ld o to Colosa to ,y a+nt . nes, to be n+rsed. & ref+sed, for if & 'ent ,y attendance 'o+ld be affected and G+yis'a and No,a2&ndiya 'o+ld leave ,e behind. 7o an arran e,ent 'as ,ade that as soon as & 'as better, & 'o+ld attend school at Colosa and ,y attendance co+ld be transferred. Enly 'hen & had been ass+red of this did & a ree to o to Colosa. -y a+nt p+t her o'n condition: that 'hile & 'as 'ith her, 6ata 'o+ld not visit ,e, b+t 'o+ld receive reports of ,y condition re +larly. *Aor if yo+ co,e,* ,y a+nt said, *yo+ kno' Phyllie 'ill 'ant to o ho,e even if she is not 'ell yet.* 6ata accepted these conditions. 6his 'as the tro+ble 'ith +s: 'e did not 'ant to be a'ay fro, 6ata. 6ata held o+t for t'o 'eeks. -y sister 5ranny ca,e to see ,e at the end of the first and second 'eeks. H5ranny 'as no' teachin in Eld &d+ty'a in the sa,e district.I En Ariday of the third 'eek, 'e had :+st co,e back fro, school, r+nnin in and o+t, p+ttin a'ay o+r slates and books, < !" < 'hen & heard the nei h of 6ata*s horse even before he appeared. & ran o+t, sho+tin : *6here*s 6ata4 6here*s 6ata4 6here*s 6ata4* ;hen he ,et ,y a+nt he apolo ised, tellin her the 'ait 'as too ,+ch for hi,. 3e ,issed ,eB the place 'as e,pty and Ntan ashe 'as ,iserable 'itho+t ,e. Beca+se it 'as Ariday and 5ranny 'o+ld be ho,e for the 'eekend, 6ata spent that ni ht at Colosa 'ith +s. ;e had a ood ti,e. & re,ained at Colosa one ,ore 'eek and then ca,e ho,e. Aort+nately, the school ter, ended in .pril. (ookin back at ,y schoolin , & see there 'as too ,+ch e,phasis in o+r lessons on =n land, =n lish c+lt+re and =+rope. 3ardly anythin 'as said of .frica and very little abo+t 7o+th .frica, e>cept an e>cerpt in o+r 7tandard ! reader on 7ir 5eor e 5rey, 'ho 'as described as *one of the 'isest overnors

that ever ca,e to 7o+th .frica*. 6hree thin s he set hi,self to do: to break the po'er of the Native chiefs, to sta,p o+t s+perstition Hto this end, 5rey 3ospital in Din ;illia,*s 6o'n 'as establishedI and to eradicate i norance and laFiness a,on the Natives. & also recall *. Post Effice on ;heels* in o+r 7tandard # reader 'ith pict+res of the post coaches and the ,en ha+lin in the post or p+ttin it into coaches. 6he te>t be an: *&,a ine yo+rself at =+ston 7tation. &t is a fo y ,ornin in (ondon.* 6here 'as nothin abo+t the *talkin dr+,s* of .frica, +sed in conveyin ,essa es fro, person to person and fro, villa e to villa e. .nd 'hile in the *6he .dvent+re 'ith a 7hark*, 'e 'ere sho'n Peterkin and his friend in the boat 'ith a shark after the, Hand & can still hear -Fi,kh+l+ -aph+katha read: *3a+l +p the line, Peterkin4 O+ick4 &t*s a shark4*I 'e never learned that so,e'here on the Ca,beFi, (oFi boys of the sa,e a e 'ere paddlin their d+ o+ts, dod in crocodiles. .ll 'e kne' of .frica 'ere her bi rivers, the 5old Coast and = ypt, 'hich 'as so,eho' pro:ected as part of =+rope. ;e even recited *6he (oss of the Birkenhead*, 'here one line reads *o+r =n lish hearts beat tr+e*. ;ith s+ch brain2 'ashin , it is a ,iracle 'e did not all beco,e sell2o+ts and collaborators. ;hen & first started school, there 'ere no trees aro+nd the pre,ises. 6hose trees that for, a 'ind2 breaker on the north side 'ere planted by +s in the days of 1hodes Cakata, o+r principal teacher. ;e also started a school arden in ro+ps of fo+r st+dents, e>cept the little ones, each ro+p ,ana in a ve etable plot. Ence a ,onth there 'o+ld be a feast for the schoolchildren and the teachers. 6he fe,ale teachers, -iss Llova and -iss Ntshona, assisted by so,e of the ,others, 'o+ld provide the baked oods. -r Cakata < !1 < and his assistant, -r Bo,ela, both of 'ho, ca,e fro, fa,ilies 'ith a lot of sheep, 'o+ld provide the ,eat. En s+ch days, so,e ,others fro, the co,,+nity 'o+ld co,e to cook and feed the children. 6his 'as lon before the days of school2feedin . -y sister 5ranny, as 'ife of the principal teacher, 'as al'ays there to s+pervise. 7he liked that role. -y happiest ,e,ories of school life are of that ,ission lebe on the bend of the N0abarha 1iver, playin ro+nders in front of the school ate or netball in the field near the bi ch+rch bellB or oin to concerts, 'hen, after 'alkin for ,iles to the ven+e of the concert, 'e 'o+ld sin the 'hole ni ht and 'o+ld only feel the effects of the o+tin the ne>t day. 6hose 'ere the days of ,+sic co,petitions and eisteddfods. =ven if 'e did not brin ho,e the shield, o+r tears and sorro's 'ere short2lived. ;e en:oyed the day in to'n, b+yin e>pensive s'eets at 7par *s, or oin to drink in er2beer at -rs 3ill*s by the river, or b+yin raisin b+ns at Gensky*s baFaar. Ntan ashe and & 'ere allo'ed to be involved in these concert2 oin s after -a,a*s death. 7he had never approved of concerts beca+se they 'ere all2ni ht affairs. -y sister 5ranny started oin to concerts 'hen she 'ent to live 'ith a+nt . nes at Colosa in 7tandards $ and J. 7o,hlophe 'as the backbone of the sopranos and the teacher co+ld not afford not to have her at a concert. 7o 'eeks before the concert, the teacher and 6ata 'o+ld elicit a pro,ise fro, -a,a that 7o,hlophe 'o+ld be allo'ed to attend. =ven 'ith that pro,ise, 7o,hlophe 'o+ld have to be on her best behavio+r so as not to ive -a,a any e>c+se for atin her. Ntan ashe and & never e>perienced that. 6ata al'ays ca,e alon to concerts and 'as pro+d, 'hen he p+t his ,oney on an encore fro, the choir fro, L+ff, to ,ention that he had t'o da+ hters and a sister in that choir. ;hen & 'as barely si>, & 'ent to U,tata for the Prince of ;ales*s visit in 192$. 6ata and ,y sister 5ranny tho+ ht & 'as too yo+n to attend. B+t & felt & had to. . choir fro, o+r school 'as oin and Ntan ashe, tho+ h not in the choir, 'as also attendin . ;hy sho+ld & not be allo'ed9 & be edB & pleadedB & cried. &n the end 6ata ave per,ission. & do not even re,e,ber seein any Prince of ;ales,

for 'hose si ht & had shed s+ch copio+s tears. .ll & re,e,ber is the train :o+rney to U,tataB the children +nder the s+pervision of teachers fro, L+ff, 6haleni, Colosa and 5ood 3opeB sleepin on the train in U,tataB ,archin the ne>t ,ornin to so,e place 'ith children < !2 < in front and behind +sB standin in the s+n so,e'here and then ,archin back to the trainB and the :o+rney ho,e. .nd yet ,y sisters and & 'ere so,e'hat isolated, in that 'e only ,et and ,i>ed 'ith the other children at school. ;e never 'ent to their ho,es to playB seldo, did they co,e to o+r ho,e to play, e>cept 'hen they acco,panied their parents. 6he children 'e visited 'ere those of the elite, 'hen o+r parents 'ent visitin . B+t for all that, 'e co+ld not be co,pletely isolated fro, 'hat 'as oin on aro+nd +s, for here 'as played o+t the 'hole dra,a of r+ral .frican life. &n school 'e heard stran e stories fro, the children of Bhon 'eni villa e. 7tories of 'ild do s that had been seen in the Colosa plantationB 'ild do s that had attacked and killed people in these areasB or the story of the 'o,an 'ho ate people. 7he 'ore a red blo+se, they told +s, and appeared on fo y ,ornin s or early evenin s. 6his 'o,an had already 'aylaid and attacked people in 5'adana and Ohorha villa es and so,e had seen her in the N cin 'ane villa e, ne>t door. .nd ho' scared 'e 'ere of these 'ild do s and this 'o,an 'ho ate people4 ;e dreaded the ,onths of Aebr+ary and -arch, for then thick fo s +s+ally covered the valleys and the plains. Ene a+t+,n day, a day of thick fo , as Ntan ashe and & 'ere co,in do'n the road thro+ h the plo+ hin fields, a head reared +p. -y sister called o+t, *Phyllis4 6here*s that 'ild do 44* 7o sayin , she rabbed ,e by the ar,, and ran back 'ith ,e. ;hen 'e ot to the top of the road, 'e stopped and looked behind +s, only to see a yo+n calf on its feet, be innin to stir itself and crop so,e rass. &t ,+st have been sleepin in the thick rass and o+r cries 'oke it +p. ;e both e>clai,ed: *Tyhini" Lithole" * ?&t is b+t a calf4@ 3ere in school 'e learnt fro, the other children abo+t the 'orld they lived in after school, the 'orld of yo+n people*s parties, called iiTi$iti ?tea ,eetin s@ and i$i+holorho ?parties for yo+n people practisin son s for a 'eddin and other occasions@. 6hese son s 'ere bro+ ht to school and s+n d+rin recess, a'ay fro, the school ho+se, do'n near the river. 5ood folk2dancers 'o+ld dance to these, and no' and a ain the boys 'o+ld :oin in too, perfor,in ,ale dances. 6his 'as so,ethin to see4 Ene pop+lar son , s+n at a Ti$iti 'as of a yo+n 'o,an 'ho had visited OhakaFana, a villa e abo+t ei ht ,iles fro, +s, 'here she ,et a handso,e yo+n ,an by the na,e of 8a,an ile. 6he son described 'hat this dashin yo+n ,an 'as 'earin , the re alia of a co+ntry bea+. 6hen the < !! < chor+s 'o+ld co,e in 'ith: )o+ are ,y hope, 8a,an ile, )o+r voice kno's ho' to address a 'o,an, )o+r s,ile is f+ll of respect for a 'o,an, Behold, here is a strappin yo+n bea+, 8a,an ile is his na,e. 6o this day, this son brin s to ,y ,ind the pict+re of the h+nchback No,tana Ph+k+Fa, sin in it,

eyes closed, her head ently s'ayin fro, side to side. 7he loved it and 'o+ld sin it 'ith that deep contralto voice of hers. 6here is so,ethin very interestin abo+t these co+ntry folk2son s. Aro, the 'ords, all see, to have been co,posed by 'o,en, sin in praises to a lover or appealin to hi, not to keep the beloved 'aitin . Ene s+ch is 'here a yo+n 'o,an asks her yo+n ,an: )o+ rascal, ho' lon are yo+ oin to keep ,e 'aitin 9 )o+ rascal, do yo+ realise it has been a lon ti,e9 6he s+n is settin for ,eB the day is far spent. )o+ 'ish to take ,e fro, ,y ,other, a yo+n ,aidenB ;ill yo+ keep and treat ,e 'ell9 )o+ 'ish to take ,e, yo+n as & a,B 6he 0+estion is: ;ill yo+ look after ,e9 )o+ rascal, ho' lon are yo+ oin to keep ,e 'aitin 9 6he s+n is settin for ,eB the day is far spent. 6his 'as a 'eddin son 'hich the bride*s party san , all of the, voicin the bride*s fears and her 0+estions to the ,an she 'as ,arryin : *;ill yo+ keep and look 'ell after ,e9* 3o' co+ld one not be to+ched by and be part of 'hat 'as oin on9 &t 'as in o+r ch+rch that 'eddin s 'ere perfor,ed, +s+ally on 6+esdays. En these days, classes 'o+ld be s+spended for the ,ornin and 'e 'o+ld all asse,ble in the ch+rch at the back, 'ith the t'o 'eddin parties, the roo,*s and the bride*s, in front, one on each side. .t the back 'e had a ood vie' of the roo, and the bride as they 'alked in and o+t of the ch+rch. 3o' bea+tif+l they looked, those brides, 'ith head and eyes do'n, 'alkin in on the ar, of a father, brother or +ncle. 6hen, half2'ay, the roo, 'o+ld co,e do'n to take his bride to the altar. & re,e,ber a+nt No,sisi -athikinca, of all those bea+tif+l brides, and her tall handso,e roo,, Berry -rhasi, co,in do'n the aisle to ,eet her. .s they si ned the re ister, the bride*s party san : ',&' ubhale )a)uhle )#elo < !# < phepha la)ho )uba liya )ude phesheya )o l#andle.' ?Please 'rite 'ell on yo+r paper for it is oin far, far across the seas.@ H6he people tho+ ht the ,arria e re ister 'as not kept at the local office in &d+ty'a, b+t in so,e office overseas.I .fter the cere,ony, both parties r+shed o+t, e>cited, +l+latin , declai,in abo+t the bride and the roo,. ;e schoolchildren 'ere allo'ed o+t too, and 'ith the t'o parties 'o+ld stand in a se,icircle in front of the ch+rch door. &n the ,eanti,e the roo,*s party 'o+ld be sin in : 'u-ehov' ugqibile uMfundisi uyalile a+angci)ivi badanile. u/anase luphelile.' ?5od*s 'ish has been acco,plishedB the ,inister has advised and ad,onished. 6he envio+s and detractors have been foiledB all disp+tes have no' been p+t to rest. .,en4 .,en4 &t is all over. &t is finished.@ .s a+nt No,sisi stepped o+t of the ch+rch door, a+nt -a2-iya, her +ncle &saiah*s 'ife, stepped for'ard, thro'in rice on the,, +l+latin , invitin all to behold this ooseberry, s,ooth and shiny, :+st as a ooseberry co,in o+t of its sheath, to behold this bea+tif+l da+ hter of the No2C+l+, the -ban +ba, the -pafane, they 'ho ca,e clad and adorned in fine re alia, lookin fresh as the very treeb+ds in a+t+,n. 7he spread her sha'l for the, to 'alk on. &n co,petition, the roo,*s party 'as declai,in abo+t their son, callin hi, *the tall +, tree of the iBika forest*. 6o +s schoolchildren, a+nt No,sisi looked :+st like that ooseberry. ;e never 'ent to the ho+se 'here the 'eddin party 'as oin on. &n fact, 6ata*s 'eddin 'as o+r first e>perience of a 'eddin at ho,e. &n the villa es of the red2blanket .fricans, ,any of 'ho, 'ere o+r relatives, another dra,a of life 'as

bein played o+t. 6his 'as another 'orld, a 'orld of people st+bbornly ref+sin to be to+ched by the ne' infl+ences of school and ch+rch. 6his 'as a 'orld of traditional cere,onies, of rites of passa e for both boys and irls. 3ere 'ere initiation schools for boys, hidden a'ay in so,e valley or rid e2slope / settle,ents of rass2h+ts, cattle2folds, 'hose inhabitants painted their bodies 'hite and 'ore sheep2 skin karosses. 6he inhabitants 'ere aba0h#etha a co,,on si ht every three or fo+r years in red villa es in 6ranskei. Ene initiation school site 'as on the rid e :+st belo' o+r plo+ hin fields. No' and a ain, 'hen 'e 'ere in the fields, 'e 'o+ld have li,pses of these *ani,als*, the aba0h#etha . 6o +s children, they did look like ani,als. &t 'as hard to reco nise the, as the boys 'e kne'. ;e 'ere scared of the,. 6hen so,e day at d+sk, < !$ < t'o or three of the, Ho+r relativesI 'o+ld slip into o+r cattle2fold and start co+ hin to dra' attention. E+r herd2boys 'o+ld r+n in to see 'ho these 'ere. =>cited, they 'o+ld r+n back to report to 6ata that so2and2so 'ere in the cattle2fold. 6ata 'o+ld then o o+t to ,eet the,, e>chan e reetin s and then 'alk to the sheep2fold, pick a har,el and ask the herd2boys to take it to the aba0h#etha 'ho 'o+ld drive it to their settle,ent. E+r herd2boys never slept at ho,e on s+ch days, b+t at the school. &n fact, the initiation school beca,e a ,eetin 2place for boys of the villa e, boys a ed ten to si>teen. 3ere in the school there 'as al'ays plenty of food / ,eat, ,ilk, cooked food. L+rin harvest ti,e, one co+ld see the aba0h#etha ten to fifteen of the,, helpin in the fields, brin in in the harvest. 6he rest of the reapers, especially 'o,en, 'o+ld be confined to one side of the field for aba0h#etha ,ay not be seen or ,eet their ,others or any 'o,en the a e of their ,others. .fter the harvest 'as bro+ ht in, the people 'o+ld rela>, and this 'as the ti,e for the reat i$i1udo and i$iTshilo atherin s, 'hen the aba0h#etha 'o+ld entertain the co,,+nity. & have 'atched the,, clad in their short skirts of dry pal, leaves, 'ith colo+red braid han in fro, their knees to the ankles, and ,ore braid fro, the +pper ar,s, 'earin their ,asks of dry pal, leaves, passin on the road :+st o+tside o+r fence, oin to dance ne>t door at +ncle 1ha,ba*s place. 6he i0han)atha 'o+ld be prancin and dancin in front of the, as he led the, into the co+rtyard. 6he 'o,en 'o+ld already have started beatin the o>hide 2iNgqongqo3 and sin in to its rhyth,. 6hen the dance 'o+ld be in and the 'hole place 'o+ld be a o 'ith e>cite,ent. 6he 'o,en, all clad in their finest beads and bracelets, 'ith lar e ,+lti2colo+red doe)s on their heads, 'o+ld have perhaps stopped at o+r ho+se, to look at the,selves in No2-i ht*s tall ,irror. 6hey 'o+ld co,e all e>cited: *;o,an, please let +s look at o+rselves in yo+r bi ,irror.* 6heir faces 'o+ld be painted 'ith red clays, a,ber, bei e and 'hite, tastef+lly applied and not coverin the 'hole face. =nterin -a,a*s roo,, each 'o+ld look at herself 'ith her sha'l on, then 'ith her sha'l off, t+rnin aro+nd and aro+nd as a ,odel does, her co,panions co,pli,entin her. .t the end of it all, one or t'o 'o+ld dance for -a,a, sho'in her 'hat they 'ere oin to do and ho' they danced to the son s. & re,e,ber Non inya, 5erber*s ,other, in her bi voice, sin in and dancin for -a,a to her favo+rite son : < !J < +Nya'o l'e 50'irha l+b*e,Fini 3a,ba, N >'ash+l* ekhaya.

('a 0ith* enk+ndleni k'afa* a,atholeB 3a,ba, N >'ash+l* ekhaya ?6he tread of a 'iFard is a bad o,en in a ho,esteadB ;hen he passes thro+ h the co+rtyard, calves die. 5o, Bi 2foot, threatenin the ho,es@. 6hey 'o+ld ,ake s+re before they ca,e in that 6ata 'as not ho,e, for all feared and respected 7a2 -Folisa. 7o 'e 'o+ld be posted at the door to see that 7a2-Folisa 'as not co,in . 6ho+ h the Mtshilo took place at +ncle 1ha,ba*s :+st fifty yards fro, o+r ho+se, 'e 'ere never allo'ed to o there. ;e 'o+ld sit half2'ay bet'een the t'o ho,esteads, satisfyin o+rselves 'ith fleetin si hts of 'hat 'as oin on. &t 'as years later, 'hen & 'as at Aort 3are, that & told 6ata & had never seen an uMtshilo and 'o+ld love to see one. *)o+ have never seen one9* he asked. *Ef co+rse not. 3ave yo+ for otten that yo+ never allo'ed +s to o to s+ch places9* Aort+nately, for ,e, there 'as an initiation school that year in one of the nei hbo+rin villa es, and by special re0+est, one Mtshilo 'as sta ed for ,y benefit, even tho+ h the season had not yet started. ;hen & sa' it, & kne' 'hy these dances provoked so ,+ch e>cite,ent and 'hy the ood dancers fro, each school beca,e fa,o+s for enerations after. Co,in ho,e one 'inter holiday, & fo+nd a lot of e>cite,ent a,on ,y red2blanket a+nts and co+sins. Preparations 'ere afoot for ,y co+sin No,avila and ,y a+nt Non ak+bani to o thro+ h the ad+lt rite of passa e / iNton!ane . 6his is a rite that a irl e>periences after she has had her ,enses, to prepare her for 'o,an2hood and ,arria e. Both irls and parents look for'ard to this 'ith reat e>cite,ent. Aor a ,onth or so, the irl is secl+ded in a separate ho+se, only oin o+t early in the ,ornin and at ni ht, 'hen there are not ,any people abo+t. &n the ho+se 'here she is secl+ded, there ather at ni ht her a e ro+p / boys and irls / +nder the 'atchf+l eye of t'o chaperons. L+rin the 'hole ,onth, the yo+n people ,eet here to sin , dance and ,ake love. 6hey have a lot of f+n. 6he end of the rite 'o+ld be ,arked by a bi feast / the co,in of the irl. En this day she is iven presents by her parents, relatives < !K < and friends. &t is d+rin this period, too, that her parents kno' officially 'ho her boyfriend is, for on an appointed day, 'hile still in secl+sion, the boyfriend sends her presents / a 'ashin 2basin, toilet soap, a to'el, co,b, ,irror and other orna,ents of brass and beads. .s senior ,e,ber of the fa,ily, 6ata had to ive approval for every cere,ony and rit+al 'ithin the fa,ily. Protocol de,anded this, tho+ h it 'as kno'n he 'o+ld not be there. =ven +ncle 8oel 3leli had co,e to 6ata beca+se his ancestors 'ere callin hi, Hto beco,e a divinerI and he co+ld not ans'er that call +ntil so,e rit+al had been observed. 6his p+t 6ata in a dile,,a, for as a Christian it 'as one rit+al he 'o+ld not observe. Uncle 8oel, fed +p 'ith 6ata and his Christianity, left. B+t 'hen he ca,e years later, 6ata referred hi, to one of ,y +ncles, a non2Christian, 'ho helped hi, o+t. 6ata al'ays 'ent to the cere,ony to ive the * o2ahead* for the feast to be in. 7o,eti,es 'e ca,e alon 'ith hi,. -eetin so,e ,e,bers of the fa,ily asse,bled there, he 'o+ld find o+t fro, the senior ,an a,on the, if everythin 'as all ri ht. .fter the report, he 'o+ld dele ate that ,an to take char e and to see that all proced+res of protocol 'ere observed. 3e 'o+ld then ask for leave to o, and depart.

. very respectf+l people, these ,y red2ochred relatives4 ;hen they visited +s they ,ade a point of sittin in the kitchen or on the veranda, so as not to stain 'ith their ochre the bea+tif+l thin s of the *school 'o,an*. =ven 'hen they 'ent into her roo, to look at the,selves in the bi , tall ,irror, they 'alked in in erly, ,akin s+re that their skirts did not to+ch anythin . 6hey 'ere e>cited abo+t +s and called each one of +s by a nickna,e. 5ranny 'as 5leni Ha corr+ption of 5rannyI, 7o,hlophe 'as Cikicane or Chiki, Ntan ashe 'as 1hinirhini, & 'as No,filaFana or Ailifili or No 0aFa, na,es & still love to this very day. 6hey 'o+ld h+ and sho'er +s 'ith kisses 'hen they ca,e. Ntan ashe did not 0+ite like this. & +nderstand that 'hen she 'as a toddler, she 'o+ld protest sayin : 'Ndinoni)a u)usulel#a yi$bo)a' ?& a, afraid of ettin stained 'ith ochre@, 'hen they invited her for a kiss. *Nonsense4 ;hat are yo+ afraid of9 Lon*t yo+ kno' 'e are yo+r red2ochred kins'o,en9* they 'o+ld say. & 'o+ld be all over the, 'hen they ca,e. & co+ld not 'ait for that a+nt or co+sin to +nstrap her baby fro, her back and let ,e < !% < cradle it. =ven at that a e, & 'anted to carry those babies on ,y back. 7o,e of the, allo'ed ,e to, ,akin s+re & did not 'alk abo+t 'ith the baby. By the end of the day, & 'o+ld be ochre all over. -a,a al'ays said: *-y poor child4 7he loves babies so, b+t her ,other does not have any.* Ntan ashe loved the, too and kne' they 'ere o+r relatives. B+t they belon ed to another 'orld, a 'orld she did not 0+ite kno' or +nderstand. &t co+ld not be other'ise 'ith +s, for if anyone at ho,e +sed fo+l lan +a e or a 'ord considered +nco+th, he or she 'as told or threatened 'ith ',ya)ubhe)' e$aqabeni' ?)o+ 'ill be sent a'ay to live 'ith the ochred non2school people@. 6o this very day, & find it diffic+lt to +se ordinary, clean Nhosa 'ords, 'ords & 'as ta+ ht e+phe,is,s for. &t is easier for ,e to say these 'ords in =n lish or .frikaans than in Nhosa, for 'hen & re' +p these 'ords 'ere considered +nco+th and v+l ar. .nd yet even in this 'orld, the old 'ays of life 'ere one. 6he tall, bi ,irror in No2-i ht*s roo, at 'hich ,y a+nts and rand,as ca,e to look at the,selves, the 'ash2basin, ,irror and soap 'hich the yo+n lover ave to his irlfriend 'hen she 'ent into secl+sion, the Genables shop fro, 'hich they ot their s+pplies and to 'hich they sold their 'ool and prod+ce, the ,a istrate*s co+rt in &d+ty'a, 'ere all evidence that the old order no lon er e>isted. . ne' c+lt+re, an a,al a, of the old and ne' 'as e,er in B a c+lt+re that is the dyna,ic reality thro+ h 'hich people e>press their desire to ,ake their life 'orth livin . Aor had they not all, school and non2school people, been dra'n into the econo,y of the ;est9 ;ere so,e of the, not already destined to leave these areas, never to ret+rn, b+t to live and die in the cities, ,ines and far,s of 7o+th .frica, 'here they 'o+ld be e>cl+ded fro, livin any ,eanin f+l, fr+itf+l life9 &t is very interestin that the ,ost vocal and persistent resistance to overn,ent ,eas+res a ainst the r+ral .fricans ca,e ,ostly fro, the non2school people. 6hey 'ere the ones the pro ressive elite in the people*s or anisations co+ld depend on in the r+ral areas, kno'in that they 'o+ld not sell o+t. Perhaps this sho+ld not s+rprise +s if 'e re,e,ber they had resisted the ,issionaries and their ,essa e fro, the start, as 'ell as the Bh+n a syste, of co+ncils set +p by Cecil 8ohn 1hodes, 'hich 'as, to the,, s+spect fro, the be innin , and none of the, ever offered the,selves as candidates. 6ata had al'ays been a ,e,ber of the 6ranskeian 5eneral < !9 <

Co+ncil, the Bh+n a as it 'as called. 6his body 'as set +p +nder the 5len 5rey .ct of 1%9#, as a local ad,inistrative body in 6ranskei. Cecil 8ohn 1hodes, pri,e ,inister and father of the Co+ncil syste,, had created these bodies to ive .fricans the ill+sion that they 'ere overnin the,selves. 6his is 'hat Cecil 8ohn 1hodes said in s+pport of his ,otion to establish the Co+ncil: *6hey ?.fricans@ are a very clever people, fond of ar +,ent and debateB so 'e ,+st ive the, so,ethin to occ+py their ,inds, for if 'e don*t, 'ithin a h+ndred years, nay, & say fifty, they 'ill be debatin 'ith +s in these cha,bers.* 7+spectin none of these ,otives, the ed+cated of the 6ranskei took their Co+ncil syste, very serio+sly. 6hey kne' it 'as advisory, b+t they tho+ ht their advice 'o+ld be taken serio+sly by the overn,ent, as it ca,e fro, the ,a:ority of the people. 7o serio+s 'ere they abo+t it that on the openin day the co+ncillors ca,e in their ,ornin s+its / striped plain2botto, pants, tails and top hats / like ,e,bers of other parlia,ents. 6his 'as theirs. 6hro+ h the Bh+n a the 6ranskei acco,plished a fe' ood thin s, chief of 'hich 'ere the establish,ent of three a ric+lt+ral colle es, the Aort 3are 7cholarship A+nd for their sons and da+ hters, and the 6ranskeian Bh+n a contrib+tion to Aort 3are. 6he co+ncillors ca,e fro, all t'enty2si> districts of 6ranskei. Ao+r 'ere elected by the people in each district, t'o no,inated by the ,a istrates, 'ith the ,a istrates bein e/ officio ,e,bers of the Co+ncil 'ho had no vote in Co+ncil ,eetin s. 6he ,e,bers fro, the t'enty2si> districts then ,et once a year in U,tata as the 5eneral Co+ncil. 3ere 'ere bro+ ht, debated and passed resol+tions fro, the vario+s districts. En oin back ho,e, the co+ncillors called those 'ho had elected the, for a report2back ,eetin . &n o+r area this report2back ,eetin 'as al'ays held at o+r ho,e. 6he ,en fro, the area ca,e to hear the report and to ask their co+ncillor 0+estions pertainin to their lives. En s+ch days, Ntan ashe and & 'o+ld relocate o+r doll villa e to be 'ithin earshot of the ,en asse,bled by the side of the cattle2fold. ;e 'anted to hear 6ata ive the report and ans'er 0+estions and also to listen to the disc+ssion that 'o+ld follo'. En one occasion, 6ata told the people: *No, ,y people, the overn,ent does not 'ant to hear a thin abo+t o+r children bein trained in the +se of ar,s. 6his is one resol+tion fro, the Bh+n a they do not even refer to 'hen they reply.* Ene red2 blanket ,an, 5abiso, re,arked: *7o, in < #" < all these years, the overn,ent does not tr+st +s. 3aven*t 'e sho'n the, over the years that 'e are 'illin to live 'ith the,9 . 'hite ,an is really diffic+lt to +nderstand4* .nother one, Caley 5>oko, replied: *No, (eta, it is not that they do not tr+st +sB they kno' that the day 'e, too, have this stick ? +n@ 'hose so+nd ,akes ,en ,ess the,selves +p and 'e can shoot the, back, that 'ill be the end of their arro ance.* < #1 <

Ta!a a * Me
& not only look like hi,, & a, his finished prod+ct. 3e raised ,e, n+rt+red ,e, ,o+lded ,e and instilled in ,e val+es that & 'ill treas+re to the end of ,y days, val+es that ,ade ,e socially conscio+s. & sensed 6ata*s 'ish and hope for ,e and & tried ,y best not to fall short of those e>pectations. ;e had al'ays been close, even before -a,a died / as in fact 'ere all his children / and 'e dre' closer after -a,a*s death. 6he only thin that is not 6ata in ,e is that & a, an e>trovert / a Balfo+r trait / for 6ata 'as so,e'hat reserved. 6his ,an 'as not only ,y parent, he 'as ,y teacher and best friend. 6he best

,o,ents of ,y life 'ere 'ith hi,. ;e 'o+ld sit to ether chattin and disc+ssin any and every topic that 'as 'ithin ,y +nderstandin , 'ith ,e askin hi, this and that 0+estion. 3e en a ed in these conversations 'ith all of +s, his irls. ;ith 6ata, even shy, 0+iet =thel 'o+ld blosso,. =ven 'hen -a,a still lived, 'e ,issed 6ata 'hen he 'as not there. .fter 'e ot ,arried, 'e ca,e ho,e beca+se 'e ,issed hi,. .t ho,e & 'as 'ith hi, every'here / in the cattle2fold, at the stables, in the plo+ hin fields, on the veranda, talkin , talkin and askin 0+estions. & kne' they had hoped for a boy 'hen & 'as born and the people aro+nd 'o+ld say in ,y presence: *;hy didn*t 5od ,ake this one a boy9 7he is not as bea+tif+l as the other irls.* 7o & ,ade +p ,y ,ind to be as ,+ch of a son as & co+ld, doin those thin s that sons are s+pposed to do. .nd ho' Ntan ashe and & prayed for that son4 &n o+r doll play, 'hen 'e had ch+rch service, 'e never for ot to ask 5od *to ive this fa,ily a son*. =ven tho+ h this prayer 'as for one of o+r doll fa,ilies, it 'as in fact o+r parents 'e 'ere prayin for. 6hat son 'as to co,e so,e ei ht years later, 'ith the arrival of -F+kisi HN0okoth'anaI, ,y step,other*s first2 < #2 < born. 6hat is 'hy this child has s+ch a special place in o+r hearts. ;e had prayed for hi,. & 'as oin to be the son 6ata had hoped for4 7o 'hen he ca,e back fro, 'ork, & 'as there holdin the bridle of his horse as he ali hted, helpin hi, +nsaddle the horse, and if the horse had to be 'atered, & 'o+ld ive it 'ater. &f he 'as ,endin a fence, a bench, or a ate, fi>in a 'indo', sealin a leakin tro+ h, & 'as there to hold and hand hi, his tools. .s a res+lt, today there are very fe' do2it2 yo+rself chores & cannot do aro+nd the ho+se. .s 'e had no boys and 6ata depended on hired help, he 'orked 'ith +s in the fields, plantin and c+ltivatin , leadin the tea, of o>en or the horse he +sed. &t 'as :oy 'orkin 'ith hi, for he had a 'ay 'ith children, sho'erin praises on those 'orkin 'ith hi,. .t the end of a 'ork2day, he 'o+ld stand in the kitchen door to re,ind those there that he 'o+ld need a 'ar, bath and 'o+ld say: *Please don*t for et Phyllie.* 3o' considerate4 ho' 'onderf+l4 ho' bea+tif+l4 6he herd2boys co+ld not al'ays be relied +pon. 7o,eti,es they absconded, leavin the stock +nattended in the past+re. En s+ch occasions 'e had to fill in +ntil a ne' herd2boy 'as hired. Er the herd2boys 'o+ld leave at critical ti,es / stock2dippin days / and 'e, the irls, had to take o+r cattle to the dippin tank. &t 'as at these ti,es that & 'itnessed b+ll fi hts. E+r b+ll, 1oland, 'as a cha,pion fi hter. 6he inspectors at the dippin tanks 'ere al'ays very kind to +s. 6hey 'o+ld ask the other herders to stand do'n for +s, so that o+r stock 'o+ld o in first, and 'e 'o+ld not 'ait lon in the 0+e+e. -y first lessons in the history of the ;ars of Lispossession 'ere fro, 6ata. 3avin been born at the end of these 'ars, he had learnt fro, those aro+nd hi, a lot abo+t the, and had ro'n to be a local historian of sorts. & 'o+ld so,eti,es pick +p so,ethin , or bits of a story in his conversation 'ith another ,an, sittin on the veranda or +nder the trees. 6hen 'hen 'e 'ere alone & 'o+ld ask hi,: *6ell ,e 'hat happened to -akana after he s+rprised the British at 5raha,sto'n*. 6ata 'o+ld then relate the 'hole incident and ho' the British never for ave -akana for their near2 defeat at 5raha,sto'n. .nd that 'as 'hy they did not treat hi, 'ith hono+r 'hen he ca,e to ne otiate. 6hey capt+red hi, and sent hi, to 1obben &sland, 'here he and others escaped one Christ,as ,ornin . 3e 'as dro'ned :+st a fe' ,iles off the shore of Cape 6o'n, 6ata told ,e. B+t the < #! <

Nhosa still believed that -akana 'o+ld co,e back and lead the, to victory, hence the Nhosa sayin ',)u&a )u)a N/ele'. Ene day, 6ata had been chattin 'ith his ood friend Eo, 8oel No,be'+ of ChiFele. & ca+ ht this bit fro, Eo, No,be'+: Do+4 into ka -ati'ane4 U,sila o:ela phantsi k'e Ntab*e N0ad+ Usidl* i,iFila ya,adodaB Udada n esabhokb'e k+,a Dh+,sha. 7o,e days later, 'hen 'e 'ere alone, & asked 6ata 'ho this '1ada ngesabho)h#e )u$a 0hu$sha' 'as. *6hat is -hlontlo, son of -ati'ane, kin of the -pondo,ise. 3e 'as the centre of the so2called -pondo,ise 1ebellion.* .fter el+din the British forces for ,onths, -hlontlo fled to (esotho, 'here he re,ained for so,e years +ntil his capt+re, havin been betrayed by 8onathan, son of -oshoeshoe, and the 1o,an Catholic priests. 6ata told ,e that -hlontlo 'as bro+ ht ho,e a prisoner. 7tandin on the N0ad+ ,o+ntain, he looked aro+nd and sa' his land all fenced in. 3e cried like a child, sayin : *;here 'ere the people9 ;here 'ere the people that s+ch a thin co+ld happen9* &t 'as years later, fro, ,y h+sband, that & 'as to hear the details of the killin of 3a,ilton 3ope, ,a istrate of O+,b+, and the fli ht of -hlontlo, ho' he hid for ,onths a,on the -pondo of -0ikela, 'ho sheltered hi, +ntil a place had been fo+nd for hi, in (esotho. ;e 'ere sittin by the hed e at ho,e one day 'hen 6ata told ,e the story of the fli ht of 7arhili and his people after the ;ar of N cayechibi. .nd beca+se the places ,entioned in the story 'ere places in &d+ty'a 2 Bende, Aalakahla, 5'adana, ChiFele, Ncihana, -bashe 2 the story ass+,ed a life of its o'n. 3e +sed to like describin ho', after a ni ht on the banks of -bashe 1iver, 7arhili hi,self, +nder cover of a thick fo , led his people across the river and not a beast 'as lost. 6ata 'o+ld say, *6he 5caleka 'ill tell yo+ that the d+sky son of No,sa, after he had ordered all to 'ake +p, pointed so+th, pointed north, pointed east and pointed 'est, and a thick fo enveloped the, and he led his people across. &f yo+ 'ere to say that it co+ld not have been so, the 5caleka 'o+ld kill yo+.* .nd then he 'o+ld la+ h. ;hen he 'as a st+dent at Connebloe, in Cape 6o'n, he had seen in the Cape 6o'n Castle the cell 'here Cety'ayo, kin of the C+l+, had been kept, and also the cell 'here (an alibalele, kin of the 3l+bi, had been. & 'as to see these too 'hen & ca,e to live in < ## < Cape 6o'n. &n those days o+r Nhosa readers co,prised a series fro, 7tandards 1 to #, 'ritten by Candlish Doti, -a,a*s co+sin, and p+blished by (on ,ans 5reen and Co,pany. &n the 7tandard ! book 'ere the praise poe,s of so,e of the .frican ,onarchs of the period of resistance. & 'ent thro+ h several of those poe,s 'ith 6ataB he e>plained to ,e the ,eanin s and events s+rro+ndin the incidents ,entioned. Aor e>a,ple, 6ata e>plained to ,e 'hy the bard refers to 7i ca'+ -0ikela, kin of the -pondo, as &2N+n'* e,sil*+l+rboloko0o +>ab* eFindlini Fabe (+n + k'eFo -e:e no-adonela. ?6he h+ e snake 'hose lon tail bars the entrance to the d'ellin s of the 'hite ,en, even those of -a:or ?=lliot@ and -cLonald@.

.ccordin to 6ata, 'hen the British capt+red 7i ca'+ and locked hi, +p in the :ail in Dokstad, the -pondo follo'ed hi, to prison, ref+sin to have their kin sleep there alone. 6here 'as no roo, for all the cro'ds 'ho ca,e, askin to be locked +p 'ith their kin , and the British 'ere forced to let 7i ca'+ o+t. 6he praises of 7i ca'+ -thikrakra contain these lines: N +,ahob* aFiFantanta n en>a yokhoFi, -a21h+d+l+4 loFiliela nelis'el* a,aphiko4 ?3e, in 'hose do,ain the doves are afl+tter for fear of the falcon. & s'ear by the 1h+d+l+, 'oe +nto that one that has no 'in s@. 7i ca'+ -thikrakra, & 'as told, 'as a cr+el kin 'hose people deserted hi, and so+ ht ref+ e 'ith other kin s. Geld,an Bikitsha*s praises have the line: 7iya'+ban a lo,ti ka Bhokolo. ?;e clai, this tree of Bo'ker@. 6his 'as e>plained to ,e as referrin to a trader, Bo'ker, 'ho had a store in the area 'hen the British carved +p 7arhili*s co+ntry. 6hey fi>ed this store as the bo+ndary bet'een the Nhosa and the belt of -fen + 'ho, the British had settled here as b+ffer. Geld,an Bikitsha, a -fen +, collaborated 'ith the British thro+ ho+t this period. .s a re'ard he 'as iven a far, in Nkond'ane in the district of Centane. 7arhili, the Nhosa kin , is associated 'ith the line: < #$ < N +F'e lafa n e,biFa Fika -b+ne. ?3e 'hose land died on acco+nt of -b+ne*s beer2pots@. 3ere the bard casti ates the kin for allo'in the co+ntry to o to 'ar over a 0+arrel that started at a beer2party, 'hen the people involved 'ere already dr+nk. 6he bard co+ld correct the kin if he felt he 'as 'ron , 6ata told ,e, and that 'as 'hy there 'ere those lines in 7arhili*s praise2son . & do not re,e,ber ettin any *don*ts* fro, 6ata in o+r ro'in +p. ;e kne' in a 'ay 'hat he 'anted of +s and 'hat he e>pected +s to be and not to be. 6hro+ ho+t o+r life 'e 'ere +ided by: ;hat 'ill 6ata think9 ;ill this h+rt hi,9 ;ill this please hi,9 .nd thro+ ho+t, 'e tried to do those thin s that 'o+ld please hi,, thin s he co+ld be pro+d of. < #J <

The Lea Yea#s

&n ,id28an+ary the schools opened and ,any people left o+r ho+se. 5ranny 'as oin to teach at Eld &d+ty'a, ei ht ,iles a'ay, and co+ld only co,e ho,e on 'eekends. 7o,hlophe had left for e- 'ali 6rainin 7chool for 5irls, near Lohne in the 7t+tterhei, district. By the end of 8an+ary, only 6ata,

Ntan ashe, ,yself and the help 'ere left at ho,e. B+t a+nt Laisy, still at 5rand,a*s, took char e. =ven tho+ h 6ata 'as 'orkin Hhe 'as clerk in the (and Effice in &d+ty'aI and had to be in the office by nine in the ,ornin , he sa' to it that Ntan ashe and & 'ere fed before 'e left for school. 3e established a ro+tine, 'hereby he 'o+ld be in the kitchen fi>in breakfast, 'hile Ntan ashe and & ,ade the beds and ot o+rselves ready for school. 6o ether 'e 'o+ld have breakfast and then be off to school and he to 'ork. ;hen 'e ca,e back in the afternoon, there 'as al'ays a$asi Hso+r ,ilkI in a :+ for +s. 6here 'ere +s+ally plenty of ve etables, and Ntan ashe and & 'o+ld pick so,e to cook for the evenin ,eal. By the ti,e Ntan ashe 'as ten, ,eal preparation 'as in her hands ,ore or less, 'ith 6ata pitchin in no' and then. -akin the beds and tidyin +p 'ere ,y chores and so,eti,es 'e 'o+ld do these :ointly, Ntan ashe and &. 6ho+ h 'e never said it to each other, 'e 'ere deter,ined to keep -a,a*s ho+se as tidy as 'e had kno'n it. -rs Oavane Ha+nt -a2-la,boI ca,e to do the 'ashin every 'eek and so,eti,es the ironin . B+t it 'as 6ata 'ho ironed o+r clothes re +larly. 5ranny ca,e ho,e on 'eekends, and 'o+ld sit aro+nd readin papers, then o to 5rand,a*s to chat 'ith 'hoever 'as there. 6ata 'o+ld co,plain: *5ranny, 'hen yo+ are ho,e, do ive ,y children < #K < a rest.* 6o 'hich she al'ays replied: *6hese kids are bi . 6hey can do the 'ork.* Ntan ashe and & 'ondered :+st 'hat she 'o+ld do 'hen she ot ,arriedB she 'as so laFy. 7he 'o+ld be a dis race, 'e told each other. =arly in .pril, a tele ra, ca,e sayin that 7o,hlophe 'as ill. Before 6ata had decided 'hat to do another one ca,e: *Gery ill. .nythin can happen.* 6ata left i,,ediately for e- 'ali. 6he nei hbo+rs ca,e every day to pray for hi, and ,y sister thro+ ho+t the period he 'as a'ay. 6hat 7+nday in ch+rch, the con re ation said special prayers for 7o,hlophe. ;hen all these people can ho,e for the prayer ,eetin , a+nt Laisy 'as there to receive the,. &n this she 'as assisted by a+nt -a2-iya, the sa,e 'ho co,forted 7o,hlophe as 'e 'ere leavin the raveyard on the day of -a,a*s f+neral. 6ata sent a tele ra, fro, e- 'ali: *Crisis over. Co,in ho,e 'ith Nonk+l+leko.* 6hey ca,e ho,e a,id the :oys of everyone in the co,,+nity. 5od had heard their prayers. 7o,hlophe 'as al'ays a favo+rite of all the local people. ;ith 7o,hlophe at ho,e, the b+rden of 'ork no lon er lay so ,+ch on Ntan ashe and ,e, and 6ata 'as relieved of his kitchen d+ties. 3o'ever, he never slackened in his ironin d+ties. 5rad+ally, o+r 'ay of life 'as co,pletely chan ed by a+nt Laisy, 'ho re,ained still at 5rand,a*s and s+pervised at o+r ho+se. ;e, 'ho +sed to eat at the table, 'ere no' bein ta+ ht to sit on the floor 'hen 'e ate, eatin fro, one basin. ;e, 'ho never shared o+r clothes, even a,on o+rselves, 'ere no' ,ade to share the, 'ith her sister2in2la'*s da+ hter 'ho 'as 'ith her. Both Ntan ashe and & resented this, and 'e reported to 6ata. 6ata stopped at once the sharin of o+r clothes. .+nt Laisy 'as al'ays co,plainin too abo+t 7o,hlophe and her friends. 7o,hlophe had not ret+rned to e- 'ali after her illness, so 'as ho,e for that 'hole year. 3ere 'as a fo+rteen2year2old, at ho,e, 'ith very little to do4 .+nt Laisy tho+ ht she 'as ettin o+t of hand and had to be bridled. Ene day 7o,hlophe and 5ranny ca,e back late fro, to'n. 6he s+n had already set. .+nt Laisy 'as f+rio+s 'ith the,. 7he de,anded to kno' 'ho had been 'ith the, in to'n. Not satisfied 'ith 'hatever ans'er they ave, she 'ent to 6ata to ask hi, to find o+t. 6ata 0+ietly said: *Laisy, please don*t ca+se tro+ble bet'een ,e and ,y

< #% < children. 6hey kno' 'hat & e>pect of the,.* .+nt Laisy 'as f+rio+s. 7he co+ld not +nderstand it. 7he had her ood points, tho+ h. No' that she 'as here 'ith +s, 'e co+ld 'rap o+rselves +p in her sha'ls on cold days 'hen 'e 'ent to school. 6his 'as a privile e 'e had never en:oyed in -a,a*s days: 'e +sed to 'ear coats to school, and ho' Ntan ashe hated that black coat of hers4 .s soon as she 'as o+t of -a,a*s si ht, she 'o+ld thro' the coat over her sho+lders as one 'ears a blanket. .ll the other children in school ca,e 'rapped +p in ,others*, a+nts* or sisters* sha'ls, bi and s,all. 3o' & +sed to envy Aannie 5+d+Fa, 'rapped in her 5rand,a*s bi 'oollen sha'l. 7he looked so 'ar, and co,fortable in it. & think a+nt Laisy even bo+ ht +s little sha'ls to 'ear to school. ;ith that all her sins 'ere for iven. .+nt Laisy liked readin to +s, and fro, the 'ay she did so she ,+st have been a ood teacher. & re,e,ber the day she read +s the book No$ali&o by =noch 5+,a. ;hen she opened the dialo +e 'ith 'No$ali&o" No$ali&o" -i&'apha $ntana$"' , & tho+ ht she 'as callin her da+ hter No,aliFo. .nother story a+nt Laisy read 'ell 'as *(ittle 1ed 1idin 3ood*, especially the dialo +e bet'een (ittle 1ed 1idin 3ood and the 'olf. .+nt Laisy had been a teacher before she ,arried and contin+ed to teach after'ards, beca+se they co+ld not find a 0+alified teacher 'here she 'as. 7he told +s that her ,other2in2la' advised her to shorten her skirts beca+se she 'as teachin . *3o' 'ill yo+ ,ana e 'ith those lon skirts, No3ohita ?her ,arried na,e@ ,y child, 'hen yo+ take drill e>ercises 'ith the schoolchildren9* 7o a+nt Laisy 'ore her skirts ,id2calf. (ife 'as rather r+ ed at ho,e. 7o,hlophe had, the follo'in year, one back to school at (ovedale, and 5ranny 'as en a ed to a yo+n &d+ty'a ,an teachin at 3ealdto'n. 6ata 'as +nder press+re to et ,arried. 3o' co+ld so bi a ho+sehold be 'itho+t a 'ife to look after thin s and his children9 people 'ere sayin . &n .pril of that year, 6ata resi ned his position as clerk in the (and Effice. ;hat precipitated his resi nation 'as a case of bribery and fra+d a ainst the assistant ,a istrate and one of the clerks in the sa,e office. 6ata offered to ive evidence a ainst these t'o on behalf of a red2blanket ,an 'ho had been cheated o+t of his piece of land. Beca+se of the shorta e of land, the (and Effices in the r+ral areas 'ere as corr+pt as the Pass Effices in the +rban areas. < #9 < 6ata 'as a terror to those assistant ,a istrates. 3e brooked no nonsense fro, the, and 'o+ld beat the, +p ri ht in their offices if they 'ere r+de to hi, or sho'ed any arro ance to'ards hi,B they al'ays lost their :obs into the bar ain. .fricans of 6ata*s a e had :oined the civil service 'hen it still e,bodied the old British tradition of service to the people. 6he ,a istrates, even tho+ h 'hite, and the 'hite clerks kne' they 'ere there to serve and 'ere seldo, r+de to the .frican ,e,bers of the service 'ith 'ho, they 'orked. .s these British2trained ,a istrates retired, they 'ere replaced by 7o+th .frican 'hites, yo+n and arro ant, f+ll of their 'hiteness. 6ata took no nonsense fro, the, and +nfort+nately for the,, 'hen they 'ent to co,plain to the ,a istrate / an older fello' 'ho had 'orked 'ith 6ata / they 'ere told: *)o+ ,+st have provoked hi,. 3e is one of the finest entle,en 'e have in these offices and 'o+ld never assa+lt yo+ +nless +nder e>tre,e provocation.* .fter s+ch an incident, the assistant ,a istrate 'o+ld be told he 'as bein transferred or his service 'as bein ter,inated. 6he .frican police,en, Dh'eFa and 8ayiya,

liked 6ata for handlin these r+de assistants in this 'ay and they 'o+ld relate the stories 'ith relish. ;hen 6ata broke the ne's of his resi nation to 5ranny, she asked: *B+t ho' are yo+ oin to ,ana e, 'ith a child at boardin school and these t'o still to follo'9* 6ata ans'ered: *& cannot bear to see the life of these t'o so r+ ed. & ,+st be ho,e to take care of the,. &*ll ,ana e.* 6hen, pointin to the plo+ hin fields behind the ho,e, he said: *Lo yo+ see this land behind +s9 &*, oin to till it and live on its prod+ce. &*ll raise, i,prove and increase ,y stock. &*ll ,ana e.* .nd he did :+st that and sa' +s all thro+ h school / first the three of +s fro, his first fa,ily and then the nine fro, his second. < $" <

Seco * Ma##iage
6ata ca,e +nder press+re to find a 'ife to help hi, r+n his ho,e. Ariends and relatives 'ere sco+tin aro+nd for a s+itable irl, and s+ estions 'ere co,in fro, all sides. & 'o+ld not be s+rprised if so,e 'o,en offered the,selves or that so,e ,others offered their da+ hters. .t forty2t'o he 'as a very eli ible 'ido'er and a ,an of ,eans, 'ho had al,ost everythin that ,ost 'o,en look for in a ,arria e / sec+rity and position. 7is* -illie, -a,a*s niece, stron ly reco,,ended a yo+n 'o,an 'ho 'as a teacher fro, .ll 7aints, =n cobo, and fro, a 'ell2kno'n fa,ily. 7is* -illie even sent 6ata a pict+re of the 'o,an, a pict+re that h+n on the 'all in the roo, for so,e ti,e. 7is* -illie kne' 6ata very 'ellB she kne' his likes and dislikes, havin stayed 'ith her a+nt, ,y ,other, before she ot ,arried. 3er candidate 'as a ood 'o,an 'ith a ood back ro+nd and 'o+ld not only ,ake a ood 'ife, b+t 'o+ld also be ood to the children, 7is* -illie had 'ritten. 6hen there 'ere three others / one in the U,tata district and the other t'o in the B+tter'orth and Centane districts. 6he Oh+shekas in e5oso, the people of -al+,e -enFi'a*s ,other, also ca,e 'ith an open reco,,endation for a 'o,an fro, a,on the - +dl'a princesses at Oh+,anco, a royal fa,ily of the 8+,ba ho+se of the 6he,b+. 6ata follo'ed this lead. &n all this he cons+lted 'ith his da+ hter 5ranny and his co+sin . nes, beca+se ,ost of these 'o,en 'ere abo+t their a es and either had been to (ovedale or e- 'ali and kne' the, or kne' abo+t the,. ;ith his friend Eo, 8oel No,be'+, 6ata headed in his Cape cart for Oh+,anco to find hi,self a 'ife fro, a,on the - +dl'a princesses. 6hey asked to be directed to the royal ho+se of the - +dl'as, and 'ere told that 6heodore 3lathikh+l+, son of Aalo < $1 < - +dl'a, 'as the one 'ho held co+rt here. 6o this co+rt they 'ent and ,ade kno'n the p+rpose of their visit. )es, this ho+se had a princess, +n,arried, =d'ina 6handi'e, second da+ hter and fo+rth child of 6heodore 3lathikh+l+ - +dl'a by his 'ife No2&ndia, randda+ hter of -a0o,a, the 'arrior2 kin and first2born son of N 0ika. 3ere 'as a ,other, a princess of royal birth4 No irl co+ld have better credentials. 6hey 'ere hooked and by the ti,e they ca,e back all the preli,inaries had been finalised. 6he - +dl'as 'anted for lobola Hbride'ealthI thirty head of cattle, fifty sheep and t'o horses,

especially 6ata*s racin stallion 6he,b+, of 'hich they had heard so ,+ch. 6ata pleaded that he co+ld not ive the, 6he,b+. 3e 'as prepared to ive t'o horses instead of this one. 6his 'as accepted. ;hen 6ata ca,e ho,e his kins,en e>clai,ed: *6hirty head of cattle4 .re yo+ craFy9 ;hat sort of princess is this one9 6hat*s lobola for three irls4* 5.5. / as 6ata 'as pop+larly kno'n / 'as not to be ,ovedB he had accepted the - +dl'a challen e, and no one 'as oin to ,ake hi, 'ithdra'. ;hen both 5ranny and a+nt . nes, his co+sin, heard 'hich one of the - +dl'a irls this 'as, they re,arked: *;hy not 8+dith9 7he is tall and ,ore bea+tif+l. Er even the a+nt, Noben +la, she is ,ore co,ely4* 6he day the thirty head of cattle 'ere bro+ ht in fro, the cattle2post to be driven to Oh+,anco, they filled o+r 'hole yard. .s they 'ere driven o+t, a+nt Laisy cried: *-y father*s cattle4 -y father*s cattle44* 6his is +s+ally an e>citin ,o,ent, 'ith the 'o,en of the ho,e +l+latin , callin in e>cite,ent: *Brin her ho,e4 Brin her ho,e4* & do not re,e,ber any of the, doin that. 6hey all stood in 'onder,ent and 0+ietly e>clai,in : *7o ,any cattle4* =ven those 'ho 'anted to +l+late co+ld not, 'ith a+nt Laisy cryin : *-y father*s cattle4 -y father*s cattle4* )es, a+nt Laisy 'as ri ht, these cattle 'ere her father*s 'hich 'ere shared a,on the children 'hen 5ovan, their father, died. ;hat 6ata had ac0+ired d+rin his first ,arria e he co+ld not to+ch. 6he 'ill he dre' +p did not allo' it. .ll that property 'as to be divided a,on +s, his fo+r irls. 3e had +s+fr+ct ri hts to it for as lon as it re,ained 'ith hi,. Ef his inheritance fro, his father*s stock, 'ith thirty head of cattle one, perhaps he 'as left 'ith only half. 6hey drove all that stock to Oh+,anco. 6he third horse follo'ed after the 'eddin . 6ata and =d'ina 6handi'e - +dl'a 'ere ,ar2 < $2 < ried early in Lece,ber, the end of his second year of 'ido'hood. &t 'as a bi 'eddin , both at Oh+,anco and at ho,e. Ntan ashe and & did not o to Oh+,anco. Enly 5ranny and 7o,hlophe 'ent. .+nt Colosa had co,e do'n 'eeks before to see to the s,ooth r+nnin of thin s. -a,a*s sisters, .nnie, O+eenie and -ar aret, 'ere there tooB so 'ere -a,a*s brothers, -enFi'a and Colenso. Uncle -enFi'a acco,panied 6ata to Oh+,anco to fetch his bride. En the 'eddin day, 7is* -a2Can 'a, 'ho had co,e back for the occasion, assisted by -rs Phetheni and -rs 6olbatt, e>celled in their caterin . -y people had heard that the - +dl'as 'ere a sophisticated lotB #ath'u$ntu )u&a)udlan'iintsi$bi na$hlan!e 'e are oin to sho' the, 'hat st+ff 'e are ,ade of. ;hen ,y red2blanket a+nts sa' the - +dl'a 'o,en 'ho had co,e do'n, acco,panyin their kins'o,an, they said: *6he - +dl'as cheated 7a2-Folisa ?6ata@. 6his 'o,an is too short for hi,. ;hy didn*t they ive hi, this one, 8+dith, the co+sin, or this one, Noben +la, the a+nt9* 6his 'as the sa,e re,ark 5ranny and a+nt . nes had ,ade 'hen they heard 'hich of the - +dl'a irls it 'as. &n the afternoon of the 'eddin day, a+nt Colosa took Ntan ashe and ,e to 6ata in the roo,. 3e had not seen +s for a 'eek and in the e>cite,ent he did not kno' ho' 'e 'ere doin . 3e 'as sittin on his bed, tie and :acket off, in his stockin ed feet, restin . ;hen 'e sa' hi,, 'e both ran to hi, and he folded +s in his ar,s, kissin +s all over o+r faces. 3e asked +s to sit at his feet and asked a+nt Colosa to brin +s food. *6hey have already been fed, Bh+ti,* Colosa said. *No, & 'ant to see the, eat,* he responded.

;e sat in the roo, there 'ith hi, 'atchin +s eat. ;e did not have ,+ch to say to each other. People 'ere oin in and o+t of the roo,. 6hen it 'as ti,e for hi, to o to s+pper 'ith the bridal party. ;e had ,issed hi,. 3e had ,issed +s too and ,+st have been feelin +ilty that in the e>cite,ent he had ne lected +s. .t the end of the 'eddin , the +ests left. -y a+nts, .nnie, O+eenie and -ar aret, and +ncle Colenso stayed for a fe' ,ore days to introd+ce the,selves to their ne' *sister*. 6hey liked her and she liked the, too. Uncle -enFi'a stayed lon er, and had nothin b+t praise for this princess so nobly born. Colosa stayed for t'o 'eeks ,ore. 6he first ni ht 'e 'ere alone as a fa,ily, 'ith only a+nt Laisy < $! < and a+nt Colosa there, 6ata read fro, the Bible the portion 'hich says: *)o+ are all ,e,bers of the sa,e body. &f one ,e,ber is diseased, then the 'hole body is affected.* .s o+r ne' life +nfolded, & kne' 'hy he had read that. Before she left, Colosa called 7o,hlophe, Ntan ashe and ,yself and said to +s: *6his is yo+r ,other. )o+ are not to call her anythin b+t -a,a. &f yo+ accept her, she 'ill accept yo+. .nythin yo+ 'ant, yo+ ask herB never o direct to yo+r father no' that she is here, nor co,plain to hi, abo+t her. 1e,e,ber al'ays that yo+r father can no lon er devote the sa,e attention to yo+ as he did before. 3e has so,eone no' to share his life 'ith. -ake no de,ands on hi, for his ti,e. =d'ina is his partner and she is yo+r ,other.* &t is a,aFin ho' s+ch ad,onitions stick 'ith one. 6o this day, & cannot speak of =d'ina as ,y step,other, b+t al'ays as -a,a. & re,e,ber years after, at Aort 3are, 'hen -rs -atthe's, 'ho had kno'n =d'ina at (ovedale, asked ,e ho' she co+ld have s+ch a bi irl already, & co+ld not for the life of ,e tell her that =d'ina 'as ,y step,other. & heard Colosa sayin : *Never call her anythin b+t -a,a.* Colosa said oodbye and 'e 'ere left alone 'ith 6ata and o+r ne' ,other. -y poor step,other 'as a coddled princess 'ho had never been trained for any position of responsibility, even the responsibility of providin for the basic needs He>cept se>I of the h+sband she 'o+ld ,arry, let alone his children or the 'elfare of her o'n children 'hen they ca,e. ;hat 'as 'orse, she had never been ta+ ht the art of ood h+,an relations. Pl+n ed into a position of reat responsibility, ho' co+ld she cope9 3o' 'as she to handle it s+ccessf+lly9 .nd yet, if she had kno'n the art of h+,an relations, ,any 'o+ld have served her 'ith pleas+re and co,pensated for all those shortco,in s. B+t +nfort+nately, she tho+ ht that every yo+n 'o,an 'as there to sed+ce her h+sband. .nd people left, even those 'ho tried to help. 3o' tra ic that so,e parents, in brin in +p their children this 'ay, never think of the ti,e 'hen the children 'ill be on their o'n in the 'orld. ;hen her son -F+kisi 'as a year old, ,y step,other 'anted hi, to be bro+ ht +p by her people. 6ata left the child there for only a year and had hi, bro+ ht ho,e, sayin : *& can never have ,y child bro+ ht +p by the - +dl'as, people 'ho do not kno' ho' to train children.* 6his 'as fro, 'hat he sa' of their < $# < da+ hter / the lack of social race, the lack of responsibility.

=verythin see,ed all ri ht at first. 6he old friends dropped in no' and a ain. Preparations 'ere afoot for 5ranny*s 'eddin to the 3ealdto'n teacher, no' principal at L+ff. =arly in the year 7o,hlophe had one back to (ovedale. 7is* -a2Can 'a 'as itchin to o, tellin +s that she 'as :+st 'aitin to cook the dinner for 5ranny*s 'eddin d+rin the =aster break. . ain -al+,e -enFi'a ca,e for 5ranny*s 'eddin and so did Colosa, to help -a,a 'ith all the 'ork. 6hey see,ed to hit it off 'ell 'ith their ne' *sister* and she liked both of the,. Colosa left soon after 5ranny*s 'eddin . B+t before she left, she called Ntan ashe and ,e aside and said to +s: *No', 5ranny is one, ,arriedB one to :oin another fa,ily. 7he no lon er belon s here. 6hin s, +npleasant perhaps, are oin to happen to yo+. & be yo+, ,y sister*s children, never r+n to 5ranny to report anythin . & do not 'ant her to co,e here to ca+se tro+ble bet'een yo+r father and his 'ife. .s & said to yo+ before, do not o to yo+r father 'ith any reports of 'hat yo+r ,other is doin to yo+. &f and 'hen thin s are bad, yo+r father 'ill notice it. Deep everythin bet'een the t'o of yo+, co,fortin each other.* .nd didn*t 'e heed that advice4 5ranny never ot any reports fro, +s abo+t o+r life at ho,e, not even 'hen, as the principal*s 'ife, she ca,e to the school. ;hat reports she received 'ere fro, nei hbo+rs 'ho 'o+ld plead 'ith her to visit ho,e no' and a ain for o+r sake, beca+se 'e 'ere :+st fendin for o+rselves, o+r step,other did not care for +s, and ,ost ,iserable 'as Ntan ashe, 'ho, she see,ed not to like. -y step,other never ab+sed +s / never beat +s +p or called +s na,es. &t 'as :+st a case of beni n ne lect. 7he kne' no better. 7o it is diffic+lt to bla,e her. 5ranny never ca,eB 'e never 'ent to her ho+se. 7he sa' +s on those occasions she ca,e to the school, so,eti,es deliverin dresses she had ,ade for +s. ;e soon noticed that 'hile o+r step,other 'as prepared to accept ,e, she did not 0+ite accept Ntan ashe, 'ho 'as shy, 0+iet and reserved. Perhaps she tho+ ht that this child 'ho took ti,e to 'ar, to people, did not accept her, and she co+ld not handle that. 7he 'o+ld ive ,e thin s / a treat perhaps / and not ive Ntan ashe. & 'o+ld ask, *;hat abo+t Ntan ashe9*, and if it 'as not forthco,in , & 'o+ld not accept ,ine. .t one ti,e, ,y step,other 'anted to take ,e to Oh+,anco 'ith her to ,eet her people 'ho had heard so ,+ch abo+t ,e fro, 6ata. & asked if Ntan ashe 'as < $$ < co,in too. ;hen she said *no*, & told her & 'o+ld not o any'here 'itho+t Ntan ashe. =arly one a+t+,n, Ntan ashe 'ent do'n 'ith a severe attack of bronchitis. 7he 'as very ill. 6ata and & took t+rns n+rsin her. 6ata 'o+ld leave so,e broth 'ith ,e to ive to Ntan ashe, even if it 'as :+st one spoonf+l, and also to ive her the ,edicine. & re,e,ber pleadin 'ith Ntan ashe to take :+st one spoonf+l of the broth, beca+se she 'o+ld die if she did not. ;hen she fell asleep, & 'o+ld r+n o+tside to play, only to r+n back shortly, and bend over her to find o+t if she 'as still breathin . & 'as scared. & 'as a child only nine years old. & cried and prayed to 5od to save ,y sister, not to let ,y Ntan ashe die. & have never prayed for a life as & did on that occasion. & had not lost ,y faith. 6ata 'o+ld co,e in the afternoon, spon e Ntan ashe, ive her the ,edicine, coa> her to take so,e broth, ,ake her co,fortable, and 'hen she fell asleep, he 'o+ld o to the ho+se. 3e 'o+ld co,e back a ain to sit +p 'ith Ntan ashe in the ni ht. Not once d+rin that 'hole period did ,y step,other co,e into that rondavel 'here the child lay sick. 7he sa' Ntan ashe a ain 'hen she 'as stron eno+ h to dra herself to the kitchen. L+rin this period of Ntan ashe*s recovery, 6ata, on co,in ho,e one evenin , asked =d'ina ho' Ntan ashe 'as. 6hey 'ere in the roo, to ether and & 'as in the dinin 2roo,, ettin teac+ps.

*(eave ,e alone4* sho+ted =d'ina. *& do not 'ant yo+r children4* & can still hear the pain in 6ata*s voice 'hen he asked: *8+st tell ,e, =d'ina, 'hy do yo+ hate ,y children9 ;hat have they ever done to yo+9 Please, please tell ,e4* No' that & have children of ,y o'n, & kno' :+st ho' h+rt 6ata 'as 'hen he heard that o+tb+rst, *& do not 'ant yo+r children4*, that afternoon in the roo,. .+nt Colosa had told +s to o to o+r step,other for anythin that 'e 'anted. ;e did, tellin her 'e needed this and that for school. B+t she never did anythin abo+t o+r re0+ests. 7o on one occasion in desperation, 'e / 7o,hlophe, Ntan ashe and & / sent a :oint letter to 6ata 'ith the list of the thin s 'e 'anted for school. ;e slipped the letter +nder his pillo', each one fearin to ive it to hi,. ;hen he sa' it and read it, he ca,e to +s in o+r roo, to ask +s 'hy 'e had 'ritten hi, a letter. *Beca+se Colosa had told +s never to co,e to yo+ direct, b+t ask thro+ h -a,a. ;e have done so. B+t nothin has happened and < $J < schools are openin soon,* said 7o,hlophe. *& +nderstand,* said 6ata. *B+t in f+t+re never 'rite ,e letters. Co,e to ,e directly for anythin yo+ 'ant.* 6he ne>t day he took +s to to'n 'ith hi, to b+y the thin s 'e needed. 5ranny ,ade and se'ed all o+r dresses. 6he ,aterials 'o+ld be sent to her or 6ata 'o+ld send her the ,oney to b+y the ,aterials. 6hen she 'o+ld co,e to o+r school to take o+r ,eas+re,ents, and 'hen the dresses 'ere done, she 'o+ld brin the, to school. &t 'as not +ntil 'e 'ere in boardin school that 'e 'ent to her place on s+ch occasions, and re,ained 'ith her for a fe' days. .t that early a e, 'e learnt to close ranks, especially Ntan ashe and &. Bein older, she took ,e +nder her char e, protected ,e and established a ro+tine for copin . ;e had learnt to 'ork at a very early a e, even before -a,a diedB 'e ot so,e ood trainin +nder a+nt Laisy. ;e fed o+rselves before and after school, ,ade o+r beds, 'ashed o+r clothes and 6ata*s, cleaned the kitchen and tidied the dinin 2 roo,. 6'o children 'ho, the - +dl'as had sent to co,e and help their da+ hter, -bikreni and (eFina, co+ld not take itB they ran a'ay. 6hey had never been in a sit+ation 'here children fended for the,selves. Ntan ashe and & did. ;e s+rvived. ;e 'ere to do the sa,e for =d'ina*s children 'hen they ca,e, for at eleven o*clock in the ,ornin their ,other 'as still sleepin , blissf+lly +na'are perhaps that there 'ere toddlers to be fed and schoolchildren to be fed before they 'ent to school. .s a res+lt, her children, especially those 'ho 'ere born 'hen 'e 'ere still at ho,e, beca,e very close to +s, in spite of 'hat their ,other 'as teachin the,, that 'e 'ere not their sisters. 3o' in the 'orld is anyone oin to convince a three2year2old, a seven2year2old, a ten2year2old, that this person 'ho feeds yo+, b+ys yo+ nice clothes, 'ashes yo+ and dresses yo+, sho'ers yo+ 'ith love, is not yo+r sister, and yo+ sho+ld ive s+ch a person a 'ide berth9 &t is 'ellni h i,possible, & think. ;hat ,y step,other 'as teachin her children bore fr+it 'hen her third son, C'elebh+n a, ot ,arried. Er rather boo,eran ed. .ccordin to c+sto,, there are lots of ift2e>chan es bet'een the roo,*s and bride*s fa,ilies. ;hen the bride arrives, she brin s ifts for her father2in2la', her ,other2 in2la', the h+sband*s senior sister and other relatives 'ithin the fa,ily. C'elebh+n a*s 'ife had observed this c+sto,, brin in ifts for her senior sister2in2la'. &n o+r case, this 'as 5ranny, and everybody kne' this. B+t ,y step2

< $K < ,other 'o+ld not accept it. C'elebh+n a*s senior sister 'as her da+ hter Nokh'eFi. 7he did not raise the ,atter 'hen the ifts 'ere bein distrib+ted. B+t she did so sharply in the kitchen a,on the 'o,en. 5ranny 'as still there, b+sy helpin feed the visitors. 7he never entered into the 'o,en*s conversation. 6hen at breakfast 5ranny anno+nced that she 'o+ld like a ,eetin of the fa,ily as she had so,ethin to say before she left. .fter breakfast, the fa,ily athered in the dinin 2roo,, and in 'alked 5ranny 'ith a basket still f+ll of the presents that had been passed to her the day before as senior sister2in2la'. *& +nderstand fro, the talk of -a,a and the 'o,en in the kitchen that -a,a is +pset that these thin s 'ere passed on to ,e. 6hey belon to Nokh'eFi, senior nat+ral sister of C'elebh+n a, her son. 3ere then are Nokh'eFi*s ifts. B+t before & o ho,e, & 'o+ld like to take 'ith ,e all the presents that o+r h+sbands ave to their ,other2in2la', be innin 'ith 1hodes, ,y h+sband, a 'ar, 'inter sha'lB fro, Upin ton Gillie, Nonk+l+leko*s h+sband, another 'ar, 'inter sha'lB fro, -ahoney -da, =thel*s h+sband, a 'ar, 'inter coatB and a car coat and handba fro, .. C. 8ordan, Phyllie*s h+sband. .ll these &*ll take to their ri htf+l o'ner, the ,other2in2la' of all these ,en.* =ven before 5ranny had finished reco+ntin the ifts that o+r h+sbands had bro+ ht, everybody kne' that =d'ina had no case. 7he, as ,other2in2la', had accepted all these presents. 6here 'as never a 0+estion that she 'as not o+r ,other. 6ata in reply said: *No, (a'+kaFi,?M@ 'hoever 0+estions yo+r position in this fa,ily is 'ron . )o+ and yo+ alone are the senior da+ hter of this ho+se.* -y poor step,other4 3ad she for otten, 'hen she raised this, that 5ranny had iven her brother C'elebh+n a t'o head of cattle to add to the lobola that 'as asked for, and that =thel, C'elebh+n a*s sister, had iven hi, another head of cattle9 -y sisters had done this in reco nition of C'elebh+n a as their brother. 3ad =d'ina for otten that9 6here had never been any lessons fro, 6ata to +s on these ,+t+al responsibilities and obli ations. ;e sensed that this 'as 'hat he 'ished and 'anted, that 'e sho+ld kno' each other as sisters and brothers. 6hat has al'ays been and al'ays 'ill be o+r attit+de to'ards those children. ?M@ M 6his is o+r clan na,e. -y people, the 7+k'ini, are said to be a branch of one of the Dhoi clans, a$aLa#u in Nhosa. 6hese are so,e of the Dhoi 'ho, thro+ h ,arria e, 'ere co,pletely absorbed into the Nhosa ro+p. < $% < -y step,other4 Bold and darin , 'ith the kind of boldness that ,akes people do the +nthinkable. ;hen 7o,hlophe ot ,arried, =d'ina 'ent a'ay a 'eek before the 'eddin , lockin everythin a'ay / linen, crockery, c+tlery / the thin s that 'o+ld be needed for the 'eddin +ests. 5ranny ca,e ho,e on the 'eekend before the 'eddin , and had to o back and fetch thin s fro, her ho+se. ;here she had one and 'hy nobody kne', and 6ata never asked her 'hen she ca,e back. &t is +nfort+nate that a second 'ife has to live in the sa,e area, so,eti,es even in the sa,e ho+se, as the first 'ife. &t is rossly +nfair to the second 'o,an, for people 'ill talk, in ,any cases not ,eanin to h+rt, b+t they 'ill ,ake co,parisons. People 'ere still talkin abo+t -a,a 'hen =d'ina ca,e and they contin+ed to talk abo+t her years after / ho' bea+tif+l she 'as, ho' 'ell she dressed and ho' she carried herself. =ven to +s, those 'ho kne' -a,a 'o+ld tell +s strai ht to o+r faces: *)o+ are not as bea+tif+l as she 'as nor 'ill yo+ ever dress as 'ell.* 6hese 'ere not co,pli,ents to +s. B+t 'e ca,e to accept this as fact. 7+ch talk ,ade ,y step,other very insec+re and resentf+l of all those 'ho 'ere close to -a,a. 7o all the people that 'e cared for and 'ho cared for +s she chased a'ay fro, her place, one by one. &n ,ost cases her ,anner of doin so 'as not very pleasant.

7he ref+sed to o places 'ith 6ata, for fear of these co,parisons. .nd yet she lived in constant fear of other 'o,en ,eetin 6ata 'hen she 'as a'ay. &t ,ay be that 6ata had ,istresses. ;ho kno's9 6ata 'o+ld o to U,tata, perhaps to the Central 7ho'. =d'ina 'o+ld ref+se to co,e alon 'ith hi,, and yet the follo'in day she 'o+ld board the ne>t train, p+t +p at so,e hotel in U,tata, to see 'hat 'o,en her h+sband 'o+ld be oin aro+nd 'ith. 7he failed to realise that 'ith her there, no 'o,en 'o+ld be b+FFin aro+nd hi,. -y poor step,other, 'hose parents sent her o+t into the 'orld never havin prepared her for life. 7he co+ld have been a s+ccess, for there 'ere ti,es 'hen she sho'ed she co+ld do thin s and do the, 'ell. B+t like all people 'ith a 'eak sense of responsibility, there 'as no consistency. 6hro+ ho+t her life there 'ere ebbs and flo's 'hen thin s 'ere not done ri ht or not done at all, and then chaos rei ned. Children cannot be bro+ ht +p in s+ch an at,osphere. &f 6ata, Laba'o and all those other people 'ho 'ere present had not been there on and off, & sh+dder to think 'hat < $9 < co+ld have happened to those children. Ence, after & had be +n teachin in Droonstad in the Eran e Aree 7tate, & ret+rned ho,e on holiday. . fe' days after ,y arrival ho,e, 7o,hlophe ca,e, very ,+ch concerned abo+t a stran e story she had heard fro, a+nt -ar aret, -a,a*s yo+n est sister. .+nt -ar aret had :+st co,e back fro, =ast (ondon, and here 'as her story: &n the streets of =ast (ondon, one afternoon, a+nt -ar aret had ,et ,y step,other, poorly dressed, oin fro, ho+se to ho+se lookin for a :ob. =d'ina had 'ept as soon as she ,et a+nt -ar aret, tellin her that 6ata 'as not providin anythin for her children, so she had decided to co,e to =ast (ondon to 'ork. .+nt -ar aret had already 'ritten to 6ata, shocked that so,ethin like that co+ld have happened, pointin o+t to hi, that this 'as a sha,e and a dis race. 7o,hlophe too had co,e to ask 6ata 'hy. ;hat a dis race, his 'ife 'orkin for 'hite people in =ast (ondon4 6ata cal,ly told +s that he too 'as s+rprised. 3e had received the letter fro, a+nt -ar aret and 'as a,aFed, for as far as he kne' =d'ina 'as ho,e in Oh+,anco, 'here she had one to visit her sick randfather. . ta>i had co,e to pick =d'ina fro, the ho+se, the day she left. B+t stran e, 6ata said, she had not 'ritten since she left, even to say ho' her randfather 'as. *)o+ kno',* 6ata contin+ed, *a day after =d'ina left, & ,et co+sin Ared 'ho told ,e he 'as on the ,ornin train to =ast (ondon 'ith =d'ina. & 'as s+re he 'as ,akin a ,istake, that it ,+st have been on the afternoon train. 7o Ared 'as ri ht. ;o'4 6hat is =d'ina, all ri ht4* 3e sho'ed +s the letter that a+nt -ar aret had 'ritten to hi,. 6he ne>t day 6ata sent a tele ra, to her +ncle 3arold 5+leni - +dl'a, askin hi, to find o+t if =d'ina 'as in =ast (ondon. 3er +ncle acted at once and sent 'ord to another +ncle in =ast (ondon, 'ith 'ho, =d'ina 'as stayin . 7he 'ent ho,e to Oh+,anco and ca,e back to +s :+st t'o 'eeks before & left for Droonstad. 6hat incident 'as to have a profo+nd i,pact on ,e. &t chan ed the co+rse of ,y life. < J" <

)ea%*!o,
E+r principal teacher, 1hodes Cakata Hno' ,arried to ,y sister 5rannyI, stron ly reco,,ended that 6ata send ,e to 3ealdto'n, instead of (ovedale, 'hen & passed ,y 7tandard J. 3e had been trained at

3ealdto'n and had ta+ ht there for so,e three years before takin +p the principalship of o+r school. 3ealdto'n 'as a ood school, he said, better than (ovedale 'here class divisions 'ere enco+ra ed. .t (ovedale st+dents slept and ate accordin to their pockets. &t 'as only in the classroo,s that the st+dents 'ere thro'n to ether irrespective of ho' ,+ch each paid. .t 3ealdto'n all st+dents paid the sa,e a,o+nt, slept in the sa,e dor,s and ate at the sa,e tables. -oreover, the hi h school at 3ealdto'n 'as s,all and at ,y a e & 'o+ld not be lost in that settin , 'hich he feared 'o+ld be the case if & 'ent to (ovedale, 'here there 'ere so ,any depart,ents and st+dents. No one in ,y fa,ily had ever been to 3ealdto'n and & do+bt if & 'o+ld have one there if -a,a 'as still alive. 6o her, (ovedale 'as the only school 'orth sendin a child to. 7he had been born there and her forebear, Balfo+r, had been present at the fo+ndin of (ovedale. & 'as :+st be innin ,y t'elfth year 'hen & first 'ent to 3ealdto'n. 6o this day & a, still teased abo+t ho' yo+n & 'as and ho' the st+dents 'o+ld say 'hen they sa' ,e: 'Abanye abafa&i balu$lela rule N/i)h#ebe ngo)u' ?7o,e ,others think this instit+tion is no' a place for the, to send their toddlers@. Aort+nately for ,e, ,y co+sin (inda Doti 'as also a st+dent in the hi h school at 3ealdto'n. 3er father, Candlish Doti, co+sin to -a,a, had :+st taken +p residence at o+r ,ission as the ne' ,inister. 6his ,eant that (inda 'o+ld take char e of ,e at 3ealdto'n and & 'o+ld be < J1 < startin the :o+rney 'ith her ri ht fro, ho,e. 6his ,+st have been a reat co,fort to 6ata. -y sister Ntan ashe 'as by no' a'ay at boardin school too, at the &ndaleni 3i h 7chool, near 1ich,ond in Natal, so ,y depart+re ,eant even ,ore to 6ata. &t 'as the one that & think he dreaded the ,ost. 6hro+ ho+t the holidays he 'o+ld tease ,e: *.re yo+ really oin to leave ,e9 ;ho is oin to +nsaddle ,y horse 'hen & co,e ho,e9 ;ho is oin to ,ake ,e tea9* *&*ll 'rite to yo+ every ,onth,* & al'ays told hi,. En the day & left, 7o,hlophe packed the provisions and 'e set off to the ,ission ho+se to :oin (inda, and then proceeded to ether to the train station. 6ata 'as already in to'n, 'aitin for o+r arrival. &n to'n 'e ,et a lot of st+dents bo+nd for 3ealdto'n fro, Colosa, e- c'e, 3lobo, Aort -alan, and 5atyana / both boys and irls. Before 'e parted 6ata ave ,e so,e ,oney / one po+nd / and told ,e he 'as ivin the rest / five po+nds / to (inda for safekeepin . 6his 'as to last ,e the 'hole ter, in school, and 'as ,eant for thin s like toiletries, shoe polish, shoe repairs, and so on. 5enerally there is not ,+ch that st+dents need +ntil they co,e ho,e for the holidays, as everythin is +s+ally provided before a st+dent leaves ho,e. 6ata then h+ ed and kissed ,e, sayin he 'as not oin to 'ait for the train, and left. 3alf an ho+r before the train arrived, 6ata ca,e back. *& tho+ ht yo+ had one ho,e,* 7o,hlophe e>clai,ed. *Eh, 6ata, yo+ think & cannot ,ana e9* *& had to co,e back, :+st in case,* replied 6ata. ;e boarded the train, bade fare'ell a ain, and off & 'as to 3ealdto'n. 6here is nothin as e>citin to yo+n people as those train :o+rneys to and fro, school. 6here is a lot of la+ hin , teasin and ,eetin of old friends after a lon Christ,as holiday. 6he ne' st+dents are introd+ced to these friends, and 'ith hope and apprehension they s,ile back and shake hands. 3o' ,any ti,es on that first train :o+rney did & not hear ,y co+sin (inda say to her friends: *6his is Phyllis, ,y co+sin. 7he is ,y ne'co,er and nobody is oin to to+ch her.* 6he ne>t day abo+t t'o o*clock 'e 'ere at Blaney 'here 'e had to chan e trains. 6hereafter there 'as another t'o2ho+r stop at Din ;illia,*s 6o'n 'here the train picked +p ,ore st+dents. 3ere (inda

introd+ced ,e to her friends, a,on 'ho, 'as -+riel < J2 < -a a,ase Ntloko, a tall irl, broad2faced and 'ith a 0+ick s,ile. 7he ca,e fro, N con colorha, 6so,o, in the 6ranskei. (inda and 5a,ase 'ere in the sa,e class and 'ere ood friends. *5a,ase, this is o+r ne'co,er, Phyllis, ,y co+sin. Bet'een +s, nobody is oin to to+ch her.* 7o sayin , (inda left ,e 'ith 5a,ase, to attend to other interests and other friends. 6hat ,eetin bet'een ,e and 5a,ase at Din ;illia,*s 6o'n that 7at+rday afternoon 'as to be i,portant for +s for the rest of o+r lives. Aro, the ,o,ent (inda left +s, 5a,ase took char e of ,e and kept ,e by her side thro+ ho+t the :o+rney. &t 'as a s+,,er afternoon, so ,ost of the ti,e 'e stood at the 'indo', 'atchin the scenery flash by and notin the difference bet'een this part of the co+ntry and that fro, 'hich & ca,e. 6he ho,esteads here 'ere not like those & had kno'n in 6ranskei. 6hey see,ed to be poorly b+ilt, haphaFard, 'ith no fences aro+nd the,. .bove all, very fe' had any cattle2folds. 6he ho,es see,ed deserted. 6here 'ere no people visible / no 'o,en cookin or co,in fro, the river 'ith b+ckets of 'ater on their heads, or ,en and boys leadin a tea, of o>en fro, the plo+ hin fields, even tho+ h this 'as still a b+sy ti,e of the year. .ll see,ed desolate. ;here & ca,e fro,, there 'as no ,istakin a ,an*s ho,estead, even if it did not have ,any i,posin rondavels. 6here it stood 'ith its three or fo+r b+ildin s, the co+rtyard, and beyond that, the cattle2fold. ;hat had happened to the people here9 'as the 0+estion in ,y ,ind. -y first letter to 6ata, a,on other thin s, dealt 'ith this desolation & had fo+nd in the Ciskei. 6he ca+ses & 'as to +nderstand later 'hen & ot to learn abo+t the ;ars of Lispossession and their conse0+ences. .s the train approaches - 0akh'ebe, past the ,i,osa roves in and aro+nd Din ;illia,*s 6o'n, one can see the .,athole -o+ntains 'ith their hi hest peak, the 3o sback. Belo' the, are the 3oho forests, in 'hich is fo+nd the iNtaba )a Ndoda the peak that has inspired Nhosa poets. 7. =. D. -0hayi called it the *footstool of ,y ods*. &t 'as fro, these ,o+ntains and in these forests that 3oho, the Dhoikhoi 0+een,?M@ carried on her +erilla 'arfare a ainst ?M@ M Before the van +ard Nhosa, the 1harhabe, crossed the Dei 1iver, this 'hole area 'as occ+pied by the Dhoikhoi +nder their kin , 3intsathi. .fter years of protracted +erilla 'ar, the Nhosa offered the Dhoi over a tho+sand head of cattle to allo' the, to settle here. 3oho, the 'ido' of the kin ,co,,anded the Dhoi forces after the death of her h+sband. 6hese forests are na,ed after her. < J! < the 1harhabe. 6he Nhosa 'ere to +se these tactics a ainst the British colonial forces a eneration later, forcin the British to resort to scorched2earth 'arfare, b+rnin the villa es and the cornfields of the Nhosa. 6hese ,o+ntains are a,on the ,ost bea+tif+l in 7o+th .frica. Beyond the ,o+ntains are the a,a(inde plains, 'here the co,bined Nhosa forces p+nished N 0ika for havin abd+cted his +ncle*s 'ife, 6h+th+la the bea+tif+l. .fter this defeat N 0ika invited the British to co,e and help hi, cr+sh his +ncle Ndla,be. 6his ave the British an e>c+se to involve the,selves in the affairs of the Nhosa +nder the prete>t of helpin N 0ika. Aor havin involved the British in Nhosa affairs, N 0ika is kno'n as the first .frican 0+islin . 6oo late 'as N 0ika to realise 'hat he had done 'hen the British, no lon er needin hi,, thre' hi, o+t, an e,pty shard. &t 'as then that he ca,e to call the British '4o(hina )a (honono $ayi&al' i$a&' en)o$o si&e )udl' isigqo)ro' ?6hose 'ho 'ill tie +p fast the pre nant co', so

that 'hen it calves, they, and they alone, 'ill have the ,ilk c+rds@. .s the train passed Ncerha H.liceI, beyond 'hich one sa' the trees s+rro+ndin (ovedale, & co+ld not b+t think that here ,y ,other*s forebear had iven his life in the service of his people, that so,e'here a,on those trees 'as the spot 'here -a,a 'as born. Passin .lice, the train 'o+nd itself alon the valley belo' the 5a a ran e and reached Aort Bea+fort at si> o* clock in the evenin . .ll these scenes fascinated ,e, for & had heard the, spoken of 'ith nostal ia by -a,a*s people, the Balfo+rs. 3ealdto'n lies at the end of a ravine in the -ankaFana ran e of ,o+ntains. &t is sit+ated in one of those fertile valleys of the Dat 1iver, 'ith the -ankaFana as backdrop. 6he 1ev. 8ohn .yliff of the ;esleyan 7ociety 'as ranted this land by the British overn,ent shortly after the ;ar of 1%!#/!$. 6o this ,ission station .yliff, 'ith the enco+ra e,ent of the British, bro+ ht so,e of the -fen + 'ho had settled ori inally at Peddie. 6hese -fen + established the,selves in three co,,+nities i,,ediately aro+nd the ,ission station / 6yatyorha, (a,yeni, N 'ev+ / and another, Nobhanda, so,e five ,iles a'ay. 6hey 'ere placed here as a b+ffer bet'een the colonists and the Nhosa 'hose land this once 'as, and 'ere to be the eyes and the ears of the colonial overn,ent. < J# < ;hat s+rprised ,e abo+t these co,,+nities 'as that abo+t three20+arters of all able2bodied ad+lts 'orked for the 'hites at the ,ission station or 'alked the ten ,iles to Aort Bea+fort to 'ork for 'hite people there. 6heir fertile fields for the ,ost part 'ere left +nc+ltivated. . ain & 'as to +nderstand 'hy later in life. 6his 'hole area had once belon ed to the Nhosa. 7o+th of -o+nt -o>en 'as 6yhali*s area / 6yhali, N 0ika*s son by his favo+rite 'ife, Nonibe. North of -o+nt -o>en to'ards the Datber ran e 'as -a0o,a*s area / -a0o,a, 'arrior2kin , first2born son of N 0ika. -a0o,a held his co+rt not very far fro, 'here the to'n of Aort Bea+fort stands. &t 'as in this area at -thontsi near the Datber that -a0o,a once ro+ted the British forces. 6he Nhosa 'ere thereafter driven o+t of the area beyond the 6yh+,ie 1iver, and the land they vacated 'as declared a *ceded area* in 'hich no settle,ent 'o+ld be allo'ed. ;hen & ot to 3ealdto'n, the -fen + co,,+nity 'as a itated. 6hese people had been allotted land on a 0+itrent syste,, 'hich ave each fa,ily a piece of arable and residential land acco,panied by a title2 deed. . year before ,y arrival the overn,ent had de,anded that the people s+rrender their title2 deeds. 6he people ref+sed and a co+rt case ens+ed. =very 7+nday / st+dents and the co,,+nity 'orshipped in the sa,e ch+rch / special prayers 'ere said for the case of *the title2deeds* / iTyala le Tayitile / and a special collection 'as taken for the pendin case. Aort+nately for the people of 3ealdto'n, after years of liti ation the overn,ent 'ithdre' its de,and. 6here 'as in those days no transport for st+dents fro, Aort Bea+fort station to 3ealdto'n, a distance of ten ,iles. 6he instit+tion sent lorries to pick +p the st+dents* l+ a e, 'hich 'as all d+,ped in the dinin 2hall at the boys* school, 'here st+dents collected it the ne>t day. ;e had to 'alk those ten ,iles in the darkness, reachin the school at eleven o*clock or ,idni ht, tired, dirty and h+n ry. 6ho+ h 'alkin or doin anythin as a ro+p can be reat f+n and tho+ h the distance 'as reat, & did not feel it +ntil & reached the school. 7ince 'e co+ld not et o+r l+ a e +ntil the follo'in day, it ,eant carryin o+r provision baskets 'ith +s as there 'o+ld be no food 'hen 'e ot there. & do not kno' 'ho carried ,ine as & co+ld not have carried it all that distance. & can only +ess that (inda*s or 5a,ase*s friends helped ,e. ;hen at last 'e reached the school, 'e 'ent to the bathroo,s for a cold sho'er. 6hen accordin to area and friendship each ro+p

< J$ < sat do'n in the dinin 2hall, opened the provision baskets and fell to. .fter this late s+pper, 'e 'ere all sent off to bed. .s there 'ere as yet no ,attresses 'e slept on the floor, ,akin do 'ith o+r travellin r+ s and coats. .fter breakfast the follo'in day, 'e 'ere all ,arched to the boys* school to pick +p o+r l+ a e. =ven tho+ h it 'as 7+nday there 'o+ld be no services for +s +ntil the evenin . 7o 'e lin ered aro+nd the boys* school, 'ith yo+n s'eethearts ,eetin after the lon holiday, ne' hearts con0+ered or to be con0+ered, and :+st the e>cite,ent abo+t bein back. 6hese are so,e of the ood thin s abo+t boardin 2school life4 &n the afternoon 'e lo+n ed abo+t, had s+pper fro, o+r baskets / 'ho 'ants to eat instit+tion food so soon9 / then 'e 'ere off to evenin service and bed. By no' 'e had o+r ,attresses, for 'e had been iven an ho+r in the afternoon to fill the, 'ith coir fibre. -onday 'as ,y first day at school. 6here 'ere only three depart,ents at 3ealdto'n in those days, na,ely the teacher2trainin school, the hi h school and the practisin school. 6he teacher2trainin school co,prised abo+t three20+arters of the school pop+lation, 'ith the hi h school and practisin school sharin the re,ainin 0+arter of the boardin st+dents. 6his 0+arter at the practisin school 'as enlar ed by the children 'ho ca,e fro, the s+rro+ndin co,,+nities. &t 'as indeed a s,all hi h school, 'ith only si> ,e,bers of staff, incl+din the principal, -r Ball, a ;elsh,an. 6he others 'ere -essrs 5eor e Caley, son of the principal of the trainin school, -acpherson, son of a ,issionary, 8ohn -ilton Cakade Noah, one of the first rad+ates fro, Aort 3are and son of the principal of the B+ntin ville ,ission school in the 6ranskei, 7eth -okiti,i, 'ho 'as to beco,e the first black president of the -ethodist Ch+rch in 7o+th .frica, and Arank Noble Black (ebentlele, 'ho ta+ ht at 3ealdto'n for thirty years, before takin +p the principalship of -aser+ 3i h 7chool in (esotho. 6here 'as no 'o,an staff ,e,ber. B+t before & left ,ore staff had :oined the hi h school / black and 'hite / incl+din ;eaver -th+th+Feli Nc'ana. & ,+st have been bored ,ost of the ti,e in class. & 'as so fid ety, talkin , playin and prickin the other st+dents 'ith pins. 6hey 'ere forever tellin ,e to be 0+iet. 6he teachers 'ere very tolerant, e>cept -r -okiti,i 'ho 'o+ld send ,e to the office. & soon learnt to behave in his class. 6he irls* school 'as abo+t half a ,ile fro, the boys* school, at < JJ < the top end of an aven+e of :acaranda trees. Nothin 'as ,ore i,portant to the irls, especially on 7+ndays in their +nifor,s of black and 'hite, ,archin to the rhyth, of the school brass band, as co,in do'n that aven+e. By the ti,e the irls proceeded do'n the aven+e, the boys 'o+ld have asse,bled fo+r deep in the s0+are ne>t to the teacher2trainin school. 6hen the irls 'o+ld arrive and stand at ri ht an les to the line of boys. 6he Union 8ack 'o+ld be hoisted and, acco,panied by the brass band, the school 'o+ld sin *5od 7ave the Din *, after 'hich the 'hole asse,bly 'o+ld troop into the ch+rch for ,ornin service. 6he co,,+nity parishioners 'o+ld already be inside the ch+rch. &n char e of the irls at the irls* school 'as a ,atron 'ith an assistant. 6he .frican 'o,en teachers, 'ho lived at the irls* school in o+r day, assisted 'ith tasks at the boardin depart,ent, s+pervisin evenin st+dies or ,eals in the dinin 2hall, and helped in the eneral r+nnin of the school. &n the kitchen 'ere the cooks, 'o,en fro, the s+rro+ndin co,,+nities. 6he eneral cleanin 2+p 'as done by the st+dents. &f there 'as anythin the a+thorities at 3ealdto'n feared, it 'as the free ,i>in of yo+n people, boys and irls. 6o be seen talkin to a boy, 'itho+t the per,ission of the ,atron or the boardin ,aster at

the desi nated places, 'as an offence. 7o,e children 'ere e>pelled for infrin in this re +lation. 6ho+ h 3ealdto'n 'as a coed+cational school, it 'as only in the hi h school that classes 'ere cond+cted coed+cationally. &n the trainin school, the irls occ+pied one side of the block and the boys another. 6hey 'ere not s+pposed to talk to each other even if they ,et in the 0+adran le. &t 'as only in the senior teacher2trainin school / hi her pri,ary / that the boys and irls sat to ether in class. L+rin ,y last year ,i>ed dinners 'ere introd+ced, 'hich 'o+ld beco,e an i,portant feat+re of 3ealdto'n instit+tional lifeB so,e boys 'o+ld co,e to eat dinner at the irls* school on 7+nday and a correspondin n+,ber of irls 'o+ld o to the boys* school for dinner there. Both irls and boys liked these occasions, for they 'ere allo'ed to dress as they pleased. 6hen one sa' the children 'ho ca,e fro, ho,es 'ith ,oney. 6hey 'ent to those dinners dressed to kill. 3ealdto'n4 ;hat a c+lt+ral desert4 6here 'as nothin to do b+t o to class and ch+rch, eat, sleep and play sport. & liked tenni0+oits and soon beca,e one of the star players. Aro, :+nior netball, & rad+ated into the senior tea,, playin centre. & had played netball < JK < at L+ff and co+ld have one into the senior tea, 'hen & reached 3ealdto'n, b+t for ,y a e. 6he teachers4 & do not re,e,ber any that & can say inspired ,e, not even -r Nc'ana 'ho, 'e all liked. &n vain & looked for the history that & learnt fro, 6ata in his classes. 6r+e, that sort of history 'as not in the history books, b+t so,eti,es teachers di ress and connect 'hat is in the te>tbooks 'ith 'hat is o+tside in the 'orld. Not ,y teachers at 3ealdto'n, ho'ever. 6hey had no social conscio+sness. 6he first .frican rad+ates fro, Aort 3are 'ere concerned ,ore abo+t provin that their de rees had p+t the, a pe above the rest of the .frican people and nearer the 'hites. =ven the fe' of the, 'ho 'ent to the United 7tates of .,erica to f+rther their st+dies and broaden their horiFons ca,e back e>cited abo+t brid e parties, s'i,,in pools and ,i>in freely 'ith 'hites. 6hey said very little abo+t the position of blacks in the United 7tates. &f they had ,et Pa+l 1obeson it 'as beca+se he 'as a sin er. Professor C. D. -atthe's, the first rad+ate fro, Aort 3are, 'as an e>ception in this re ard. ;hat a racist place 3ealdto'n 'as and contin+ed to be +ntil its de,ise in the after,ath of the 19KJ st+dents* protest4 E+tside their vario+s depart,ents there 'as no ,i>in bet'een black and 'hite teachers. .t the irls* school, the t'o ,atrons / both 'hite / ate alone in their dinin 2roo,, 'hile the .frican 'o,en teachers ate 'ith the st+dents in the dinin 2hall. .t the boys* school, the 'hite +n,arried teachers ate 'ith other staff in the 5overnor*s livin 0+arters, 'hile the .frican staff ate 'ith the boys in the boys* dinin 2hall. -ost of the staff played tennis, b+t they never played to ether. Ene 'hite staff ,e,ber, 5eor e Cook, son of the 'arden of ;esley 3o+se at Aort 3are, had to resi n his teachin post at 3ealdto'n beca+se the other 'hites co,plained that he 'as fraternisin too ,+ch 'ith black staff, fello's he had kno'n at Aort 3are 'hen they 'ere all st+dents there. .t least at (ovedale there 'as so,e se,blance of inter2racial livin a,on the staff ,e,bers. 6here 'ere inter2racial ,i>ed choirs of teachers and st+dents, ,i>ed social atherin s, staff teas and dinners at the principal*s residence, and black and 'hite here kne' each other. Not at 3ealdto'n4 & co+ld not 'ait to et o+t of that place4 < J% <

Fo#! )a#e
;hen & 'as fifteen & 'as a'arded a 6ranskeian Bh+n a 7cholarship to Aort 3are. 6he 6ranskeian Bh+n a 'as one of the fo+r pillars that s+pported Aort 3are. 6he other three 'ere the Presbyterian Ch+rch, the -ethodist Ch+rch and the .n lican Ch+rch, or the Ch+rch of the Province as it is kno'n in these parts. .ll their contrib+tions to Aort 3are 'ere financially ,atched on a po+nd2to2po+nd basis by the overn,ent. .part fro, the Aort 3are A+nd, the 6ranskeian Bh+n a had set +p a -erit 7cholarship A+nd for boys and irls fro, 6ranskei or 'ith roots in 6ranskei to o to Aort 3are. &t is these Bh+n a scholarships that have iven 6ranskei an ed e over the other areas in the n+,ber of colle e rad+ates it can boast. Aort 3are is na,ed after Colonel 3are, one of the British officers in the so2called ;ar of -a0o,a. 6he fort he b+ilt here still e>ists and is no' an historical ,on+,ent. 6he colle e itself 'as the brainchild of Lr 8a,es 7te'art, principal of (ovedale fro, 1%K2 to 19"$, b+t the or anisation and the plans 'ere only set in ,otion after his death by ch+rch leaders and .fricans 'ho athered at (ovedale for a co,,e,oration service, 'here the idea of startin a colle e as a fittin ,e,orial to Lr 7te'art 'as e,braced by all 'ho ca,e. 6he dele ates 'ere each instr+cted to preach the idea of a colle e for their sons and da+ hters to their o'n co,,+nities and to collect f+nds for its constr+ction. .ll 'ho 'ere there did :+st that. .t the ina+ +ral ,eetin the 0+estion arose of ad,ittin 'o,en. ;itho+t a dissentin voice, the dele ates decided that 'o,en sho+ld be ad,itted fro, the start. ;hen Aort 3are opened in .pril 191J, of the forty st+dents fo+r 'ere 'o,en, t'o fro, 6ranskei. 6he first ,e,bers of staff 'ere Lr .le>ander Derr, fro, 5las o', and Professor Lonald Lavidson 8abav+, 'ho 'as the only black < J9 < ,e,ber of staff +ntil Professor C. D. -atthe's :oined hi, d+rin ,y last years there. 6here 'as another black fa,ily on ca,p+s in ,y ti,e, Lr -a> )er an, his 'ife 7+sie and their children. Lr )er an, a black .,erican, had been sent to 7o+th .frica by the .,erican 7t+dent Christian .ssociation. 6he Aort 3are 'o,en H& 'as no lon er a irl no', & 'as a 'o,anI 'ere ho+sed in ,akeshift c+bicles attached to the 8abav+ ho+se on the banks of the 6yh+,ie 1iver, :+st across the brid e fro, .lice. 6here 'ere only nine 'o,en 'hen & ot there. 3ere a ain & ,et NoFipho Ntshona, 'ho had shared 'ith ,e her 'ild t+rnips at recess on ,y first day at school at L+ff ,ission. 7he 'as co,pletin her de ree. 3ere also 'as 5a,ase Ntloko, 'ho had taken char e of ,e at Din ;illia,*s 6o'n on ,y first :o+rney to 3ealdto'n. 5a,ase had preceded ,e to Aort 3are and 'as finishin her ,atric+lation. =>cept for NoFipho Ntshona, all the irls 'ere fro, 'ell2kno'n 6ranskeian fa,ilies / 7o a, -ahlan eni, N oF'ana, Nda,ase, another 7o a, +nrelated to the first, Ntloko, -adap+na and Daoli. E+r 'arden 'as Alorence 6handis'a 8abav+, 'ife of Professor 8abav+ and da+ hter of the 1ev. =li:ah -aki'ane, an intellect+al iant a,on .fricans and one of the best brains that ever ca,e o+t of (ovedale. Ef all his children that & kno', his da+ hter Alorence 6handis'a 'as the one 'ho inherited his depth and breadth of intellect and o+tlook: a 'o,an in a ,an*s 'orld4 B+t as 'arden, she 'as a co,plete fail+re. 7he had no interest in +s, her 'ards, nor in o+r 'elfare, and no faith in 'hat she and her h+sband 'ere doin at Aort 3are. -rs 8abav+ told +s ,any ti,es that 'e sho+ld not even i,a ine o+rselves in the position she 'as in. 7he, too, had been fort+nate to have a father2in2la' 'ho had the foresi ht to send his son for ed+cation overseas. ;hile 'e 'o+ld be invited for teas or dinner by -rs Cook, 'ife of the 'arden of ;esley 3o+se, or by

-iss 7,yth, sister to Bishop 7,yth, 'hen they 'ere still there, 'e never had any s+ch invitations fro, -rs 8abav+. 7he 'as not even there 'hen so,e of the irls ot bad ne's fro, ho,e / the death of a ,other, father, sister, or brother / and she 'o+ld only beco,e a'are of it 'hen she sa' the irl in black and 'o+ld ask: *-ahlan eni, 'hy is so2and2so in black9* 6he irls looked after each other, co,forted each other and loved each other. 3ere 'as another case of beni n ne lect. 6he other black fa,ily on ca,p+s, the )er ans, .fro2.,ericans, < K" < p+FFled +s too. 6hey had no contact 'hatsoever 'ith the black st+dents on ca,p+s. No st+dents and fe' black staff 'ere ever invited to their place. ;hen the )er an children 'ere d+e to o to school, the parents tried to enrol the, in the 'hite school in .lice and not at the (ovedale practisin school, 'here the children of .frican staff and so,e of the 'hite staff at (ovedale 'ent. 1ather than sendin her children to this school, -rs )er an +ndertook to r+n classes for the, at ho,e. 6he )er ans stayed in 7o+th .frica for t'enty2t'o years, ei hteen of 'hich 'ere spent at Aort 3are. & 'onder if by the ti,e they left they co+ld say *5ood ,ornin * in Nhosa. Lr )er an 'as s+pposed to be 'orkin a,on the people, b+t he never learnt their lan +a e. P+FFled, 'e 'o+ld ask each other: *;hy did .,erica send the )er ans here9 Aor 'hat p+rpose9* &n the end 'e concl+ded it 'as to sho' +s, blacks and 'hites in 7o+th .frica, that a black .,erican can live as a 'hite person. 6he )er ans left 7o+th .frica on a year*s sabbatical to et their children into schools in .,erica. Aor part of his sabbatical Lr )er an travelled to the 7oviet Union and ca,e back to Aort 3are as an avo'ed co,,+nist. Enly then did they start to sho' an interest in the st+dents, invitin to their ho+se those 'ho 'o+ld o. &t 'as too late. 6he .,erican 7t+dent .ssociation that had sent hi, called hi, ho,e. ;hen 'e ca,e to the United 7tates in the early si>ties, Lr -a> )er an 'as one of the lobbyists for 7o+th .frica in ;ashin ton, L.C. .t the ti,e of the Con o tro+ble, he 'rote a ,ost stin in article on the back'ardness of the .frican. 3e kne' the,, he said. 3e had lived there for over t'enty years. No 'onder 'hite 7o+th .frica loved Lr )er an. .s soon as Beda 3all 'as co,pleted for the ,en st+dents, 'e / the 'o,en / 'ere ,oved to the old far,ho+se that had ho+sed the ,en. .s 'arden 'e had -rs 5raves, 'hose h+sband 'as a eneral overseer of the 'hole instit+tion. ;hat a difference4 ;e 'ere ,ade to feel at ho,e, 'hich 'as never the case at the 8abav+s. 6he 5raveses 'ere a very ,+sical co+ple and 'hen they discovered that 'e kne' ,any of the =n lish chor+ses and ,adri als, ,+sic evenin s 'ere or anised in their livin 2roo,, and 'e all san and had reat f+n. 6he 5raveses 'ere ood to +s and 'e en:oyed the,. =ven as 'e started the year 'ith the 5raveses, 'e 'ere told that they 'ere only a stop2 ap, for o+r 'arden 'o+ld be co,in in si> ,onths. 7he 'as oin to co,bine the d+ties of 'arden 'ith those of librarian. 6r+e eno+ h, 'hen 'e ca,e back after the 8+ne holi2 < K1 < days, -iss -cCall, o+r ne' 'arden, 'as already installed. 7he too ca,e fro, 5las o' and had been a class,ate and friend of -rs Derr. . kinder, ,ore lovin person 'e co+ld not 'ish for. 3ere 'as so,eone interested in o+r 'elfare, o+r st+dies, o+r fa,ilies and o+r boyfriends. ;e 'ere in and o+t of her kitchen. ;e 'ent o+t on lon 'alks 'ith her, and there 'ere feasts and teas for +s over so,e 'eekends. -iss -cCall 'as :+st 'onderf+l to +s. B+t 'e soon noticed that 'hile she 'as so nice to +s, she 'as not to a+nt Nonke, her ,aid, in the kitchen and to Eo, Charlie, the old yard,an. ;henever -iss -cCall sa' Eo, Charlie restin and

s,okin his pipe, she acc+sed hi, of stealin her ti$e . .+nt Nonke in the kitchen 'as acc+sed of stealin her food , 'hen she preferred to take her plate of food ho,e rather than eat it at her place of 'ork. ;e disc+ssed this a,on o+rselves and decided to boycott -iss -cCall*s teas and accept no ,ore favo+rs fro, her. .fter prayers one evenin 'e told her 'hy. B+t -iss -cCall contin+ed to display her lavish spread of cakes and tea on 7+ndays. 6he irls 'o+ld not take any. 6he boycott held fir, for a fe' ,onths. 6hen one 7+nday, Nobant+ Dabane 'as visited by her brother, -r Dabane, a teacher at (ovedale, and his 'ife. Ef co+rse -iss -cCall served Nobant+*s +ests tea. Nobant+ sat 'ith the, and had the tea. 6his 'as eno+ h for so,e irls 'ho 'ere 'aitin for so,e e>c+se to eat the cakes. Ene by one they 'ent back to -iss -cCall*s tea and cakes, +ntil only three of +s held o+t to the end. & do not kno' if Clarissa -Foneli 'ent back after (+l+ ;illia, and & left Aort 3are. & s+ppose it 'as e>pectin too ,+ch to hope st+dents 'o+ld resist -iss -cCall*s spread of all those oodies on 7+nday. & en:oyed all ,y classes 'ith Professor 8abav+, 'ho 'as not only a ood teacher b+t an entertainer as 'ell. .bove all, he loved yo+n people. Professor 8abav+ took +s for (atin. -iss Beatrice Lorothy 6ooke, o+r =n lish teacher, loved literat+re and she ,ade it live. & re,e,ber, after readin A Tale of T#o 5ities 'ith her, ho' the events that led to the Arench 1evol+tion beca,e so real and hit ho,e. =very one of the characters in the novel 'as to ,e a real person and & identified 'ith the,. &n vain did & look for -ada,e Lefar e, 6he Gen eance, -iss Pross and -onsie+r, 'hen & st+died the Arench 1evol+tion in ,y 3istory & class 'ith Professor Chap,an. ;hen & did not find Lickens*s characters in the history te>t, & 'ondered if the historian had all his facts ri ht. )ears after, 'hen & 'as in Arance, & had to o to 7aint .ntoine to find the 'ine shop 'here < K2 < -onsie+r Lefar e and his 'ife had r+n their b+siness. & felt the sa,e +r e 'hen & ot to (ondon to visit ;est,inster Brid e, early in the ,ornin , to capt+re the ,ood ;ords'orth had e>pressed in his sonnet *=arth has not anythin to sho' ,ore fair*. ;e stood there one ,ornin 'ith Nandi, ,y da+ hter, recitin the 'hole poe,. Aort 3are is a bea+tif+l ca,p+s, a ood and healthy place for yo+n people. 6he ca,p+s is sit+ated in a fertile valley on one of the bends of the 6yh+,ie 1iver, abo+t three ,iles east of (ovedale. .ll aro+nd are sparsely 'ooded ,i,osa roves and other tall trees and br+sh, 'hich e>tend to the banks of the 6yh+,ie. .lon the river are the ,ost ro,antic foot2trails, leadin so,eti,es to a ford in the river, so,eti,es stoppin :+st at the 'ater*s ed e and other ti,es contin+in endlessly alon the banks. ;alkin alon these foot2trails, one can hear the s#ish6s#ish of the 'ater as it 'ashes over the rocks, or the #hoosh6#hoosh ,+r,+r of the 'ater in the deep pools as it lides alon . .bove are the noises of the tree2d'ellers / the t'itterin of birds or the bang bang of the 'oodpecker, :+st ahead of one. 3o' & en:oyed follo'in those foot2trails on a 'eekend afternoon 'ith a friend, ,ale or fe,ale4 & 'as yo+n B life 'as ood. & 'as a yo+n lady, bea+tif+l, ele ant, hotly so+ ht after by the yo+n ,en at the colle e. 3avin been bro+ ht +p by a ,an, & like ,en. & a,, in fact, ,ore co,fortable 'ith ,en than & a, 'ith 'o,en. .t Aort 3are & liked the attention that so ,any ,en paid ,e. ;hile & disco+ra ed so,e, there 'ere a fe' that & kept aro+nd ,e, played 'ith the, as a cat plays 'ith a ,o+se, kept a leash on the,, 'ith each one of the, hopin that so,e day he 'o+ld carry ho,e the priFe. -eas+rin the distance, & al'ays ,ade s+re that & 'as in co,,and of the sit+ation all the ti,e. & do not think & did this beca+se & 'anted to h+rt anybody. & kept these ,en aro+nd ,e beca+se & liked their co,pany. & did not ,ean to be cr+el to the,. 6o ,e it 'as :+st a a,e. & a, ratef+l that none of the, hates ,e for this. -any have re,ained friends 'ith ,e since o+r Aort 3are days.

;hen ,y f+t+re h+sband, ..C., first sho'ed interest in ,e, & 'as shocked. 7+ch an old ,an4 Lid he think & 'as ,eant for an old ,an9 & 'asted no ti,e. & told hi, to for et it. 3e left ,e alone. 3e 'as ,+ch olderB had been o+t in the field, teachin B had co,e back to f+rther his ed+cation and he 'as one of the serio+s senior st+dents at Aort 3are. & 'as only seventeen and a fresh,an. 6his 'as < K! < early in the year. .fter the Co,pletes* social at the end of the year, ..C. escorted ,e ho,e. 3o' this ca,e abo+t & do not +nderstand, for ordinarily ,y boyfriend or one of o+r set sho+ld have escorted ,e. .s 'e parted at the ate, he asked for a date on the last day of ,y e>a,inations. &t 'as a reed +pon / five o* clock on s+ch2and2s+ch a day. & told ,y boyfriend the ne>t day and 'e both la+ hed. *3e still is keen on yo+, -iss Phyl,* ,y boyfriend said and 'e la+ hed. & co,pletely for ot abo+t the date 'ith -r 8ordan, re,e,berin it only 'hen & sa' hi, oin to'ards 7te'art 3all, apparently fro, o+r hostel. -rs 8abav+ told ,e that -r 8ordan had been to see ,e. & had been in .lice the 'hole day to see off ,y friends fro, (ovedale. & 'as b+sy 'ith ,y o'n packin and preparin to leave the ne>t day, 'hen -rs 8abav+ ca,e to the roo,s: *Phyllis, Phyllis, here*s 8ordan to see yo+. Co,b yo+r hair and tidy yo+rself +p a little.* & did not even have a decent dress o+t to p+t on. & rabbed 5a,ase*s and 'ent in to ,eet hi,. ;e ,et in -rs 8abav+*s pantryB this 'as the only private place, as the 8abav+s had +ests and the ho+se 'as f+ll. -r 8ordan bro+ ht +p the s+b:ect a ain. & ,ade it 0+ite clear a ain that it 'as *no*. & 'as polite, civil and di nified. Partin , he said: *&f & ever brin +p this s+b:ect a ain, don*t bla,e ,e.* & la+ hed inside, thinkin : Poor fello', 'here in this 'ide 'orld is he ever oin to ,eet ,e9 3e 'as oin to his part of the 'orld and & 'as oin to ,ine. ;here 'as he ever oin to ,eet ,e a ain9 Poor fello'4 *.re yo+ contin+in 'ith (atin, ne>t year9* he asked. *& think so.* *)o+ ,ay find this +sef+l,* Hhandin ,e a key to Pro Milone 'hich 'as oin to be one of the (atin te>tbooks the follo'in yearI. *6hank yo+4* .nd 'e parted. -y boyfriend and & left for ho,e the ne>t day, ,ade an overni ht stay in Din ;illia,*s 6o'n and contin+ed the :o+rney the ne>t day. En this train 'as -r 8ordan 'ith other Aort 3are st+dents oin ho,e. .fter playin these cr+el a,es 'ith ,en 'ith very little re,orse, & decided to o steady at seventeen. & realised that the a,e & 'as playin , tho+ h not cr+el in ,y eyes, 'as dan ero+sB & 'o+ld not al'ays be in co,,and. &f thin s ot o+t of ,y control & co+ld be h+rt. & settled on a handso,e, tall fello', ele ant, char,in , 'ar,, < K# < enero+s, patient, a ro,antic 'hose tastes s+ited ,ine to a 6. 3e had been very pop+lar a,on st+dent ,+sic ro+ps at (ovedale and 'as so even no' at Aort 3are. .t (ovedale, he had been one of the fa,o+s Palladi+, Bi Ao+r of those days, and here at Aort 3are he 'as a hot n+,ber for d+ets, ,any of 'hich he san 'ith ..C. 6his 'as 3alley Eya,a - +dl'a, co+sin to ,y step,other, brother to the

8+dith 'ho, ,ost of ,y folks had 'ished 6ata had ,arried. 3is father, 3arold 5+leni - +dl'a, and 6ata had beco,e reat friends since 6ata ,arried his niece. 3alley 'as already at Aort 3are 'hen & ot there. 3e had been an +ncle in every 'ay, pa,perin ,e as +ncles 'o+ld. 3avin been doted +pon by 6ata and others, & si,ply liked and en:oyed this. 3e had 'atched ,e develop, blosso, into a char,in , ele ant yo+n 'o,an, and his closeness had contrib+ted to that develop,ent. .s the years 'ent by 'e beca,e very friendly and dre' closer to each other. & do not think either of +s realised 'hat 'as developin bet'een +s. &t 'as the kind of relationship that starts in ,+t+al tr+st and respect and over the years blosso,s into love. 3alley 'as the ,an 'ho stayed and anchored ,e, 'ho ta+ ht ,e that life 'as not a a,e, that love 'as the ,ost bea+tif+l thin that any t'o people co+ld share. (ike 6ata he never lect+red ,e on this. (ike 6ata a ain, his enerosity, his attit+de, his actions, his +nselfish concern abo+t ,e, spelt all this o+t to ,e. ;ith hi, & 'as happy, rela>ed, sec+re, co,fortable, as & had been 'ith 6ata. .s he told ,e one evenin 'hile 'e stood o+tside o+r hostel ate, over the years at Aort 3are & had beco,e part of hi, as b+ds on the branch of a tree. & kne' it 'as so. & kne' & had per,eated his 'hole bein , for had he not too beco,e a part of ,e9 & had fo+nd a place for ,yself and a place in ,y heart for a ,an other than 6ata. & 'as craFy abo+t this ,an. 7o craFy & 'as that 'hen he said to ,e, *-iss Phyl, ood 'ine needs no b+sh,* & stopped 'earin ,ake2+p and :e'ellery. &f ,y perf+,e 'as rather heavy, he 'o+ld co,plain: *-iss Phyl, people are oin to think & a, 'earin perf+,e. & do not like it.* .nd yet this 'as the sa,e fello' 'ho had a rose for ,e every ,ornin before 'e 'ent to class, 'ho sent ,e flo'ers even after he had left Aort 3are, 'hose letters to ,e 'ere f+ll of lines fro, love poe,s. & 'as :+st craFy abo+t hi,4 -y *Prince 3al*, ho' h+rt he 'as 'hen & left hi, to ,arry another4 3o' he a onised and rieved and 'ondered 'hat had one 'ron 4 3o' co+ld it have happened9 &t took hi, a lon ti,e < K$ < to accept the fact that & 'as one and he co+ld not et ,e back. 3e never ot over it, even tho+ h he accepted that life ,+st o on. & 'ept and rieved too. & too co+ld not +nderstand ho' it co+ld have happened this 'ay. ;e 'ere a fine pair on that Aort 3are ca,p+s and 'e kne' it. Ene had to see +s on that dance floor doin the 'altF or the tan o, or 'alkin +p the *t'o2t'enty* track bet'een the dinin 2hall and 7te'art 3all. 6he other Aort 3are st+dents 'ere kind eno+ h to co,pli,ent +s after they had ot over the shock of a love affair bet'een +ncle and niece. . cartoon once 'ent +p on the b+lletin board in the t+ition block. En a cricket pitch stood di,pled Phyl, in hi h heels, in front of the 'ickets. En the other side, lo'erin do'n the ,at, 'as Prince 3al, 'ho delivered a devastatin ball that sent all three st+,ps flyin . ;ith bat over her head, di,pled Phyl cried: *Eh, +ncle44* .nd still 'ith that look on his face, Prince 3al challen ed: *;hat +ncle9* 3alley 'as h+rt 'hen he heard abo+t that cartoon. 3e never sa' it, for his friend took it do'n before he co+ld. 3e ca,e to see ,e as soon as 'as possible bet'een classes, fearin he 'o+ld find ,e in tears. & la+ hed as soon as & sa' hi, and 'e both la+ hed and for ot abo+t the cartoon. 3alley had fo+r sisters at (ovedale, three yo+n er than hi,self and the other, -rs Dabane, :+st before hi,B a yo+n er brother, 7onto, 'as there too. ;ith the, 'ere ,y step,other*s yo+n er sister, 7heila, and ,any other co+sins. 6hey 'ere all craFy abo+t ,e, as & 'as abo+t the,. -y sisters, especially 5ranny, tho+ ht this 'as the nicest boy & had ever bro+ ht ho,e. 6ata, tho+ h he never kne' officially, 'atched the 'hole affair 'ith 'ar, interest. &t is one of the ironies of life that 'hile ,y step,other 'as so ,ean to +s Hand her people kne' thisI her 'hole fa,ily loved and accepted +s as nieces and

randchildren. 6o this very day & speak of the - +dl'as as -a,a*s people, and & ,ean this. &t is only 'hen there is ,ention of the Balfo+rs that & e>plain that the - +dl'as are, in fact, ,y step,other*s people. ;hen 'e visit any of the, 'e are e>tended the sa,e favo+rs and privile es en:oyed by nieces any'here in o+r part of the 'orld. 3alley did not co,e back to Aort 3are the follo'in year and the year after. 3e had to o and 'ork, as no' his yo+n er brother, 7onto, 'as at Aort 3are. B+t nothin 'o+ld shake ,e. -en 'ere b+FFin aro+nd ,e, tryin their l+ck. & hoofed and kicked the, 'ith a ven eance and in the end only the ,ost darin ca,e any'here < KJ < near ,e. Aort 3are is a diffic+lt place for yo+n 'o,en, even these days. 6here is al'ays a shorta e of 'o,en. &t 'as 'orse in o+r day, 'hen there 'ere only thirty 'o,en to over t'o h+ndred ,en. 6ho+ h there are 'o,en at the -acvicar 3ospital / staff and st+dent n+rses / and 'o,en staff and st+dents at (ovedale, Aort 3are ,en 'o+ld rather o o+t 'ith Aort 3are 'o,en if they can. 7o the ,ost eli ible 'o,en at Aort 3are have a ro+ h ti,e keepin ,en at bay. &n s+ch instances it helps to be ha+ hty. 3alley*s brother, 7onto, and D. L. -atanFi,a, his nephe', no' st+dents at Aort 3are, 'ere 'atchin ,e 'ith interest and 'ere lad to note that & co+ld handle all these s+itors. .fter 3alley left 'e co+ld only ,eet d+rin vacation. Aor ,y last si> ,onths of ,y final year at Aort 3are, he 'as 'ith his sister, -rs Dabane, at (ovedale. 3e had an e>a,ination to 'rite and had co,e +p to prepare. &t 'as a ood thin he 'as aro+nd, beca+se the ,arria e of Ntan ashe in 7epte,ber that year had +pset ,e. Not that & did not kno' Ntan ashe*s 'eddin 'as pendin . & kne'. 7he had been en a ed for over a year. .ll the sa,e, the fact that she 'o+ld not be there 'hen & ot ho,e 'as none too pleasant for ,e. 3alley helped ,e over this diffic+lt period. 7o,eti,es & think it is :+st as 'ell that 3alley and & did not end +p to ether. 6here 'as a lot of e>cite,ent and ,any e>pectations on both sides of the fa,ily. 6o the 8ordans & 'as a total stran er and so 'ere they to ,e and ,y fa,ily. ;ith the, there co+ld never be: 3o' co+ld so2and2so, of 'ho, 'e e>pected so ,+ch, 'ho, 'e tho+ ht 'e kne', do this and that9 No, not 'ith the,. Perhaps by reflectin in this 'ay & a, able to ease ,y +ilt, +ilt that has stayed 'ith ,e for years. En occasions 'hen there 'as a lot of ,is+nderstandin bet'een ,e and ,y h+sband, the tho+ ht that it 'as not ,yself and 3alley al'ays co,forted ,e and & co+ld et over the 'hole thin and for et it. 7tran e4 3alley and & never ,et a ain e>cept once in Din ;illia,*s 6o'n in 19$9. ;e 'ere both ,arried and had children. & 'as on ,y 'ay to Cape 6o'n and had ,ade a stop at Aort 3are to visit an old st+dent fro, Droonstad. ;hile there & heard that he 'as still in the civil service in Din ;illia,*s 6o'n, and & visited hi, in his office. ;hen & told hi, it 'as a friend 'ho had infor,ed ,e he 'as in Din ;illia,*s 6o'n, he si,ply said: *3o' stran e that yo+ sho+ld not even kno' 'here & a, and yo+ sho+ld be told by so,eone4 3o' < KK < stran e4* 3e still called ,e *-iss Phyl*. .ny re rets9 & do not think so, for ,y ,arried life 'as ood and fr+itf+l. 6hro+ h ,y ,arria e to ..C., & 'as able to ro' and develop intellect+ally. & have had the advanta e of livin in a 'ider 'orld / Cape 6o'n, =+rope and no' the United 7tates of .,erica. &n all these places & have r+bbed sho+lders

'ith intellect+als, of different o+tlooks and vie's. 6his has helped ,e develop and ,at+re into the person & a, today. (ife 'ith ..C. 'as an intellect+al life and he involved ,e in his intellect+al p+rs+its. .s collea +e and friend, he enco+ra ed ,e, sti,+lated ,e and, as he re', & re' 'ith hi,. &n the end 'e 'ere not :+st h+sband and 'ife b+t intellect+al friends and collea +es. Aor this &*ll forever be ratef+l. &t 'o+ld not have happened had & ,arried 3alley, ,+ch as & loved hi, and he loved ,e. -aybe this is 'hat the ods had in store for ,e fro, the day a+nt -a2-peth'ana saved ,e 'ith her herbal bre'. &*ll forever be sorry that & h+rt the ,an 'ho loved ,e so. 6his sense of +ilt & carry 'ith ,e al'ays. < K% <

-#oo s!a*
6=(=51.-: 1=P() P1=P.&L. 6o: Phyllis Ntantala, L+ff, &d+ty'a. Efferin 3i h 7chool teachin post, i,,ediately. Aro,: 1e inald Cin o, Principal, Bant+ 3i h 7chool, Droonstad, E.A.7. &t 'as a 6+esday afternoon, early in Aebr+ary. Uncle Nonono had bro+ ht the tele ra,. *.ny bad ne's9* he asked. *No, it is an offer of a teachin post,* & replied. *;here9* *Droonstad.* *Droonstad4 6hat side of Bloe,fontein4 6oo far44* ;e spoke abo+t other thin s. &n the ,eanti,e & had sho'n -a,a the tele ra,. H7he 'as in one of her ood ,oods.I 6ata 'as in to'n and & co+ld not 'ait for hi, to co,e ho,e. ;hen he ca,e +ncle Nonono told hi,. *Phyllie has been offered a teachin post in Droonstad. No, it is too far, -kh+l+'a. &t is too far4* 6ata read the tele ra, and p+t it aside. .fter so,e ti,e, 'hen he had had a c+p of tea, he asked: *;ho is this Cin o9* & told hi,. *Eh4 3e ,+st be the son of ;alter Cin o of e-f+ndis'eni, one of o+r ood ,en in the Bh+n a. Loes he kno' yo+9* *3ardly,* 'as ,y reply. *B+t there are t'o teachers on his staff 'ho kno' ,e / -iss 7o a, da+ hter of yo+r friend 6.B., and -r 8ordan. 6hey 'ere ,y seniors at Aort 3are.* *3o' 'o+ld they kno' yo+ 'ere oin o+t to teach and not oin back to Aort 3are9* < K9 < *6hat & 'o+ld not kno' / b+t. . . .* ;e left it at that.

6he 0+estion of ,y oin o+t to teach or ret+rnin to Aort 3are had been disc+ssed a lot by 6ata and ,e d+rin the Christ,as holidays. & feared oin back. & 'o+ld be lonely 'itho+t ,y t'o friends, (+l+ ;illia, and Pitise 8+k+da, 'ho 'ere oin o+t to teach. 3alley 'o+ld not be there either and & sh+ddered to think 'hat life 'o+ld be 'itho+t these ood friends. -oreover, & had reached a platea+ in ,y ed+cation and did not 0+ite kno' 'hat & really 'anted to beco,e. & tho+ ht bein a'ay fro, Aort 3are for a year at least 'o+ld ive ,e ti,e to sort ,yself o+t. & had taken ,y colle e teachin diplo,a so & 'as 0+alified to teach hi h school, even tho+ h & had not co,pleted ,y de ree. 6ata co+ld not 0+ite accept these reasons. & had to o back to finish ,y de ree. & did not have to follo' any partic+lar field, he ar +ed, b+t to be at colle e, readin aro+nd certain s+b:ects 'hich & tho+ ht & liked, sortin ,yself o+tB by the end of the year & 'o+ld kno' 'hat & 'anted to do. 3e had hoped & 'o+ld o in for ,edicine, and 'hen & told hi, & 'as not interested, he had s+ ested la'. 6he t'o of +s reached a co,pro,ise. &f & co+ld et a teachin post, then & 'o+ld o and teach for a year, after 'hich & 'o+ld ret+rn to Aort 3are to finish ,y de ree. &f this did not happen, then & 'o+ld o back to Aort 3are. &t see,ed fair to both of +s. No' this +ne>pected offer fro, -r Cin o solved ,y proble, and, rel+ctant tho+ h he 'as, 6ata 'as bo+nd by the decision the t'o of +s had ,ade. 6he ,essa e said 'i$$ediately' for schools all over the co+ntry had opened in ,id28an+ary and it 'as no' Aebr+ary. 6his ,eant & had to leave that sa,e 'eek / that Ariday, in fact. 6he follo'in day, ;ednesday, 'e sent the ,essa e: *.cceptin offer. .rrivin 7+nday. Phyllis Ntantala.* &n the ,eanti,e & rode to ,y sister 5ranny*s to tell her & 'as leavin on Ariday. 6he ne>t day she and & ,et in to'n to b+y a fe' thin s & ,i ht need. -a,a pitched in too, preparin and packin ,y provision basket. &t 'as hectic +p to the ti,e the ta>i ca,e to fetch ,e to take ,e to the train station. &n to'n & sent this tele ra, to 3alley: *(eavin for Droonstad, E.A.7. to teach. ;ill ,eet in O+eensto'n in 8+ne. (ove, -iss Phyl.* 6ata ca,e to the station to see ,e off. 3e 'aited there 'ith ,e +ntil the train stea,ed in. 3e 'as very apprehensive and 'as reatly relieved to see that a fa,ily friend, -rs Ntlabathi, 'as on the < %" < train. &t t+rned o+t that her ticket took her only as far as O+eensto'n, 'here she 'as hopin to raise the rest of the fare fro, relatives 'ho lived there. *& did not 'ant to tell Bh+ti 5eor e that & 'as only oin as far as O+eensto'n for no'. 6hat 'o+ld have +pset hi,. 3e is an>io+s abo+t yo+, Phyllie. B+t don*t 'orry, there 'ill be people in the train 'ho can take care of yo+ and 'ill contin+e the :o+rney 'ith yo+.* 6r+e eno+ h, 'hen 7is* -a21hadebe ot off the train in O+eensto'n, another lady ot on, a co,ely, ,otherly lady in her fifties. 7he 'as -rs -a +,ane, oin back to 7ophiato'n, 8ohannesb+r , 'here she lived. -rs Ntlabathi told her abo+t ,e, stressin ,y back ro+nd and ,y yo+th, and askin her to please take care of ,e, tell ,e 'here to et off, as this 'as ,y first :o+rney alone so far fro, ho,e. & 'as no' +nder the char e of -rs -a +,ane. -rs -a +,ane 'as a kind, ,otherly 'o,an. &n her prayer in the co,part,ent, she asked 5od to look after and +ide this yo+n child, oin alone to a far2 off place, to live a,on stran ers. *Deep her, ood 5od. Be her +ide, E (ord, & pray yo+.* =ven tho+ h 7is* -a21hadebe had told her that & 'as oin to Droonstad to teach, -rs -a +,ane had do+bts. 7he 'o+ld ask, talkin to herself: *E 5od, & 'onder if her ,other kno's that her child is on this train.* .nd then she 'o+ld ask ,e: *.re yo+ tellin ,e the tr+th9 Loes yo+r ,other kno' that yo+ are here9* 6o 'hich & 'o+ld reply: *(ook at ,y s+itcase and this provision basket. 3o' co+ld & have left ho,e 'itho+t ,y ,other kno'in that9*

*& +ess yo+ are ri ht. &t is :+st that one never kno's 'hat yo+ yo+n people 'ill do.* .s the train sped thro+ h the Eran e Aree 7tate, she told ,e abo+t all the si hts. *Ence 'e pass Bloe,fontein, 'e are not far fro, Droonstad. 6here*s :+st one bi stop, Brandfort, in bet'een, then ,i,osa roves all the 'ay to Droonstad.* HDroonstad is kno'n as -aoken / *at the place of the ,i,osa roves* / by the 7otho, 'hose land once this 'as.I *Lo yo+ kno' anybody in this Droonstad9* she asked. *3ardly any. B+t there are t'o teachers & kno' fro, colle e,* & replied. *;ill they be at the station to ,eet yo+9* *& +ess the principal 'ill send so,eone to ,eet ,e.* *B+t there are al'ays ta>is at the station. &*ll et one of the, to < %1 < take yo+ to the principal*s. ;hat did yo+ say his na,e 'as9* *Cin o.* *)es4 Cin o. & have heard that na,e before. Please, dear 5od, look after this child, keep her and +ide her, dear (ord. No' 'e are p+llin into the station. Co,e stand here 'ith ,e at the 'indo' to see if any of the teachers yo+ say yo+ kno' are here to ,eet yo+.* & 'ent +p to the 'indo' and looked o+t. .s the train 'as p+llin to a halt by the platfor,, & spotted ..C. and told -rs -a +,ane, pointin o+t 'hich one it 'as. .s soon as she sa' hi,, she called o+t, beckonin : *Co,e here4 Co,e here4 (ook at ,e4 ;hat*s yo+r na,e9 & a, -rs -a +,ane of 7ophiato'n.* *8ordan is ,y na,e, -a,a.* *Please, look after this child for ,e. (ook after her. Lo yo+ hear ,e9* *No har, 'ill co,e to her,* said ..C. 3e helped ,e 'ith ,y l+ a e, p+t ,e in a ta>i and 'e drove to 'here & 'as to live. (ate in the afternoon ..C. and -iss 7o a took ,e to the principal*s, to ,eet hi, and his fa,ily. ;hen -iss 7o a and & ,et, 'e h+ ed and kissed. ..C. re,arked: *Phyllis, yo+ did not do that 'hen yo+ ,et ,e. ;hy are yo+ so partial9* En the train -rs -a +,ane had iven ,e her address in 7ophiato'n and invited ,e to visit her sho+ld & o +p to 8ohannesb+r . & 'rote to her d+rin ,y first year in Droonstad, b+t never 'ent to visit her. .fter 'e 'ere ,arried ..C. often said ho' he 'ished to ,eet her to tell her that he 'as still keepin his pro,ise to her that afternoon at the Droonstad train station, ,akin s+re that no har, ca,e to ,e. ;hen the rest of ,y fa,ily heard that & had one to Droonstad to teach, a place beyond Bloe,fontein, they 0+estioned 6ata*s 'isdo, in allo'in ,e to o that far. 6ata al'ays told the,: *7he 'ill be all ri ht. 7he kno's 'hat & e>pect of her.* B+t ho' did Cin o kno' of ,e and that & 'as lookin for a teachin post9 / a 0+estion 6ata had asked. & 'as to et the ans'er fro, ..C. a ,onth after ,y arrival in Droonstad. *)o+ kno', co,in back to Droonstad, & ,et Nosithe on the train,* he said. *&n fact it 'as fro, her that & ot to kno' yo+ 'o+ld not be oin back to Aort 3are, if yo+ ot a teachin post. . stran e coincidence4* he re,arked. *& 'as to have taken the second train o+t of U,tata. B+t &

< %2 < took the first train / a bad connection for ,e at Blaney / beca+se & 'anted ,ore ti,e 'ith ,y friend 1obert 6+tshana, 'ho teaches in Port =liFabeth. En that train 'as Nosithe oin to 3ealdto'n. ;hat a coincidence4* he said a ain. P*;here*s Phyllis9 ;hat is she doin 9 ;hen does she o back to Aort 3are9P & asked Nosithe. *P7he is ho,e,P Nosithe had replied. P.bo+t oin back to Aort 3are, & do not kno'. 7he does not 'ant to o back. & a, s+re she 'on*t o back if she ets a teachin post. 7he and ,y brother are still ar +in abo+t that,P Nosithe told ,e. 7tran e4 7o 'hen 'e ot here and one of o+r lady teachers had not ret+rned, & tho+ ht of 'hat Nosithe had told ,e and that perhaps yo+ ,i ht accept o+r offer of a post here. & 'ent to Cin o and told hi, abo+t yo+. 3e 'as deli hted and asked ,e to send yo+ that tele ra,. 6o o+r relief yo+ accepted. .s yo+ have already noticed, there is too ,+ch 'ork here. ;e need ,ore teachers, in fact. 7tran e, & do not kno' 'hat ,ade ,e take that first train o+t of U,tata. .ct+ally it ,eant 'aitin for t'o ho+rs at Blaney for the train +p.* 3o' he kne' ,y address, he never said. -aybe he ot it fro, Nosithe or he ,ay have kno'n it fro, his days at (ovedale 'ith 7o,hlophe. ;ho kno's9 6he ,a:ority of the people in Droonstad location 'ere 7o+thern 7otho2speakin , 'ith a ood n+,ber of both 1olon and D atla 6s'ana, a sprinklin of Nhosa and a fe' 4rlaa$s $ense , a totally dec+lt+rated ro+p of .fricans 'ho kne' no .frican lan +a e or clai,ed they did not. .bo+t three2 0+arters of the people 'ere .frikaans2speakin , havin ro'n +p on the far,s of the Eran e Aree 7tate and ,oved to the city for better opport+nities and 'a es. .,on the,selves the people spoke .frikaans ,ost of the ti,e. =asily ,ore than half 'ere illiterate. -y landlady, for e>a,ple, a ,odern 'o,an in appearance, co+ld not read or 'rite, so,ethin that a,aFed ,e, co,in as & did fro, a place 'here those 'ho co+ld not read or 'rite 'ere the red2blanket people. -ore than three20+arters co,,+ted to to'n 'here they 'orked in ,enial :obs. 6his they did five days in the 'eek, and so,e of the, si>. 6he only day fa,ilies 'ere ho,e 'as 7+nday. =very ,ornin father and ,other left early to o to 'ork, leavin the children to look after the,selves before and after school. .fter school the children 'ere in the streets +ntil the parents ca,e back in the late afternoon. Aor ,ost of these children breakfast 'as dry bread and tea, for others < %! < there 'as not even that. 6he only f+ll hot ,eal 'as on 7+nday, 'hen there 'o+ld be ,eat, potatoes and stiff porrid e, 'hich they preferred to rice and ve etables. 6he Nhosa 'ere a closely knit ro+p and a,on the fe' 'ho had ed+cation +p to 7tandard J at least. 7o,e of the, had co,e to the Eran e Aree 7tate as teachers, bein +nable to et teachin posts in the Cape Province beca+se they 'ere not f+lly 0+alified. 6hey had taken +p posts in the far, schools and then ,oved to the cities. 6hese Nhosa in Droonstad prided the,selves on this and on the fact that the principal of the school 'as Nhosa 'ith a colle e de ree. Droonstad had been one of the active centres in the Eran e Aree 7tate in the heyday of the &nd+strial and Co,,ercial ;orkers* Union. 3ere 'as the ho,e of Deable -ote, (ion of the Eran e Aree 7tate. 3ere lived so,e of the ,en 'ho 'orked 'ith hi, in the &CU, or anisin .fricans on the far,s and in the to'ns of the province, confrontin the Boers and the police, e>posin the,selves to death and dan er / ,en like 3enderson Binda, 1obert 7ello and others. 6he .NC had once had its stron est

branch in the Eran e Aree 7tate here in Droonstad. &t 'as in the Droonstad :ail, a,on others, that 'o,en protestin a ainst passes had been held d+rin the Airst ;orld ;ar. 7o the people 'ere politically conscio+s. 6heir co,,+nity ,eetin s in the co,,+nity hall on civic ,atters 'ere not only interestin b+t very ed+cational. En co,,+nity affairs they tended to act to ether re ardless of ethnic and lan +a e differences. & boarded 'ith -rs -onyake in B (ocation. 3er ho+se 'as a 'ood2and2iron b+n alo' and 'as one of the better ho,es in this section of the location. -ost 'ere flat2roofed ,+d ho+ses 'ith three or fo+r roo,s. -rs -onyake*s ho+se 'as one of the fe' that had a coal stoveB the rest +sed open braFiers o+tside in the yard. None of the ho+ses had r+nnin 'ater or an inside toilet. .t strate ic points at the end of streets 'ere co,,+nal 'ater2taps. Aort+nately each ho+se had to have its o'n individ+al o+tho+se. & 'as reatly relieved to kno' that & 'o+ld, at least, have a place that & co+ld call a *ho+se* and co+ld point it o+t to ,y friends. Poor as the people 'ere, ,ost of the, 'ere standholdersB that is, they had bo+ ht the lots fro, the ,+nicipality and b+ilt their ho+ses. 6his 'as the pattern for ,ost of the Eran e Aree 7tate, and beca+se of this one did not find in this province the + ly sl+,s 'hich are a feat+re of .frican +rban livin . &n ,ost cases, as soon as the econo,ic sit+ation i,proves, the people tear do'n the ,+d < %# < ho+ses and b+ild the,selves better ho,es. Unfort+nately, they never o'n these ho+ses as the ro+nd on 'hich they stand belon s to the ,+nicipality. .ll aro+nd 'as poverty, poverty, poverty4 & 'as to see ,ore of it a,on the st+dents & had co,e to teach. Not that & had never seen poverty in the r+ral areas 'here & ca,e fro,. & had. 6here 'as No,entyi, (olo*s ,other, 'ith b+t one co', ten sheep and a fe' chickens. 7he had to depend on others to till her fields and +s+ally they 'ere not plo+ hed on ti,e. City poverty, ho'ever, is ,ore stark than r+ral poverty. 3ere, if one does not have a cent in one*s pocket, one oes 'itho+t foodB here people 'ho have no ho+ses sleep o+t in the streets, +nder brid es, in the +tter. ;hat & sa' fri htened ,e. 6he school, fro, 7+b . to 8+nior Certificate, 'as a h+ e establish,ent of over a tho+sand st+dents and 'ith a staff of over si>ty teachers, all +nder one head, 1e inald Nd+,iso Cin o, a rad+ate fro, Aort 3are 'hose ho,e 'as at e-f+ndis'eni, Pondoland, 6ranskei, 'here his father, ;alter Cin o, had been principal of the pri,ary school. 6he hi h school 'as yo+n , only five years old and 'as the second day hi h school for .fricans in the 'hole co+ntry. H6he first 'as in Bloe,fontein location, also in the Eran e Aree 7tate.I 6here 'ere seven teachers on the hi h2school staff / five ,en and t'o 'o,en. Ef these seven, fo+r 'ere fro, 6ranskei, incl+din the only t'o colle e rad+ates on the staff. & had co,e to fill in the place of a fe,ale teacher 'ho had failed to report for d+ty 'hen the schools opened. 6hese hi h schools had started as contin+ation classes beyond 7tandard J, an idea of the then Chief &nspector of Native =d+cation, -r D+schke. -r D+schke had been appalled by the n+,ber of .frican children still of school2 oin a e 'ho had to leave school after 7tandard J, beca+se their parents did not have the ,oney to send the, to fee2payin schools. -r D+schke had then co,e +p 'ith the idea of contin+ation classes, 'here st+dents co+ld be prepared for the 8+nior Certificate e>a,inations. &n Droonstad these classes started +nder 8oe DokoFela, one2ti,e teacher of C. D. -atthe's in Di,berley. -r Cin o had s+cceeded -r DokoFela 'hen he left. -r D+schke had ot the .frican ch+rches / the -ethodist, the Presbyterian and the .n lican / to pool their reso+rces and ,er e their schools into one *Bant+ United 7chool*. ;hen this had been

< %$ < done, the ,+nicipalities 'ere co,,itted to p+ttin +p the b+ildin s and b+yin the f+rnishin s, 'hile the Provincial Lepart,ent of =d+cation HNative 7ectionI paid the teachers* salaries. &n the Eran e Aree 7tate, one fo+nd these lar e schools / *Bant+ United 7chools* as they 'ere called / 'ith lovely b+ildin s so,e'here on the ed e of the locations. . school co,,ittee of elected ,e,bers fro, the three ch+rches ran the schools. 6hey chose the chair,an in rotation fro, a,on the ,e,bers of the school co,,ittee. 6he principal of the school 'as an e/ officio ,e,ber of the school co,,ittee, tho+ h he had no vote. 3e co+ld ,ake reco,,endations abo+t teacher appoint,ents and selection. 6he .frican response to this arran e,ent 'as tre,endo+s, and reat pro ress in ed+cation took place in a province 'hose people, in city, to'n and far,, 'ere a,on the poorest in the 'hole co+ntry in those days. By the ti,e & left Droonstad, the Bant+ 3i h 7chool had a staff of t'elve, 'ith only three lackin colle e de rees b+t 'ell 0+alified to teach at hi h2school level. -atric+lation classes had been started, and 7tandards $ and J, 'hich at first had been part of the hi h school, had beco,e part of a ,iddle school. B+t all this 'as still +nder one principal, -r Cin o. 6he hi h2school st+dents paid fees of t'o po+nds a year, bo+ ht their books and school s+pplies, and 'ore +nifor,s / black and 'hite for irls and rey and bl+e2black for boys. Boys co+ld 'ear khaki in s+,,er. 6ho+ h the fees 'ere lo', ,any of the st+dents co+ld not afford to pay. &n order to keep the, in school, ,ore than three20+arters had to be e>e,pted fro, fees. & have yet to see children as h+n ry for ed+cation as those .frican children & ta+ ht in Droonstad. 6hey liked school, liked their school 'ork, and beca,e lovers of books, literat+re and everythin that sti,+lated the ,ind. .nd yet ,any of the, ca,e fro, illiterate and se,i2literate ho,es, 'here the parents did not even read a ne'spaper, let alone a book. ;hen & first ca,e there, & co+ld not +nderstand ho' st+dents 'ho co+ld not pay fees / only t'o po+nds a year / co+ld afford to have bicycles. & soon learnt that these bicycles 'ere not for pleas+re. 6hey 'ere +sed for cartin -a,a*s loads of 'ashin to and fro, the 'hite ho,es in to'n and the s+b+rbs. .ll able2bodied ad+lts, ,en and 'o,en, apart fro, 'ives of ,inisters, teachers and b+siness people, either 'orked in to'n or took in loads of 'ashin . &n the afternoon after school, the boys 'o+ld cycle to to'n 'ith a b+ndle < %J < of 'ashed and ironed la+ndry, and co,e ho,e 'ith another b+ndle to be 'ashed. Droonstad is a place of transit. 6ravellin sales,en to and fro, the Cape, Natal, and 6ransvaal ,ake stops here. 6he hotels are al'ays f+ll on 'eekends 'ith these ,en. 6hey al'ays need to have their cars 'ashed before proceedin on their :o+rneys. 6he boys fro, o+r school 'o+ld be there on 7at+rday ,ornin s to 'ash the cars and earn ,oney for the,selves. .fter 'ashin the cars, they 'o+ld o to the olf co+rse to caddy. 6he ,oney they earned 'o+ld be +sed to b+y books and clothes and add to the fa,ily finances. L+rin the lon s+,,er holidays, so,e of the, 'o+ld o to 8ohannesb+r , 'here the 'a es 'ere betterB they 'o+ld co,e back 'ith ,oney for fees and books and contin+e their ed+cation. ;orkin this 'ay, ,any of the, paid their 'ay to teacher2trainin colle es and +niversities, all after rad+atin fro, Droonstad Bant+ 3i h 7chool. Liscipline and tr+ancy proble,s 'ere ne li ible. Beca+se they 'ere day st+dents 'ho ca,e fro, ho,es 'here conditions 'ere not cond+cive to ood st+dy, o+r st+dents had to ret+rn for t'o ho+rs in the afternoon fro, three to five o*clock. 7chool 'as dis,issed at one thirty to allo' st+dents to o

ho,e and eat. .t three o*clock they had to be back for st+dy. 6he teachers s+pervised for a 'eek in rotation. &n ,ost cases, all that a s+pervisin teacher had to do 'as to be there at three, see the children settle do'n to their 'ork and co,e back at five to dis,iss the,. 6he class prefects 'ere able to ,aintain discipline, and the other st+dents responded. By the ti,e & left Droonstad, the school had beco,e the centre of their lives. En 'eekends, after r+nnin errands at ho,e, they 'o+ld o back to the school library for books, or to the a,e2roo, for indoor a,es. &n s+,,er they 'o+ld be sittin +nder the trees, readin , or in the a,e2roo,, playin indoor a,es. .ll that the teacher2librarian had to do 'as to leave the key 'ith one of the library helpers, ask hi, or her to check o+t books and check in the ret+rns. 6he teacher 'o+ld check the record +pon ret+rnin on -onday. & kno' it so+nds incredible. B+t it 'as so. & co+ld not believe 'hat & later sa' in the North .,erican schools, the ,is+se and ab+se of books, books thro'n on the floor, slashed 'ith raFors, pa es torn o+tB the 'aste and destr+ction of school ,aterials / paper, pencils, pens, ,aps, charts, yo+ na,e it. 6hese Droonstad st+dents did not behave this 'ay beca+se they < %K < had been repressed or cr+shed. Not at all. 6hey 'ere like other children, active, lively, ener etic, in0+isitive. 6he difference is that they appreciated 'hat they 'ere ettin at school and they 'anted to ,ake so,ethin of the,selves. .nd they did. 7o,e of the, are holdin positions of responsibility in 7o+th .frica and abroad: ,any of the, are in the or anisations str+ lin for the liberation of their co+ntry. =ach one of the, is playin his or her role to i,prove the lot of ,ankind. & loved those st+dents and they loved ,e in ret+rn. 6o each one of the, & 'as 'Mistress oa)a' / *-y teacher* / instead of 'Mistress oa rona' , *E+r teacher*. Nothin flattered ,e ,ore than that, 'henever & 'ent back and ,et so,e of the,, they 'o+ld tell ,e they had na,ed their da+ hters *Phyllis* after ,e. Ganity9 &t 'as in Droonstad that & learned 7o+thern 7otho, 'hose idio, is so very ,+ch like that of Nhosa. & 'as fascinated by the parallels in idio,atic e>pressions in 7o+thern 7otho and Nhosa and 'o+ld no' and a ain s+rprise ,y st+dents by sayin a 7o+thern 7otho e>pression. 6he st+dents liked this and, e>citedly, they 'o+ld say: *7he kno's 7otho4 7he kno's 7otho4* ;hen Nandi ca,e and started speakin , ,y 7otho i,proved for she be an 'ith 7otho before Nhosa. 3er nanny spoke 7otho and kne' no Nhosa or =n lish. Nandi 'o+ld pro+dly tell people: '0e Mo67otho nna" A)e $o6(hosa"' H& a, 7othoB & a, not Nhosa4I 6he bea+ty of 7o+thern 7otho had i,pressed ,e on ,y first day in the school. .t parade, Lon -atsepe*s choir san '5hu6chu $a)hala nto ya $a60gooa' . &t 'as bea+tif+lly s+n and fro, the rhyth, & kne' it 'as so,ethin abo+t the train. .s if Lon kne' & had been i,pressed by his choir*s sin in , the ne>t day they san 'Mori!a' . Both of these are co,positions by that ,aster of son , P+l+,o -ohapeloa. & kne' & had to learn 7otho. & a, lad & did, for & 'as able to read -ofolo*s 5ha)a in 7otho, and e>perienced the poetry of that ,aster of the 7otho lan +a e. 6here 'as not ,+ch social life for yo+n people in Droonstad in those days, apart fro, concerts and dances every 'eek in the co,,+nity hall. =ven before & left Aort 3are, so,e of +s had stopped oin to concerts in Ntsela,anFi 3all, beca+se they dre' all and s+ndry. ;e felt that, as the elite, 'e si,ply co+ld not ,i> and dance 'ith anybody . & bro+ ht these attit+des 'ith ,e to Droonstad, and avoided the dances and concerts at the co,,+nity hall, +nless they 'ere special. 6here 'as also the choral ro+p, a teachers* choir

< %% < 'hich sta ed concerts no' and a ain and 'as active in the second half of the year, preparin for the ,+sic co,petition at the ann+al conference of the Aree 7tate .frican 6eachers* .ssociation. . pop+lar tro+pe like 5riffiths -otsieloa*s Lark2to'n 7tr+tters 'o+ld stop in Droonstad on their to+r of the co+ntry and ive concerts 'hich the elite of the location attended. ..C. and -iss 7o a 'ere present at ,ost of these f+nctions, as dance partners. -ost of the ti,e 'as spent in school, at ho,e and on occasional 'alks in and aro+nd Droonstad, 'ith -iss 7o a and ..C. sho'in ,e abo+t. & 'as soon to learn that even these 'alks 'ere not very safe in certain areas, for e>a,ple alon the ;alsh 1iver, on 'hich the to'n is sit+ated, for a sporty 'hite fello' ,i ht try his ,arks,anship if yo+ 'ere black. &n the Eran e Aree 7tate, #hat is not #hite is blac) irrespective. -r Brent, the location s+perintendent, and his 'ife 'o+ld so,eti,es invite so,e teachers to their ho+se for a ,+sical evenin . -r Brent had ro'n +p in Peddie in the Cape Province and spoke Nhosa like a Native. .s a location s+perintendent, he 'as one of the ,ost liberal. 6hey do not prod+ce that breed any ,ore. -iss 7o a HN c+deI, ..C. and & 'ere al'ays to ether, d+rin school and on the 'eekends. Aort 3areans al'ays have a lot to say to each other. Not that 'e did not socialise 'ith the other teachersB 'e did in school. B+t three 'ere ,arried and the other, a bachelor, had his o'n circle of friends in the location. &n school -iss 7o a, ..C. and & 'o+ld sit to ether or have tea by o+rselves at recess, either +nder the trees or on the veranda. .t 'eekends, the t'o 'o+ld co,e for ,e and take ,e o+t ro+nd the to'n. 6hey did the sa,e 'hen there 'as an entertain,ent that & allo'ed ,yself to be dra ed toB after the entertain,ent they 'o+ld see ,e ho,e. 7o 'e beca,e very friendly. Never once did ..C. refer to the s+b:ect close to his heart for three20+arters of that first year. &t 'as only so,eti,e to'ards the end of the year, as 'e 'ere sittin +nder the trees at school, 'aitin for -iss 7o a to :oin +s, that he said: *Lo yo+ re,e,ber ,y partin 'ords three years a o at -rs 8abav+*s9* *& told yo+, 8oe, to for et it.* *B+t it is not easy to for et,* he replied. *)o+ can try,* 'as ,y response. 6he s+b:ect 'as dropped 'hen -iss 7o a :oined +s. .s a collea +e, ..C. 'as 'onderf+l. 3e 'as al'ays there to help < %9 < ,e, a ne' teacher, 'ith any proble,s & ,i ht have. 3e 'as like this 'ith the other teachers too. 3e 'as an e>cellent teacher, patient, thoro+ h, painstakin , ivin his best and de,andin the sa,e fro, his st+dents. 6ho+ h he 'as strict the st+dents liked hi,, for he 'as fair and :+st. ;e 'ere teachin the sa,e s+b:ect, =n lish. 6he st+dents & ta+ ht in the first year of hi h school 'o+ld pass on to hi, for the second and third years. 6his ,eant a lot of co2ordination and co2operation in o+r 'ork. & learnt ,+ch fro, ..C. abo+t 'hat ,akes a ood teacher, and 'hat co2operation and co2ordination can do in the classroo,. & 'as an apt p+pil and in that first year & kne' teachin 'as ,y callin and that & 'as oin to ,ake a ood teacher. ;orkin closely 'ith hi,, & be an to see the ood 0+alities in hi, / 'ar, tho+ h never de,onstrative, kind, patient. Concerned abo+t others, he de,onstrated h+,ility in his concern for those st+dents 'ho

co+ld not al'ays pay even the lo' fees. ..C. 'as a scholar 'hose breadth and depth a,aFe ,e even to this day, an intellect+al 'hose p+rs+its 'ere li,itless. & had been a b+ddin intellect+al at Aort 3are and had noticed these thin s in hi,, b+t in those days he 'as far a'ay fro, ,e, part of the *=stablish,ent* for 'hich & did not care. &t 'as beca+se he 'as seen as part of the =stablish,ent that the st+dents at &ona 3o+se nickna,ed hi, *6he Bi Philistine*. ;orkin closer 'ith hi, & be an to see hi, for the person that he 'as. =ven his respect for tradition, for 'hich & did not care, be an to ,ake senseB and his ,ale cha+vinis, 'as the cha+vinis, & sa' in ,ost ,en aro+nd ,e. & had al'ays looked at ,en fro, the point of vie' of 6ata, co,pared the, 'ith hi, / he 'ho had shed all the ,ale cha+vinis, he ever had, lon before & ot to kno' hi,. ;hen & 'ent ho,e for the 8+ne holidays, ..C. follo'ed too. & 'as to kno' this 'hen & arrived at the train station in &d+ty'a on ,y 'ay back to Droonstad. .s soon as & stepped into the 'aitin 2roo,, & tho+ ht & heard his raspy co+ h o+tside. 7oon he ca,e in. 3e sa' ,e and s,iled. *-y oodness4 ;hat are yo+ doin here9 & tho+ ht yo+ 'ere oin to 8ohannesb+r to yo+r brother9* & said. *U h4 &t 'as so e,pty and lonely in Droonstad and & did not think 8ohannesb+r 'o+ld be any better. 7o after a fe' days, & decided ho,e 'as best.* *;hen did yo+ arrive in &d+ty'a, then9* *& ca,e +p by train this ,ornin .* < 9" < *)o+ ,ean to tell ,e yo+ have been in &d+ty'a this 'hole day9* *)es, & 'as even te,pted to take a ta>i to N0abarha. H3e never referred to ,y place as L+ff.I En second tho+ hts & chan ed ,y ,ind for fear yo+ ,i ht set yo+r do s on ,e. B+t & did follo', for abo+t three ,iles, the road that oes there.* *Eh, 8oe4 7et do s on yo+4 ;ho 'o+ld do that9* *Not the other people for they don*t kno' ,e. B+t & feared yo+ ,i ht.* *Lo yo+ think & a, that bad then9* *3o' a, & to kno'9* ;e travelled back to ether. En ettin to Droonstad, & fo+nd & 'o+ld have no place to stay as ,y landlady 'as oin to .le>andra, in 8ohannesb+r , to :oin her h+sband. ..C. 'as very ,+ch concerned. &n three days, he fo+nd ,e a place 'ith -r and -rs 3enderson D'ayani Binda in L (ocation. -rs Binda had, as a table2boarder, a ,edicine ,an, kno'n thro+ ho+t the location and its environs as Lr 1hadebe. Lr 1hadebe 'as in reat de,and a,on the blacks in the location and a,on 'hites in the city and on the far,s. =very Ariday evenin a line of cars co+ld be seen alon the fence, borderin the open space in front of the ro' of ho+ses in this part of L (ocation. 6hese belon ed to 'hites 'ho had co,e to cons+lt Lr 1hadebe. Ence or t'ice a 'eek, he 'o+ld anno+nce at table that he 'as oin o+t to s+ch2and2s+ch a far, and the far,er 'o+ld be co,in to pick hi, +p. &n the ,ornin s after s+ch trips, he 'o+ld co,e in, all s,iles, and take o+t of his briefcase a 'ad of notes, ,oney he had received the previo+s ni ht, anythin fro, !"" to $"" po+nds sterlin . *)o+ see, -iss Binda, 'hat & et fro, one Boer9 3e pay ,e ood. & does a ood :ob too for hi,. 3is calves 'ill not die any ,ore, or his nooi 'ill no' ets a child. 6hey be ,arried for si> years. 6hey*s can*t ,ake a child. 7he 'ill et it this ti,e. & ive her ood ,edicine, -iss Binda, ood ,edicine.* HLr 1hadebe did

not kno' the difference bet'een *-iss* and *-rs*.I En those days 'hen he had been to the ho+se of a teacher, n+rse or priest, he ,ade a point of tellin +s abo+t the visits. & s+ppose it 'as his 'ay of infor,in ,e that ,y collea +es 'ere his clients too. Lr 1hadebe 'as also fa,o+s for his *divinin bones*, +nlike any that people in this part of the co+ntry had ever seen. C+rio+s, & asked hi, if he co+ld let ,e see the,. 3e sho'ed ,e. (a+ hin , & said: *&s this all9* < 91 < *Lo yo+ kno' the,, -istress9* he asked, rather shaken. *Ef co+rse & do. 6hese are ordinary sea shells. iNgqoqo 'e call the,. 6here are lots of the, alon the sea2shore 'here & co,e fro,. People ,ake bea+tif+l necklaces, earrin s and bracelets 'ith the,.* *Lon*t tell the,, -istress,* he be ed. *6he peoples here don*t kno'. Please don*t tell the,.* *No, & 'on*t Lr 1hadebe. &*ll brin lots ,ore 'hen & o ho,e in Lece,ber, all siFes,* & pro,ised. & 'as really a,+sed, and even tho+ h & had pro,ised not to tell anyone, & co+ld not help sharin this secret 'ith -rs Binda. 6his 'as a co,pletely ne' e>perience for ,e / 'hites and ed+cated people oin to cons+lt ,edicine ,en4 ;here & ca,e fro,, only the red2blanket people en a ed in s+ch practices. Aor a lon ti,e, & co+ld not fi +re o+t 'hy it 'as so. 6hen it da'ned +pon ,e that as the rationale for 'itchcraft is co,petition and :ealo+sy a,on kins,en and kins'o,en, here in the city, 'here people are thro'n into one ,eltin pot, co,petin for the sa,e thin s / :obs, favo+rs fro, the boss / the 'hole social process oes beyond one*s kinsfolk to stran ers, 'ho nor,ally 'o+ld not envy one for anythin . &n s+ch a sit+ation, one has to be protected even a ainst the stran er. &n Droonstad, & fo+nd ,ore s+perstition a,on the ed+cated than & had ever kno'n a,on the red2 blanket people of the co+ntryside. 6his 'as to be ,y e>perience, too, in (an a location in Cape 6o'n. ;hen & talked abo+t this 'ith Ntan ashe at one ti,e, she advised: *8+st listenB don*t even try to ar +e 'ith the, for they 'ill not believe yo+. &f anythin , they 'ill think yo+ are pretendin .* &t 'as in the Binda ho+se in the evenin s that & heard of the escapades and advent+res of the ,en in the &CU in its heyday in the Eran e Aree 7tate. & listened fascinated as Ntate Binda related these stories. 6here 'o+ld also be tales fro, .frican history as 'ell / the attack on 6haba Bosi+ by -pan aFitha and his 3l+bi, and ho' the Basotho h+rled bo+lders at the, and repelled the,B the fli ht of -pan aFitha and his ,en and their last stand on the banks of the Caledon, 'here the 3l+bi eneral fell. & heard the 7otho version fro, Deable -ote, reat friend of Ntate Binda, and the 3l+bi version fro, ..C., as told hi, by his father. Both versions 'ere s+bstantially the sa,e. &t t+rned o+t that this 'as another area 'here & shared an interest 'ith ..C. < 92 < ;e :o+rneyed to ether a ain in Lece,ber 'hen school broke +p for the Christ,as holidays. .t ho,e, & 'as to be hit by the story of -a,a*s so:o+rn in =ast (ondon. 6his story shocked +s: 'e felt asha,ed and scandalised. 6ata 'as h+rt tho+ h he never said so. .s soon as -a,a arrived, & 'ent to Coffee Bay to visit Ntan ashe. Aro, here & 'as to o to ,eet 3alley in U,tata. & really did not kno' 'hether & 'anted to ,eet hi, or not. & felt so asha,ed. 3o' co+ld & look hi, in the face after 'hat had happened9 6ata*s 'ife, oin fro, door to door, lookin for

'ork fro, 'hite people in =ast (ondon4 Lid he believe this story9 &f he did, 'hat did he think abo+t +s9 .fter all, =d'ina 'as his co+sin. Perhaps they sy,pathised 'ith her. =ven as & ot off the b+s at Gied esville, & 'as not s+re 'hat & 'as oin to do. ;hen the =ast (ondon train p+lled in at five o*clock, & :+,ped aboard. & 'as oin ho,eB & 'o+ld 'rite to 3alley and e>plain and apolo ise. & 'as feelin too h+rt and asha,ed to ,eet hi,. En the train & ,et NF'anenk+l+ Ainca, a friend. *-nt+'ak+sasa, 'hy here9 & tho+ ht yo+ 'o+ld be in U,tata.* *7chools are openin in a 'eek. & have to be ho,e,* & said. *No4 Aort 3are is not d+e for a ,onth. )o+ ,ean to tell ,e yo+*re not oin back9 ;o'4* he la+ hed. *& don*t kno'. & think & like teachin . -oreover, 'e have to disc+ss the 'hole ,atter 'ith 6ata,* & told hi,. ;e parted in &d+ty'a, he oin ho,e to Colosa, & to L+ff. *& tho+ ht yo+*d be in U,tata,* re,arked 6ata 'hen he sa' ,e. *& tho+ ht & sho+ld co,e ho,e so 'e can disc+ss the 0+estion of ,y oin back to Droonstad.* *6hat 'as decided before yo+ 'ent to Droonstad, that yo+ 'o+ld be a'ay for :+st one year and then o back to Aort 3are. No, Phyllie, yo+ have to o back and finish yo+r de ree. & 'on*t have yo+ leave in the ,iddle. )o+ have to co,plete that de ree.* *& +nderstand all that. B+t this 'as only ,y first year of teachin , a year of trial and error, learnin ho' to teach. No' & think & kno' 'hat & 'ant to beB & think & kno' 'hat it is to be a teacher and &*d like to o back and teach.* *;ell, & don*t kno', ,y child.* . pa+se. *;hat abo+t yo+r st+dies9* *6ata, &*ll co,plete ,y de ree, & pro,ise yo+. .ct+ally, & think &*ll do it privately.* *.nd ho' yo+ kno' ho' to ar +e yo+r case4 &f that*s 'hat yo+ 'ant, then o ahead. 5et yo+rself ready. ;hen do they open in < 9! < Droonstad, by the 'ay9* *Ne>t 6+esday,* & replied. *)o+ have only three days then before yo+ leave4 )o+*d better et yo+r thin s to ether,* he advised. 6hat Ariday, & 'as on the train back to Droonstad. & did finish ,y de ree as pro,ised, b+t after & ot ,arried, 'hile teachin and raisin ,y children. -y second year of teachin 'as a very bad year for ,e. & 'as h+rt, h+rt, h+rt. .lone in ,y roo, at ni ht, & 'o+ld cry. =ven on that b+s and train :o+rney fro, Coffee Bay, after abr+ptly cancellin ,y appoint,ent 'ith 3alley, & had felt ,iserable and rotten inside. ;hy did & do it9 3o' co+ld & do s+ch a thin 9 3e 'o+ld be there, han in aro+nd, 'aitin for ,e to sho' +p. ;hat a horrible thin to do4 & felt bad and hated ,yself. 6he presence of NF'anenk+l+ in the train helped a lotB 'e had ro'n +p to ether and 'ere ood friends. Back in Droonstad, thin s 'ere terrible. & 'anted to hide ,yself. &t 'as the st+dents that kept ,e oin and helped ,e keep ,y sanity.

& 'rote to 3alley as soon as & ot ho,e, apolo isin , tellin hi, that & had decided to o back to teachin , that & had had to c+t short ,y visit at ho,e. & pleaded 'ith hi, to for ive ,y tho+ htlessness. 3e 'rote back to tell ,e that 'hen & had not t+rned +p on the second day, he had reckoned & 'as not co,in and had left. 3e +nderstood, and & 'as for iven. B+t ,y sisters, especially 5ranny and Ntan ashe, 'ere f+rio+s 'ith ,e for havin behaved this 'ay. &t 'as cr+el and tho+ htless, they said. 7o,hlophe 'as not as harsh, even tho+ h she too repri,anded ,e for ,y action. & 'as feelin horrible. =ven the ,anner & ass+,ed did not al'ays hide ho' & felt. .ro+nd =aster, ..C. started to ,ake advances. . ain & told hi, to leave ,e alone. 6his ,ade ,e ,ore ,iserable. & no lon er 'anted to o o+t 'ith hi, and -iss 7o a. & 'o+ld al'ays have an e>c+se 'hen they invited ,e o+t to :oin the,. ..C., noticin that & 'as not ,y +s+al self, backed off. 3e 'as very ood to ,e d+rin this period and +nderstood & 'as oin thro+ h so,e crisis. &n school 'e contin+ed to 'ork as if nothin 'as a,iss. & did not co,e ho,e that 8+ne. ..C. attended a vacation co+rse at Aort 3are on .frican lan +a es r+n by Professors 5. P. (estrade and C. -. Loke of the +niversities of Cape 6o'n and the ;it'atersrand. . to+rin Aort 3are soccer tea, stopped in Droonstad. &n the tea, < 9# < 'ere friends fro, ,y Aort 3are days. ;e had lots of f+n to ether, for 'hen they 'ere not playin , the tea, spent ,ost of its ti,e at o+r hi h school. 3alley and & still contin+ed o+r hot correspondence and his letters proved a tonic. 7chool opened and o+r 'ork res+,ed. Ene day in 7epte,ber, after disc+ssin so,e aspect of o+r 'ork, ..C. said: *)o+ kno', &*d like to settle do'n. & a, ettin oldB b+t yo+ reb+ff ,e every ti,e.* *Please, 8oe, & tho+ ht this 'as settled bet'een +s for all ti,e. Lo not brin it +p a ain.* *.nd 'ho is the l+cky fello'9 3alley9* & 'as annoyed and ,y voice conveyed it. *6here*s no l+cky fello'. Perhaps not even he. & don*t think &*ll ever et ,arried.* *5oodness ,e4 ;hat a pity4* & said nothin and 'e contin+ed o+r 'ork. Before the end of the year, he teasin ly said one day: *& think ,y father ,i ht :+st visit yo+rs this co,in holiday.* *;hat for9* & la+ hed. *-y father is rather a hard n+t to crack, yo+ kno'4* *Not that 'e co+ld not try,* he said. *)o+ :+st try.* 6his 'as the nearest thin to a *yes* that ..C. ever ot fro, ,e. 7chools closed and 'e all ca,e back ho,e to the Cape to o+r vario+s ho,es. & think it 'as on that trip that 'e ,et so,e chiefs fro, (esotho, oin to =ast (ondon. Ene of the, tho+ ht & 'o+ld ,ake a nice 'ife for his son. Believin ..C. 'as ,y brother, the chief asked hi, abo+t ,y a e and en0+ired after *o+r* father*s address. ;hen 'e parted at Blaney, the chief said to ..C.: *No' don*t for et to tell yo+r old ,an that & a, interested in yo+r sister for ,y son.* 6his is ho' thin s are done so,eti,es in o+r part of the 'orld. 7o,hlophe ca,e ho,e for the holidays. ;ithin a fe' days of her arrival, 6ata received a letter fro, ..C.*s father, anno+ncin his intended visit to ,y father. H& s+ppose 'hat the (esotho chief said ,ade

hi, ,ove fast.I 6ata sho'ed the letter to 7o,hlophe and asked her: *Lo yo+ kno' this 8ordan in Droonstad9* *)es, 'e 'ere to ether at (ovedale as st+dents.* *& tho+ ht he 'as ,arried and a fa,ily ,an,* 6ata said. *Not that & kno' of,* replied 7o,hlophe. *B+t & tho+ ht there, there, eh, eh . . . ,* 6ata he,,ed and ha'ed. 7o,hlophe, +nderstandin 'hat he 'anted to say, helped hi, o+t. *)o+ kno', Phyllie never ot over 'hat happened last < 9$ < Lece,ber. 7he 'as very h+rt and still is.* *-y poor Phyllie4* 7ilence. 6ata al'ays kne' the boys interested in +s, even tho+ h he 'as never told officially. .frican parents do not disc+ss s+ch topics 'ith their children. .s 6ata 'as the only parent 'e had, 'e talked a lot abo+t o+r friends to hi,, incl+din boyfriends. 3e co+ld al'ays +ess 'ho 'ere o+r favo+rites. ;hen & first ca,e ho,e fro, Droonstad, and later in ,y letters ho,e, & had told hi, ho' -r 8ordan, one of the teachers, had assisted ,e to find a place to stay, ho' he helped ,e 'ith ,y 'ork and ho' ood he had been enerally. Aro, this, 6ata had dra'n the idea that -r 8ordan ,+st be a responsible fa,ily ,an. ;hen 8ordan senior, his yo+n er brother, the 1ev. 8+li+s 8ordan, and ..C.*s ,aternal +ncle, ;illie -ehlo, ca,e to o+r ho,e, ,y ,enfolk 'ere there to ,eet the,. 6hey had all been told that 6ata 'as e>pectin s+ch +ests. -a,a 'as in her best ,ood, and she 'elco,ed and received her +ests 'ith all the 'ar,th they deserved. 7he co+ld be very racio+s 'hen she chose. 6he 8ordans 'ere not a kno'n fa,ily in o+r part of the co+ntry. Enly one person by that na,e had been heard ofB this 'as 8ohn 8ordan, ..C.*s +ncle, 'ho had been in the civil service in &d+ty'a. 6ata kne' hi, and had 'ondered, as he 'as talkin to 7o,hlophe, if this 8ordan in Droonstad 'as not perhaps the son of 8ohn Nel, the na,e by 'hich they kne' 8ohn 8ordan. 7o, before any disc+ssions co+ld be entered into, the 0+estion of *;ho are yo+9* had to be cleared. 6his 0+estion is asked of anyone 'ho seeks a ,arria e relationship 'ith a fa,ily. 3e has to ive his credentials to establish his stat+s, either on acco+nt of birth or service to the co,,+nity. =ven a ,an of lo'ly birth 'ho has iven noble service to his co,,+nity can ,arry into the nobility. &n o+r case, too, after the introd+ctions, the 0+estion of *;ho are yo+, 'hat are yo+r roots9* 'as asked. ..C.*s father ans'ered the 0+estion and, as one of the yo+n er +ncles later related, he 'as in his ele,ent. *& a, =li:ah 8ordan, son of Nelani, son of 8ordan, 'hose real na,e 'as Ndi,an ele. & a, a 3l+bi by birth, a citiFen of the -pondo,ise kin do,. Ndi,an ele, 'ho later ass+,ed the na,e 8ordan, 'as a co+rtier of -a0o,a at Nc 'aFi. & 'as born at Nc 'aFi in -a0o,a*s co+rt. .fter the arrest of -a0o,a and the dispersal of those aro+nd his co+rt, Ndi,an ele, like ,any others, 'ent to 'ork for a 'hite ,an, 'ho ave hi, the < 9J < na,e 8ordan. Nelani, ,y father, +sed his father*s na,e as his s+rna,e 'hen, in fact, he sho+ld have

+sed Nobhad+la, the na,e of his forebear.* .t the ,ention of -a0o,a*s co+rt, ,y people realised these 8ordans 'ere no +pstartsB they 'ere a fa,ily 'ith a place of hono+r a,on the people. &t 'as interestin ho' later, both before and after & ot ,arried, 6ata 'o+ld, in tellin people abo+t the ,an 'ho had ,arried his yo+n est da+ hter, drop -a0o,a*s na,e, th+s lettin his listeners kno' it 'as no +pstart fa,ily that his da+ hter 'as ,arried into. .nother thin that i,pressed ,y relatives 'as 8ordan*s clai, to -pondo,ise citiFenship, th+s sho'in he 'as no collaboratin -fen +. 7+ch thin s are still i,portant in the 'orld 'e co,e fro,. ;ith the fa,ilies havin th+s placed the,selves, ne otiations co+ld no' be in bet'een ,y people and the 8ordans. &n the ,eanti,e, one of ,y +ncles had been sent inside to find o+t fro, ,e if & kne' these people. & 'as so e,barrassed that in reply & said, *)es and no.* )es, in that & kne' 'ho had sent the,B no, in that & never ave hi, per,ission. -y +ncle did not 'ait for anythin ,ore. 6his 'as a ood ans'er, and +ided by it and their assess,ent of the character of the 8ordans, ,y people co+ld ,ake their decision. 6hey decided that this 'as a fa,ily they co+ld ,arry one of their da+ hters into. .fter all ,atters pertinent and relevant to the 0+estion 'ere disc+ssed and a reed +pon, they talked to ether and feasted. &t t+rned o+t that like 6ata, ..C.*s father 'as the local historian of -pondo,ise history and his people, the 3l+bi. ;hat an interestin ti,e these t'o had, reco+ntin episodes fro, their history d+rin the visit. .fter three days the 8ordans left. By the ti,e & 'ent back to Droonstad, & 'as en a ed to ..C. 3e stopped in &d+ty'a on his 'ay to Droonstad to ,eet ,y people and 'e ,ade the :o+rney to ether. 7till & 'as not certain if this 'as the ri ht thin to do. ;hy did & allo' it to happen9 3o' 'as & oin to et ,yself o+t of this ,ess9 .nd a ,ess it 'as. & had allo'ed it to happen beca+se d+rin ,y so+l2 searchin and a ony the previo+s year, & had often felt that perhaps ,arria e bet'een ,e and 3alley 'as not the best thin for the t'o of +s. &f & 'as to ,arry, & 'o+ld have to find ,yself a ood ,an. ..C. see,ed to fit the bill. 6ho+ h the at,osphere at ho,e had very ,+ch i,proved, & 'as not happyB & 'as lonely no' that Ntan ashe had one. 6r+e, Nosithe 'as thereB 'e did thin s and 'ent to places to ether, b+t she < 9K < co+ld not fill Ntan ashe*s place in ,y life. -oreover, & 'as ready to settle do'n. & 'ent to U,tata for a day after the 8ordan visit and heard 'hile there that 3alley 'as e>pected. & left to'n i,,ediately and 'e ,issed each other by :+st an ho+r. .fter a lon period of +ncertainty and hesitation, & event+ally s+,,oned +p co+ra e to 'rite to hi, 'hen & ot back to Droonstad, tellin hi, & 'as en a ed to be ,arried. *5+ess to 'ho,9 6he Bi Philistine.* .n>io+sly & 'aited for his letter and his reaction. .fter 'hat see,ed like eternity the letter finally ca,e. &n it he told ,e that he had already ot the ne's fro, his father, to 'ho, 6ata had 'ritten. 3e ended the letter: *& a, sorry, -iss Phyl. & s+ppose & 'aited too lon .* & never asked 6ata 'hy he had 'ritten to his father 'ith this ne's. 6here 'as a lot of e>cite,ent in Droonstad 'hen 'e ot back. -any had e>pected the en a e,ent to happen. 7ol 6hlapane, in con rat+latin ..C., said: *& +nderstand no' 'hy yo+ never invited any of +s to the train station, the day she arrived.* .pparently, 'henever a ne' lady teacher 'as arrivin , the bachelor teachers 'o+ld all o to the train station to see if she 'as 'orth a shot at. ;hen the ne's reached Aort 3are, the reaction 'as: *;hat9 3e ot her9 3o' did he do it9* 6hey all decided it 'as teachin to ether that did it. .nd ho' tr+e4 &t 'as :+st that4 -y sister 5ranny 'as not too pleased. .t this ti,e she 'as correspondin a lot 'ith 3alley, of 'ho, she 'as very fond. ;hen she heard that & 'as en a ed to ..C., she 'rote to hi, in Droonstad to

con rat+late hi, and ended her letter, sayin , *& hope -a,a*s baby 'ill not be the ,eat, 'ith yo+ bein the cat.* 6hat 'as ,y sister 5ranny all ri ht. =ven tho+ h 6ata had no' ,et ..C., he too 'as not co,fortable. 3e 'rote to a co+sin of ,ine teachin at the 1o,an Catholic school in Droonstad, infor,in hi, that & 'as en a ed to ..C. and asked hi, to keep an eye on ..C. and see that he did not play aro+nd 'ith ,e. No' that 'e 'ere en a ed, ..C. took ,e o+t alone ,ore often. ;e did thin s to ether and ot to kno' each other better. ;e both 'ent to 8ohannesb+r for the 'inter holidays, he to his brother in -odder =ast, 'hile & 'ent to ,y co+sins, the -din is, in Erlando =ast. ..C. ca,e +p to Erlando =ast one 'eekend to see ,e and ,eet ,y folks there. -y co+sins liked hi,, especially co+sin Arank*s 'ife, 'ho tho+ ht he looked a reliable fello'. En the day & left for the be innin of the ne' ter, in Droonstad, ..C. bro+ ht his t'o < 9% < brothers and their 'ives to ,ake the,selves kno'n to ,y folks in 8ohannesb+r and to ,eet ,e. 3is eldest sister, No,b+yiselo, ,et +s at 5er,iston train station. ;e spent an ho+r 'ith her there before 'e proceeded to Droonstad. ;e planned to et ,arried in Lece,ber or early in 8an+ary, and preparations 'ere +nder 'ay. ..C. had bo+ ht a ho+se in N oanabase 7treet in B (ocation, had it torn do'n and reb+ilt it into a five2roo,ed ,odern ho+se. 3e ,oved in as soon as it 'as co,pleted. 7o fro, Ectober of that year, he 'as livin in his o'n ho+se, 'ith so,eone co,in in to clean and cook for hi,. & 'as boardin 'ith -rs -och+,i, a teacher at the 1o,an Catholic school. 6hen lo and behold, early in the sprin , a ne' correspondence bet'een ,e and 3alley flared +p. &t 'as thickB it 'as hotB it 'as ro,antic. & 'rote to hi, every 'eek and received his letters every Ariday, letters in 'hich 'ere enclosed rose petals, and lines fro, ro,antic love poe,s. &t 'as as if there 'as no ..C., had never been. ;e ,ade plans to ,eet in Lece,ber. ;here9 1i ht in ,y ho,e to'n, &d+ty'a. 4$niu$ conspectu" 7chools closed. ..C. ca,e ho,e to L+ff ,ission 'ith ,e and spent a day 'ith +s. & co+ld not 'ait for hi, to leave so that & co+ld finalise ,y plans for ,y ,eetin 'ith 3alley. .ny definite plans9 Not e>actlyB 'e :+st 'anted to have o+r final flin to ether. & 'as e>cited. .lone in ,y roo, & 'aited 'ith fear and trepidation. B+t & 'as not cryin . & 'as too b+oyed and e>cited to cry. &n the ,idst of all this, ,y folks 'ere e>citedly anticipatin the 'eddin in 8an+ary. 6hey 'ere b+sy 'ith preparationsB invitations 'ere bein sent o+tB relatives 'ere arrivin B -a,a had bo+ ht ne' c+rtains and a carpet for the dinin 2roo,, all for this occasion. &n an .frican settin 'here a ,arria e involves so ,any people, thin s reach a sta e 'here they ac0+ire their o'n ,o,ent+,. &t takes real co+ra e to call a halt to proceedin s. &t s+ddenly str+ck ,e to ask ,yself the 0+estion: *;hat 'ill not happen if 3alley and & ,eet9* .ll these people, 'ho 'ere no' so involved, 'o+ld be st+nned. 6he tho+ ht of 6ata h+rt by ,e 'ei hed heavily. ;hy didn*t & tell hi,9 3e, 'ho had been so enero+s and +nderstandin , 'o+ld have +nderstood. -y rand old ,an4 3o' co+ld & h+rt hi,9 & felt sorry for ..C. too. & co+ld see hi,, fro'n on his face, readin ,y ,essa e, *-arried 3alley*, less than a 'eek before he 'as d+e to have ,arried ,e. 3o' 'o+ld he ret+rn to Droonstad and look in < 99 <

the face all those 'ho had 'ished hi, 'ell and 'ere lookin for'ard to con rat+late hi,, co,in back 'ith ,e, his bride9 ;o+ld he be able to take it9 E ,y 5od4 & felt he,,ed in. 6hen & cried, realisin that & co+ld not o thro+ h 'ith it. & cried that 'hole 6h+rsday ni ht, and on 1$ Lece,ber & sent 3alley this ,essa e: *1e ret, cannot o thro+ h 'ith it.* 6his 'as :+st five days before 'e 'ere d+e to ,eet. &t 'as cr+elB it 'as devastatin . & had raised his hopes Hand ,ineI to fever pitch, only to dash the, to the ro+nd. ..C. 'as co,in to be 'ith +s the 'eekend before the 'eddin . 6here 'ere so,e doc+,ents to si n. & still had all the letters that 3alley had 'ritten to ,e 'hile & 'as in Droonstad, as 'ell as all his pict+res. 6he ;ednesday before ..C. arrived, & athered all those letters, closed the door of ,y roo, and 'ent thro+ h the, one by one. 6he follo'in day, & took an open tin, a bo> of ,atches and the letters to the far end of the arden behind the trees and, one by one, & thre' the, into the fire, pict+res and all. & cried 'hile doin this, for & felt destroyed in that fire 'as part of ,e. 6hen & ca,e ho,e, 'ent into ,y roo,, closed the door, cried that 'hole afternoon, evenin and ni ht, and 'o+ld not be co,forted. 6hose 'ho ca,e into the roo,, tryin to co,fort ,e, tho+ ht it 'as an>iety abo+t the pendin 'eddin . &t is +s+al for a irl to be in tears d+rin this period. B+t little did they kno' 'hy & 'as cryin . 6he ne>t day, Ariday, & 'ent to to'n to ,eet ..C., ,y fiancQ. 3e 'as lad and e>cited to see ,e. 3e never s+spected anythin . & 'ore ,y ,ask 'ell. ;e ca,e ho,e to ether in the afternoon. By no', there 'as e>cite,ent in the 'hole placeB 'o,en 'ere ,ovin abo+t briskly, +l+latin B +ests 'ere arrivin and everyone 'as lookin for'ard to 6+esday. &, too, 'as s'ept +p and looked for'ard to the bi day. 6hat 6+esday ,+st really have been a bi day and & ,+st have looked or eo+s. -y baby sister, Nokh'eFi, three years old and one of the flo'er irls, asked everyone 'ho ca,e into o+r kitchen the ne>t day: *Lid yo+ see ,e and 7is* No 0aFa ettin ,arried yesterday9 ;e 'ere so bea+tif+l, & tell yo+4* .nd 'hile Nokh'eFi 'as sayin this, -a,a 'as pro+dly tellin people: *Phyllie looked so lovelyB yo+ 'o+ld not think she 'as the sa,e person 'ho 'as 'ith +s at the breakfast table yesterday ,ornin .* 6he last of the birds fro, 6ata*s first nest 'as one. < 1"" <

Fa#e,e%%. +/'0e i1
6he day after a 'eddin in the co+ntry is +s+ally very b+sy. 6he 'eddin +ests start leavin for their ho,esB the roo,*s party is leavin for ho,e, too, e>cited, carryin a'ay their priFe, the brideB the bride*s fa,ily is b+sy packin 'hat the bride ,+st take 'ith her / her o'n personal belon in s, the ,any presents for the roo,*s fa,ily. &t is a day of :oy on the part of the roo,*s partyB a day of tears for the fa,ily of the bride, cryin beca+se they are losin a loved ,e,ber of the fa,ily. &t is a day of ad,onitions and re0+ests, of pro,ises and thanks, a day of speeches. &n the afternoon, all the parties athered in the dinin 2roo,, 'ith ..C. and ,e sittin at the table, the centre of the 'hole affair. Eo, 8oel No,be'+, 6ata*s ood friend, addressin hi,self to the 8ordans, said: *3ere, then, is the vessel yo+ ca,e to ask for. &t is bea+tif+l, +ntarnished, +ntainted and 'e hope yo+ 'ill keep it that 'ay. 7ho+ld yo+ at any ti,e tire of it, please brin it back, for it al'ays 'ill have a place a,on o+r bea+tif+l vessels.* 6'o of ,y +ncles* 'ives had ad,onished ,e to keep and carry ,yself 'ell, as befittin ,y fa,ily, doin nothin to tarnish the ood na,e of the ho,e & ca,e fro,B to +phold the 8ordan na,e too, for

no' & had :oined that fa,ily. 6ata co+ld not finish 'hat he 'anted to say. 3e be an: *;hen a ,arried 'o,an is acc+sed by her in2la's of bein a sorceress, they al'ays say it 'as her ,other 'ho ta+ ht her the art. 7ho+ld yo+ ever acc+se this one of that art, kno' that & R* and he broke do'n. & broke do'n too and so did everybody else / ,y sisters, +ncles, a+nts, co+sins and friends. -al+,e -enFi'a, 'ho too had 'ept at this point, soon collected hi,self and said he kne' & 'o+ld bear ,yself 'ell, re,e,berin the stock & ca,e fro,, -a,a*s people, the Balfo+rs, and ,y people, < 1"1 < the Ntantalas. 3is sister &da had held aloft the Balfo+r na,e to her rave. &f she had not, he, -enFi'a, son of -akhaphela, 'o+ld not have been there to see ,e ettin ,arried. 6hen, addressin hi,self to ..C., -al+,e said this: *No', son of 8ordan, & 'o+ld like to re,ind yo+ that at Aort 3are, yo+ learnt a lot of thin s to ive yo+ 'isdo,B yo+ learnt yo+r ethics, yo+r :+rispr+dence, yo+r lo ic. B+t there is one co+rse yo+ never took and that is ;ife Psycholo y, a stran e co+rse 'hose scope and content are not 'ell2defined. Ene discovers these as one oes alon . No' that yo+ are ,arried, yo+ are oin to take that co+rse / ;ife Psycholo y. 5oin thro+ h it ,eans patience, +nderstandin and end+rance. )o+ 'ill not find any e>perts to help yo+ alon , for each case is +ni0+e.* 6he 8ordans responded, first thankin ,y people for 'hat they had done, establishin a link that they so very ,+ch desired thro+ h this ,arria e of their son to their da+ hter. 6hey pro,ised to treat this precio+s vessel 'ell and 'ere s+re they 'o+ld never tire of it. 6he cere,ony over, they left for 6solo. Us+ally both parties leave to ether. B+t on this occasion, it had been decided that there 'o+ld be no party of ,y fa,ily oin to 6solo beca+se of the distance. Enly abo+t si> people 'o+ld acco,pany ,e. 6here 'as oin to be no dress2+p parade at -bokoth'ana, as is +s+ally the case. -y people 'o+ld leave 'ith ,e the follo'in day and ..C. 'o+ld leave 'ith +s as 'ell. &n spite of this, 5ranny s+ ested that at least the brides,aids and ,y best ,an sho+ld o, lest the people at -bokoth'ana sho+ld 'ant a dress parade. *)o+ never kno' 'hat .fricans 'ill do. 6hey 'ill 'ant to see their son in his 'eddin o+tfit 'hen 'e et there,* she said. .nd ho' correct she 'as. No one re,e,bered any a ree,ents ,ade before the 'eddin 'hen o+r party ot to -bokoth'ana. ;e left ho,e shortly after breakfast on 6h+rsday, in a party of t'elve, incl+din the drivers. -a,a, 6ata, 7o,hlophe and other ,e,bers of ,y fa,ily 'ere on the veranda to bid +s fare'ell. Ntan ashe had slipped o+t of the ho+se before this ,o,ent to avoid the fare'ell. & 'as lad: there 'ere never any fare'ells bet'een +s. ..C. 'as to tell ,e later that 'hen 6ata took his hand, he held it for so,e ti,e, looked hi, +p and do'n, siFin hi, +p, then looked hi, strai ht in the eye before he dropped that hand. *& kne' 'hat responsibility & had,* said ..C. *&f & ever ,essed aro+nd 'ith yo+, yo+r father 'o+ld have killed ,e.* ;e stopped at U,tata 'here 5ranny bo+ ht bo+0+ets, one for < 1"2 < the bride and t'o for the brides,aids, and a b+ttonhole for the best ,an. .t abo+t one o*clock 'e arrived at -bokoth'ana. .s o+r cars drove into ..C.*s ho,e, 'o,en ca,e o+t, chantin : '7i&a )udl' u$)hupha" 7i&a )udl' i!i)i" 7i&a )udl' i!i)i"' ?;e are oin to eat stone2 ro+nd corn breadB 'e are oin to drink ho,e2bre'ed beer.@ Ether 'o,en 'ere en a ed in a ,ock perfor,ance of hoein , s'eepin , plasterin , rindin corn and

all the other tasks that 'o,en are involved in aro+nd the ho,e. 6his 'as a ne' e>perience for +sB 'e had never seen it before. ;e did not even kno' 'hat $)hupha 'as, and it 'as only d+rin o+r stay there that 'e learnt it 'as stone2 ro+nd corn bread. &n a nei hbo+r*s rondavel 'here 'e 'ere ho+sed, the rindstone 'as b+ilt into the floor. .s thin s 'ere be innin to ac0+ire ,eanin , -al+,e -enFi'a, in his h+,oro+s 'ay, said: *3ey4 6hey do rind corn here4 6he rindstone is part of the floor, not so,ethin that a 'o,an brin s in 'hen she has corn to rind. 3ey4 3ey4 & 'onder if ,y sister*s child 'ill be e0+al to the tasks here. & s'ear by ,y sister =llen, da+ hter of -akhaphela4* 3e 'as really concerned and so 'ere all the others. 6he 'o,en o+tside had not ceased their ,ock perfor,ance. No' and a ain, they 'o+ld appear and contin+e 'ith it. 6his 'as so,ethin 4 .n ho+r after o+r arrival, 'ord ca,e that 'e sho+ld dress for the 'eddin parade. 7aid 5ranny: *Lid & not tell yo+, -al+,e9 & kne' they 'o+ld 'ant +s to dress +p, and that 'as 'hy & insisted that the brides,aids and best ,an sho+ld co,e 'ith +s. 6here is not even a 0+estion of 'hether 'e are prepared or not. 6hey ass+,e 'e are. .fricans4* 7o 'e dressed +pB first it 'as the 'eddin dress, and 'e paraded in that. ;e had l+nch at ..C.*s and then ret+rned to o+r 0+arters. &n the late afternoon, 'e chan ed into the second dress and paraded in that. & 'ore a knee2len th t'o2piece. &n the evenin it 'as the sa,e hand2over cere,ony a ain, 'ith speeches and e>hortations, no' ,ostly fro, ..C.*s people to their son and to ,e as a ne' ,e,ber of the fa,ily. &n his speech, ..C.*s father 'arned ,e not to drive a 'ed e bet'een ..C. and his ,other. *La,fie is his ,other*s sonB no one is as i,portant to La,fie as his ,other. & hope yo+ 'ill not 'ean La,fie a'ay fro, his ,other. 6o +s here, yo+ 'ill be kno'n as 8No6Tuis8 , 'hich 'as 8ordan*s 'ife*s na,e / Nokhaya in Nhosa.* .s if in reply to 'hat ..C.*s father had said, his +ncle ;illie -ehlo < 1"! < responded: *5>+k+,fana ?a na,e he al'ays +sed@, yo+ have been a ood son, reliable and dependable. & hope yo+ 'ill hono+r and respect yo+r 'ife and listen to her advice. &f yo+ look aro+nd and co+nt the n+,ber of ,en 'ho have ,ade so,ethin of the,selves, yo+ 'ill find it is only those 'ho heeded their 'ife*s advice. 6hose 'ho never did are nothin in the co,,+nity.* 6hen an old ,an, a -adikiFa, kins,an of the 8ordans, ot +p to add his piece. *& a, lad to be here. & 'as lookin for'ard to the 'eddin of this yo+n ,an for 'e are all pro+d of hi,. 3e has bro+ ht hono+r to this ho+se of Nobhad+la and ,ade o+r na,e kno'n a,on nations. B+t to yo+, yo+n 'o,an, & ,+st say this: to ,e yo+ have dis raced yo+rself, paradin in short skirts 'hile yo+ are a ,arried 'o,an.* Behind +s, & co+ld hear the re,arks of the 'o,en sittin there, in co,plete a ree,ent 'ith the old ,an. *3e is ri ht4 3e is ri ht4 )h+4 Loes fashion ,ean this9 Lid yo+ see her9 7he did not even close her eyes4 6hey 'ere 'ide open4 7he sa' everythin 4 )h+4 &t is too ,+ch4* -y folks 'ere offended. B+t they did not say anythin in that atherin . .s ..C. 'as takin ,e and ,y sister 5ranny back to o+r 0+arters, ,y sister re,arked to hi,: *;ell, 7bali, & do not kno'. &t see,s yo+r people are already findin fa+lt 'ith ,y sister even before they have kno'n her. ;e tho+ ht yo+ 'ere an ed+cated ,an, a colle e rad+ate, 'ho 'anted a ,odern 'o,an befittin his stat+s. 6hat is 'hy 'e bro+ ht 'ith +s a ,odern 'o,an. B+t it see,s 'e 'ere 'ron . &f yo+r people pick on this child no', even before 'e leave, 'hat 'ill they not do 'hen 'e are one9 & sh+dder to think of it.* ..C. left +s at the door and 'ent back. &nside o+r 0+arters ,y folks 'ere talkin abo+t the re,arks of the old ,an 'ith reat concern and also abo+t the perfor,ance of the 'o,en o+tside d+rin the day.

*;ill Phyllie ,ana e here9* 'as the 0+estion on everyone*s ,ind. Beca+se of their concern, they had already pers+aded a+nt Nosithe to re,ain 'ith ,e to help ,e 'ith all these tasks & 'o+ld be re0+ired to do, so,e of 'hich 'e had never done before. Perhaps bet'een the t'o of +s, 'e co+ld ,ana e. Poor Nosithe 'as so concerned. (ike Ntan ashe, she never 'anted anythin to h+rt ,e. 8+st as 'e 'ere ettin ready to sleep, ..C.*s father and his brother Aottie ca,e to apolo ise for the re,arks of the old ,an. < 1"# < *Please for ive +s,* said ..C.*s father. *6hat 'as an old ,an*s talk, not shared by anybody in the fa,ily. 3ave no fearsB yo+r child 'ill be treated 'ell by all of +s. ;e are ood people. ;e kno' ho' to treat o+r 'o,en. 3ave no fears.* -al+,e -enFi'a responded: *6ho+ ed+cationist of the days of (an ha, Lale,?M@ & a, lad yo+ ca,e. ;e 'ere concerned, fearin for o+r da+ hter, thinkin that perhaps 'e had ,ade a ,istake by ,arryin her into this fa,ily, a fa,ily not 'ell kno'n in o+r part of the co+ntry. ;e kno' no' 'e ,ade no ,istake for in yo+, tho+ ed+cationist of the days of (an ha, Lale, & see a ,an 'ho ,oves 'ith the ti,es, a pro ressive ,an. ;e are ratef+l yo+ ca,e and 'e thank yo+ for allayin o+r fears.* .fter this speechifyin , all 'ere pleased and these t'o left. ;e did not sleep ,+ch for ,y folks 'ere leavin early the ne>t day. 7o after leavin ,e and a+nt Nosithe at ..C.*s, they 'ent. -onths later, & 'as to la+ h at -al+,e -enFi'a for re,arkin abo+t ,y short skirts. 3e had co,e +p to Droonstad after Nandi 'as born to see the baby. & 'as e>cited and b+FFin all aro+nd hi,. (ookin at ,e, he said: *Phyllie, these skirts are rather too short. & hope yo+ let the, do'n 'hen yo+ visit the old people in the co+ntry.* & la+ hed. *6hat cannot co,e fro, yo+, -al+,e. ;hen they co,plained abo+t ,y short skirts, yo+ 'ere the first to defend ,e and de,and an apolo y. No, not fro, yo+, -al+,e4* *No, it 'as not that 'e did not appreciate their point. ;e did. ;hat 'e 'ere ob:ectin to 'as to be told to o+r face abo+t o+r fa+lts. 6hat is not the 'ay to treat people. )o+ speak behind their backs abo+t fa+lts yo+ think they have, especially if there is nothin yo+ can do abo+t the,. )o+ don*t tell people to their face. No, that is not the 'ay. 6hat 'as o+r ob:ection.* ;e had taken -al+,e to the school on this visit, 'here he addressed the teachers and the st+dents. 6his 'as one feat+re of Droonstad 3i h 7chool. . n+,ber of people, ,ostly .fricans, 'ere attracted by the e>peri,ent and 'o+ld, on passin thro+ h Droonstad, stop at the school to see for the,selves. Cin o al'ays invited the, to address the teachers and st+dents. 6ata had done the sa,e too 'hen he ca,e +p to visit +s in the 'inter before Nandi 'as born. -al+,e ca,e back i,pressed / so did ,any of the, R ?M@ M 7ir (an ha, Lale 'as 7+perintendent 5eneral of =d+cation in the Cape Colony in the days 'hen -al+,e and ..C.*s father 0+alified as teachers. < 1"$ < by this h+ e establish,ent of over ninety teachers and over t'o tho+sand st+dents. ;hat pleased -al+,e 'as that it all operated +nder the principalship of the son of his friend in the 6ranskeian Bh+n a, ;alter Cin o, father of 1e inald Cin o, o+r head.

< 1"J <

A#chi0a%* Ca2(0e%% M3o%isa

.rchibald Ca,pbell -Folisa 'as the third and yo+n est son of =li:ah 8ordan by his 'ife Aanny -akhosaFana, da+ hter of 6'ana -ehlo of -bokoth'ana, 6solo, in 6ranskei. .,on his friends he 'as pop+larly kno'n as 8oe or ..C. 6o ,ost of those 'ho re' +p 'ith hi, and those 'ho 'atched hi, ro', he 'as fondly kno'n as La,fie. 6o the 'orkers fro, his ho,e area, he 'as kno'n as 6hiyane, the .,b+sher. 6his is his clan na,e, or isi1u)o . .s a yo+n ,an =li:ah 8ordan had co,e to -bokoth'ana to be principal of the hi her pri,ary school there. Aanny, 'ho 'as to beco,e his 'ife, 'as a p+pil in the school at the ti,e. =li:ah and Aanny had ei ht children, five irls and three boys. .fter Aanny died d+rin the infl+enFa epide,ic of 191%, 'hen ..C. 'as t'elve years old, =li:ah ,arried a co+sin of Aanny, (ele 7otho,ela, one of the teachers on his staff. 6his 'o,an ave birth to t'o sons, -onde and Bant'ini. 6he 8ordan fa,ily is a fa,ily of teachers. .ll the a+nts and +ncles, sisters, brothers, and co+sins have been teachers. &t 'as not easy for the older children to accept life +nder a step,other, so the eldest sister and the t'o brothers, all teachers, left ho,e and 'ent to 8ohannesb+r to try their l+ck. .fter a short stint teachin , the brothers fo+nd 'ork in the ,ines as clerks, 'here they re,ained +ntil they retired. 6he sister ta+ ht on and off +ntil she established herself as a b+siness'o,an in Benoni location. 6he second sister ,arried a local teacher. ..C. 'as at ho,e 'ith the yo+n er sisters thro+ ho+t the years of their ro'in +p, and th+s at an early a e he 'as thr+st into the position of protector. ..C. 'as an e>cellent st+dent fro, the day he started school, sho'in an interest in literat+re even in those early years. 3is father 'as not only a choir,aster b+t a poet and ,+sic co,poser as 'ell, < 1"K < and a keen sports,an. Cricket 'as his love. .ll three of his boys re' to be cricketers, ..C. developin into a ood bats,an and his older brother Bin ie a devastatin bo'ler. ..C., bro+ ht +p in a ho,e of poetry and ,+sic co,position, 'as to beco,e a poet, ,+sic co,poser and choir,aster as 'ell. 3avin co,e to -pondo,iseland at the ti,e of British penetration, =li:ah developed an interest in the history of the people a,on 'ho, he lived. 3e beca,e the local e>pert on the history of the -pondo,ise and their nei hbo+rs, the -pondo, Bhaca and Nhesibe. ..C. 'as to develop that interest too 'hen he re' +p, an interest that led to his beco,in one of the fe' e>perts on oral .frican history, told fro, the point of vie' of the .frican people, the history that one seldo, finds in books 'ritten by the historians of the con0+erors. By the ti,e of his death, he 'as keenly so+ ht after by st+dents of .frican history, in 7o+th .frica, =+rope and in the United 7tates of .,erica. 6he fa,ily*s ori ins 'ere at N c'aFi in the co+rt of -a0o,a, 'arrior2kin , 'here their forebear Ndi,an ele 'as co+rtier. =li:ah, son of Nelani, son of Ndi,an ele / no' kno'n as 8ordan / 'as born at N c'aFi. 6he 'hole area 'here N c'aFi is sit+ated is the ho,e of the Nhosa lan +a eB here Nhosa 'as first red+ced to 'ritin . 3earin ood Nhosa spoken ,ade Nelani, =li:ah and later ..C. very sensitive to the bea+ty of the lan +a e, 'ritten or spoken. =li:ah ,ade it his d+ty to instil in all his children, ro'in +p in an area 'here one seldo, heard ood Nhosa, a love of the lan +a e. Unfort+nately, only ..C. see,s to have capt+red this fro, his fatherB the other children speak the dialect of the local people. -bokoth'ana 'as an o+tpost of 7t C+thbert*s ,ission at N colosi, and there 'as ,+ch interaction

bet'een the t'o. 6he ,issionaries at 7t C+thbert*s had a tre,endo+s infl+ence on all the 8ordan children, especially ..C. and the sister :+st after hi,, Nontsikelelo, 'ho at the a e of seventeen :oined the Erder of 7t 8ohn the Baptist for .frican n+ns. Contact 'ith the fathers at 7t C+thbert*s, so,e of 'ho, 'ere scholars fro, E>ford, opened ne' vistas for ..C. and ,ade hi, look beyond his i,,ediate horiFon. .fter co,pletin his pri,ary schoolin at -bokoth'ana and then 7t C+thbert*s, he 'ent to 7t 8ohn*s Colle e in U,tata 'here he 0+alified as a teacher. 3e ta+ ht at 7t C+thbert*s for a year, 'here he e>celled as choir,aster, the second best in the 'hole district of 6solo after Lini'e -adala, no' principal of -bokoth'ana after the < 1"% < retire,ent of =li:ah 8ordan. ..C. then 'ent to (ovedale on an .ndre' 7,ith B+rsary. &t 'as 'hile he 'as a st+dent here that ..C. ,et ,y sister 7o,hlopheB they ,oved in the sa,e circle of friends. &n fact, the character No,v+yo in his novel iNgqu$bo ye $iNyanya is ,odelled on her. &t 'as d+rin this period, too, that & ,et hi, for the first ti,e. & 'as t'elve. =very ti,e 'e ca,e ho,e on holiday, & had to leave the train f+ll of 3ealdto'n st+dents and :oin the (ovedale train at .lice to travel 'ith ,y sister, 'ho 'o+ld take char e of ,e. Aro, (ovedale, ..C. proceeded to Aort 3are to st+dy for the B... de ree. By the ti,e he co,pleted it he had developed an interest not only in =n lish literat+re b+t also in Classical literat+re and history. &t 'as d+rin his Aort 3are days, too, that he 'as introd+ced to the 'orld of classical ,+sic by Professor 8abav+. 6his 'as to beco,e one of his loves. By no' he 'as 'ritin poetry for the colle e st+dent ,a aFine and later for an .frican ne'spaper, uMthetheli #a +antu . 3is poe, on the invasion of .byssinia by -+ssolini, 'ritten in Nhosa, beca,e very pop+lar a,on the st+dents at Aort 3are and a,on the politically ,inded in the co+ntry. ..C. 'as not :+st a book'or,. 3e loved sport, especially cricket, 'hich he had played as a yo+n ster at -bokoth'ana, 'ith his father as coach. 3e later played for the colle e first cricket tea, and at one ti,e 'on the Principal*s Bat for bein best bats,an of the year. Back ho,e he played for the 6ranskei cricket first tea,, 'hich co,peted 'ith other tea,s in the Cape Province and Natal. ;hen he ca,e to Cape 6o'n, he 'as keenly so+ ht after by cricket cl+bs there. B+t bein the patriot he 'as, he chose to play for the 6ranskei cl+b, 6he,b+ United. 6his ,ade the 6he,b+ so pop+lar that even players 'ho belon ed to other cl+bs, 'hose ho,es 'ere in 6ranskei, ca,e to :oin it. (ater in life he 'as to broaden his interests to incl+de .frican lan +a es and literat+re. &t alled hi, that the a+thorities in .frican lan +a es 'ere 'hites, sons of ,issionaries, 'ho had ro'n +p speakin the lan +a es and had developed an acade,ic interest in the,. Professors (estrade, Loke and -alcol,, and &nspector Bennie 'ere in the forefront of this 'ork, 'hile Professors Dirby and 3+ h 6racey led the field in .frican folk ,+sic. 6o ..C. this 'as not ri ht. .fricans sho+ld be there as 'ell, in the forefront of this field of st+dy. 6ho+ h he co+ld have 'ritten in =n lish as 'ell as in Nhosa, he < 1"9 < 'rote his first novel, iNgqu$bo ye $iNyanya in his native ton +e, addressin hi,self to an .frican readership, a readership that 'as already in e>istence, for .fricans had been 'ritin for other .fricans since the ,iddle of the nineteenth cent+ry. iNgqu$bo ye $iNyanya 'as an instant hit and 'as acclai,ed as the best novel ever 'ritten in the Nhosa lan +a e. &t is a novel for all ti,e, sho'in the

.frican at the crossroads. &t treats .frican c+lt+re in a di nified and 'holeso,e 'ay, sho'in its 0+alities and bea+ty. )et at the sa,e ti,e, the a+thor is very ,+ch a'are of the ne' forces at 'ork a,on the people, depictin the ne' ,an 'ho is be innin to look critically at the ne' 'ays and tryin to for e for hi,self a co+rse that 'ill perhaps serve his interests better. No 'onder the book 'as s+ch a hit 'ith both yo+n and old. ..C., a h+,ble ,an of si,ple and fr+ al tastes, a loyal and faithf+l lie+tenant, 'ar, b+t never de,onstrative, 'as kind, entle, patient, tolerant, co,passionate. 3e 'as one of only three people & kno' 'ho 'o+ld o all o+t to help others. 6hese other t'o are 6ata and 5ladstone ->olisi Ntlabathi. ..C. 'as very +nderstandin , tr+stin and conservative, a respecter of c+sto, and tradition, a ,an 'ho al'ays had his feet on the ro+nd. 3e had a tre,endo+s intellect of sta erin breadth and depthB a scholar 'ho follo'ed each p+rs+it 'ith an analytic ,ind, searchin for the essence. .nd yet for all that he never lost the h+,an to+ch, the respect for the co,,on ,an. 3is last na,e, -Folisa, is that of ,y brother, the brother & never kne'. Eften after 'e 'ere ,arried 6ata 'o+ld say, in his di nified 'ay, 'hen he heard of a ,ilestone in ..C.*s life: *& 'onder if there is not so,ethin in that na,e P-FolisaP. 6hese are the thin s & had hoped for in ,y o'n boy.* 6alkin of na,es, his older brother is 6heophil+s Ndaba)ayise the only person other than 6ata to have that na,e. 3is eldest sister is 6heodora No,b+yiselo, 6heodora bein ,y sister 5ranny*s first na,e. 6his 'as the ,an & had ,arried. 3e never 'as a lover, b+t a h+sband. Beca+se he 'as not de,onstrative, there 'ere very fe' ro,antic scenes bet'een +s even d+rin the period of o+r en a e,ent. 3e 'as e>cited in his o'n 'ay, tho+ h & never e>perienced that ro,antic e>cite,ent & had kno'n 'ith 3alley. 3e loved and respected ,e and this re' over the years. & do not kno' that & co+ld say & ever fell in love 'ith hi,. & had ,at+red and 'as th+s able to look for other thin s in a relationship 'ith a ,an. Ene thin & kno', tho+ h, is that as & ot to kno' hi, < 11" < better, & developed a reat respect for hi, and & kne' & 'o+ld never do anythin that 'o+ld +nder,ine his love, tr+st and respect for ,e. En this deter,ination & b+ilt ,y ,arria e. ..C. never once asked ,e if & had ter,inated ,y relationship 'ith 3alley. 3e left it to ,e to be hono+rable eno+ h to do it. Ariends ca,e to o+r ho+se, so,e of 'ho, kne' ,e tho+ h not hi,, and so,e of 'ho, 'ere still interested in ,e. ..C. 'elco,ed the, and never once said he disapproved. 6here 'as one yo+n teacher in Droonstad, 7ipho Nye,beFi, a reat friend fro, o+r Aort 3are days. 7ipho and & +sed to o o+t cyclin for ,iles on 'eekends before and after & 'as ,arried. ..C. never co,plained. 7ipho re,arked one day: *)o+ kno', 8oe is a 'onderf+l fello', not to have stopped o+r cyclin to ether. .nother fello' 'o+ld have.* & s+ppose ..C. 'as sec+re eno+ h not to fear anythin . 6he b+rden 'as on ,e to be faithf+l to hi, and deal 'ith hi, hono+rably. -ost ti,es, beca+se he 'as b+sy 'ith his +niversity 'ork, & 'o+ld o to conferences and ,eetin s alone, 'here & 'o+ld ,eet all sorts of people. ..C. never said *no*. 6he only condition 'as: ;o+ld & pay for the trip 'ith ,y o'n ,oney9 .fter he died and people asked ,e 'hy & did not find ,yself another ,an, & tho+ ht: ;here in the 'orld 'o+ld & et another one like ..C., 'ith all the 0+alities he had9 6here are not ,any like hi,. .nd yet, as in all ,arria es, there 'ere ti,es 'hen thin s see,ed to be headin for the cliff. & a, s+re it 'as ..C.*s ,at+rity and tolerance that saved the day. & can be very obstinate and +nless & a, presented 'ith a ood case, it is very diffic+lt to ,ove ,e. & seldo, do thin s for senti,ental reasons. 6here ,+st be lo ic and reason for 'hat & have to do. Ene s+ch occasion 'as the 0+estion of ,y confir,ation as a ,e,ber of the .n lican Ch+rch. & 'as born Presbyterian and had beco,e a f+ll ,e,ber of the ch+rch even before & left Aort 3are. B+t in ,y last years at Aort 3are & had cooled a

reat deal to'ards the ch+rch. .ll the sa,e & resented the arro ance of the .n lican and 1o,an Catholic ch+rches ,aintainin that they and they alone 'ere the tr+e ch+rches and 'hoever co,es to the, ,+st be re2ad,itted. 6o add ins+lt to in:+ry, as far as & 'as concerned, & had to be re2confir,ed as if & had not been a f+ll ,e,ber of ,y ch+rch. ..C., on the other hand, 'as a bl+e2blooded .n lican, steeped in the rit+als and traditions of his ch+rch, and lovin the,. 3e co+ld not conceive of his 'ife not bein a ,e,ber of his ch+rch. Unfort+nately 'e had not disc+ssed this aspect of o+r < 111 < f+t+re life. &t 'as ass+,ed, & +ess, that as & 'as oin to drop ,y na,e and ass+,e his this 'as oin to be the case even as re ards ch+rch. .fter p+ttin ,y vie's to hi,, & told hi, that & 'o+ld co,pro,ise and o for the confir,ation, b+t 'o+ld attend no classes. En this & 'as not prepared to b+d e. ..C. ca,e +p 'ith all the ar +,ents: the t'o thin s 'ent to etherB & had to kno' the 'hole rit+al of confir,ation, and the classes prepared one for that. & 'o+ld not b+d e. 3e called in Aather -artin, his priest, to co,e and talk to ,e. & told Aather -artin & 'as not oin , re,indin hi, that & had never 'anted to be an .n lican in the first placeB they 'anted ,e / and it had to take place on their o'n ter,s. 6his & 'as not prepared to do. ;hatever r+les and re +lations overn this aspect of confir,ation in the .n lican Ch+rch had to be 'aived. Aather -artin sent ,e books to read abo+t this rite and & 'as confir,ed. ..C. had been h+rt. 3e tried everythin to ,ake ,e see and accept his point of vie' and that of his ch+rch. & 'o+ld not b+d e. &t took hi, ti,e to et over this, poor fello'. B+t he did. 3o'ever, he never referred to it thro+ ho+t those years of o+r ,arried life. 6he other ,a:or disa ree,ent bet'een ..C. and ,yself took place after the birth of o+r son Pallo. 3e 'as si> ,onths old and his sister Nandi 'as t'enty2si> ,onths. ..C. 'anted +s to take his son ho,e to see his randfather. & s+ ested that & 'o+ld send the randfather a train ticket to co,e and see the child in Droonstad, as this 'o+ld be ,ore convenient for ,e and the children. No: Pallo, as the boy, had to be taken to his ancestral ho,e, ..C. insisted. *Lo yo+ ,ean to tell ,e & have to inconvenience ,yself and the children for the sake of havin Pallo sleep at the 8ordan ho,e in -bokoth'ana9* & asked. 6hat 'as 'hat they, the 8ordans, had al'ays done. 6his 'as 'hat 'as to be done 'ith his son too, he insisted. & 'as not :+st obstinate for no ood reason. .fter Nandi 'as born, at three ,onths, & had taken her to -bokoth'ana to see her randparents. ;e had the ,ost terrible ti,e. 6he step,other said oodbye three days after o+r arrival to visit her sister, leavin +s to fend for o+rselves in a stran e ho,e and stran e place. & had been to ..C.*s for only t'o 'eeks, after the 'eddin . 7o this 'as a stran e place to ,e. & 'as a total stran er there. -bokoth'ana, that barren patch bet'een the Nhokon>a and the < 112 < 6sitsa rivers4 6he 8ordans 'ere by no ,eans poor. .fter all, as a teacher*s fa,ily, they 'ere a,on the elite in the 'hole district. B+t they led a very fr+ al life, livin on :+st the bare essentials 'ith no e>tras. & ca,e fro, a si,ple r+ral ho,e too. B+t 'e had a fe' e>tras that ,ade life a little easier and ,ore co,fortable. Aor e>a,ple, at ho,e 'e al'ays had a barrel of 'ater for cookin , besides the 'ater in the tanks 'hich 'as +sed for drinkin . Ene 'ent to fetch 'ater fro, the river only 'hen the

barrel 'as e,pty and the boys 'ere not there to refill it. 3ere at -bokoth'ana one had to fetch 'ater fro, the river for cookin , and in ,y case it ,eant 'ater for the baby*s diapers as 'ell. & 'as on ,y feet oin to and fro, the river. . ain, at ho,e, Nko,o, o+r eneral factot+,, chopped and split the lo s for fire'ood before he did anythin else. ;e chopped and split lo s only 'hen Nko,o*s pile 'as finished. .t -bokoth'ana, this 'as 'o,en*s 'ork since they 'ere the ones responsible for cookin . & told ..C. that this & 'as not prepared to do and, f+rther, that to ,e it 'as scandalo+s that his sister No,aFa sho+ld be splittin lo s 'hile he and his yo+n er brother -onde 'ere there. . day or so after & had told hi, this, & sa' -onde choppin and splittin 'ood before oin on to the past+re. ..C. helped, too, no' and a ain. &t had been a terrible ti,e. Beca+se of the strain and e>ha+stion, ,y ,ilk dried +p and ,y baby cried all the ti,e. & tho+ ht ..C. +nderstood that thin s 'ere ro+ h for ,e. .pparently he had not, or +nderstandin , he tho+ ht & sho+ld be p+t thro+ h it a ain. & asked ,yself a ain and a ain: Lid he not +nderstand9 3e 'as there and sa' it all. ;as observin a 8ordan c+sto, ,ore i,portant to hi, than the co,fort of his 'ife and children9 & 'as an ry, h+rt and bitter, and & a, afraid that bitterness never left ,e. En leavin -bokoth'ana that first ti,e 'ith Nandi, & ,ade +p ,y ,ind that & 'o+ld not a ain s+b:ect ,yself to s+ch conditions. &f the parents 'anted to see +s, & 'o+ld send the, tickets to co,e to Droonstad. B+t no', here 'as ,y h+sband insistin that & o there 'ith a baby and a toddler. & told hi, & 'as not oin . ;e had reached an i,passe. ..C. 'rote to ,y sister 5ranny, tellin her & 'as ref+sin to take his son to his ho,e in -bokoth'ana, beca+se & felt it 'as not ood eno+ h for ,e. B+t h+,ble tho+ h it 'as, it 'as his ho,e and he 'as pro+d of it. -y sister 'rote ,e a lon letter, endin it: *)o+ foolish child, do yo+ not kno' that the -fen + are a people of c+s2 < 11! < to,9 Lo yo+ think they are like yo+, an i(a'+?M@ that observes no c+sto,9 )o+r baby is 8ordan*s son and if he 'ants certain rit+als perfor,ed on his son, and those can only be done at his ho,e, let it be so. ;hether yo+ think that is rational or not is beside the point. Pallo*s father 'ants it that 'ay. Period.* 6hat 'as ,y sister 5ranny all ri ht. & 'as h+rt. & 'as f+rio+s. & tho+ ht of tellin 6ata. En second tho+ hts & decided not to. & had never told hi, abo+t the ro+ h ti,e & had had 'hen & had taken Nandi there. *.ll ri ht, yo+ can take yo+r children to -bokoth'ana. B+t & 'ill not be there to see the, s+ffer. 6ake the,. 6hey are yo+r children. 6ake yo+r son to -bokoth'ana to observe yo+r fa,ily c+sto,s and tradition. B+t & a, not oin .* 3e ,+st have tho+ ht better of it for 'hen he 'ent to b+y the train tickets, only his 'ent to 6solo, his ho,e. -ine 'as for &d+ty'a, ,y ho,e. .t the end of the holidays, he :oined +s in &d+ty'a and to ether 'e proceeded to Droonstad. Pallo*s randfather ca,e +p to see his randson in the a+t+,n. 6his 'as ood for hi, and he liked it. & had sent hi, the train ticket as & had said & 'o+ld. & did event+ally take ..C.*s sons to -bokoth'ana. Pallo 'as three and (indi si> ,onths. &t 'as an overni ht visit. 7o the shades did spread their spirit over the, and athered the, in their ar,s. 6hey no' rest in peace. .s years 'ent by & soon noticed that clashes like these affected Nandi, o+r da+ hter, 'ho 'o+ld et very ill 'hen the relations bet'een +s 'ere not nor,al. &t 'as o+r concern for her that 'o+ld brin +s to ether. Nandi 'as the baro,eter of o+r relations. ;hen thin s 'ere ood bet'een +s, Nandi 'as in

the pink of health. & 'as also ,at+rin and learnt to avoid confrontations 'ith ..C. ..C. 'as ro'in too. 3e 'as beco,in less conservative, thanks to o+r ,ovin to Cape 6o'n. &t 'as here that he 'as to shed a lot of his conservative 'ays. 6his 'as thanks also to his best friend, &. B. 6abata, an advocate of 'o,en*s ri hts, 'ho helped ..C. e,brace the ne' 'ays and attit+des. 3o' does one reconcile the tastes of t'o people / one e>pensive, the other si,ple and fr+ al9 & al'ays la+ h 'hen & read ..C.*s description of the roo, of the teachers at N colosi, in his book ?M@ M Lero atory e>pression +sed for anybody 'ho behaves in a 'ay stran e to the .frican people. < 11# < iNgqu$bo ye $iNyanya for that is e>actly ..C.*s idea of 'hat f+rnit+re sho+ld be fo+nd in a roo, / a bed, a table to 'ork on and a s+itcase for one*s clothes. 6he only addition he 'o+ld have 'as a bookcase, record2player and ,+sic records. &t is very diffic+lt to reconcile tastes that are so different. 7o,eti,es it is better not to try at all. 1ealisin that o+rs 'ere so different, & decided early in o+r life that & 'o+ld al'ays 'ork, so as to have ,y o'n acco+nt and +se ,y ,oney to b+y the thin s & 'anted, and let hi, pay the ho+se bills. & never asked hi, for per,ission to do that. & :+st told hi, this 'as ho' & 'as oin to do it. & had seen this done by ,y redblanket a+nts back ho,e, 'ives of ,en of ,eans. ;henever these 'o,en 'ent o+t to earn ,oney, it 'as kno'n by their h+sbands that s+ch earnin s 'ere for their personal +se, to b+y the,selves beads and other orna,ents they 'anted. 6heir h+sbands had no say in s+ch earnin s. 6ata had never ind+l ed +s. B+t he al'ays bo+ ht the best that his ,oney co+ld b+y. 7o 'ith ,y ,oney & dressed ,yself and ,y children, f+rnished ,y ho+se 'ith the best 'ithin ,y ,eans, and ave the children ,oney to b+y books and alb+,s they 'anted and other thin s that ro'in children 'ant. 6his 'orked 'ell for all of +s. &f & had the ,oney, & co+ld o any'here & 'anted. &n this respect, & 'as a free and e,ancipated 'o,an. B+t & e,ancipated ,yself, and fort+nately for ,e ..C. ,ade no f+ss abo+t it. 3o'ever, on one occasion in Cape 6o'n, & bo+ ht ne' sittin roo, f+rnit+re. ..C. 'as not s+re if this acco+nt 'as in his na,e and, an>io+s, he never said anythin abo+t the f+rnit+re, 'hether he liked it or not. 3e 'as reatly relieved 'hen the sales papers ca,e in the ,ail and they 'ere not in his na,e. Enly then did he say he liked the pieces & had bo+ ht. 6he children and & la+ hed, for by no' they too had co,e to kno' :+st ho' fr+ al their father 'as. En another occasion, 'hen the bill fro, o+r che,ist ca,e and it 'as rather hi h, ..C. 'as an ry / he paid for all s+ch / and ca,e askin : *;hy is this bill so hi h9 6here are three kinds of toothpaste here. ;hy9* & e>plained that t'o of the kids liked one kind 'hile the other t'o liked another, and the third one 'as for the t'o of +s. *No, no4 6he children ,+st +se ash to clean their teeth.* H6his 'as 'hat children +sed in the co+ntry in his days of ro'in +p.I 3e had for otten that his children 'ere to'n children 'ho had never even seen people +se ash for cleanin their teeth. Besides, 'here 'as & to et the ash in Cape 6o'n9 & 'as not +sin a coal stove, b+t < 11$ < an electric stove. & did not say anythin at the ti,e, for he 'as annoyed. Lays after, & asked hi, 'here & 'o+ld et the ash for the children to +se. Lid he 'ant ,e to contract for ash 'ith -rs -d+li or -aria and 5ertie, do'n the road, the only people & kne' 'ho +sed coal stoves in o+r area9 3e never said

anythin . B+t & think he +nderstood that his children 'ere ro'in +p in a 'orld co,pletely different fro, the one he had ro'n +p in. 7o 'hen his da+ hter Nandi started s,okin at fo+rteen, he learnt to accept that s+ch thin s 'o+ld happen. B+t reat 'as his e,barrass,ent 'hen any of o+r .frican friends ca,e and sa' his children not behavin like .frican children, not even like those in to'n. & had to say to hi,: *(ook, ..C., o+r .frica friends have to accept that o+r children are not ro'in +p in an .frican environ,ent, b+t in a ,i>ed nei hbo+rhood, ,ostly Colo+red. 6hey are not oin to be any different fro, the children they are ro'in +p 'ith. &f o+r .frican friends cannot +nderstand that and accept the children as they are, hard lines.* < 11J <

A,a4e i g
& often tell people that it 'as ,y e>perience in the Eran e Aree 7tate that really ro+sed to an er ,y social conscio+sness. .s & looked at ,y class of forty or forty2five st+dents, kno'in that of these only abo+t ten co+ld say for certain that they 'o+ld o beyond 'hat o+r school ave, & often asked ,yself: *;hy9 B+t 'hy9* & had been bro+ ht +p in a ho,e 'here the destit+te al'ays ca,e for help. 7o & 'as sensitive to ,y p+pils* needs and sit+ation. .t 3ealdto'n, (ovedale and Aort 3are, the st+dents 'ith ,e, e>cept for a fe', had kno'n fro, pri,ary school that they 'ere headed for these places. -ost of o+r st+dents in Droonstad did not see any f+t+re for the,selves beyond their school. 6hey re,ained in school beca+se it 'as a ood place, better than life in the location. & kne' that so,ethin 'as 'ron so,e'here. ;hat it 'as & had not fi +red o+t. &n ,y last years at Aort 3are, a n+,ber of +s be an to 0+estion so,e of the thin s 'e 'ere bein ta+ ht. ;e ca,e o+t 'ith the slo an *7o+th .frican history is a lie*. ;e did not have all the facts to prove o+r state,ent, b+t 'e kne' 7o+th .frican history 'as like the story of an ani,al h+nt that lorified only the actions of the h+nters and said nothin or very little abo+t the herois, and strate ies of the h+nted. 6he early history & learned fro, 6ata told ,e that the .frican people had been cheated and robbed. 6he reasons for this 'holesale robbery had not been clear to ,e. 6hey 'ere to be ,ade clear in Droonstad, d+rin ,y years as a teacher there. ;hen & ca,e ho,e in 19!J, & fo+nd 6ata and ,any others ettin ready to o to Bloe,fontein to hear the reply of the overn,ent to their *no* to the 3ertFo Bills, 'hich proposed to take a'ay their vote. O+alified .frican ,ales in the Cape Province had e>ercised the < 11K < ri ht to vote lon before the Union of 7o+th .frica. 6his 'as a ri ht they 'ere pro+d of. Ene of their n+,ber, Lr ;. B. 1+b+sana, had represented the, in the Cape Provincial Co+ncil fro, 191" to 191#. No' the overn,ent 'as proposin to take a'ay this ri ht. No 'onder there 'as so ,+ch a itation a,on the .fricans of the Cape Province. 6hose 'ho had titles to their lands feared that it 'as the vote today and 'o+ld be their titles to,orro'. 6he .frican ,ales in the Cape lost their vote in 19!J. . ne' .ct proposed the representation of .fricans, in both the 7enate and the 3o+se of .sse,bly, by fo+r 'hite persons in each cha,ber, and representation by 'hites on the Provincial Co+ncils. &n addition, they 'o+ld be entitled to elect

,e,bers to a Natives 1epresentative Co+ncil, a body that 'o+ld advise the overn,ent on all thin s affectin the .frican people. 7o,e ar +ed that, after all, it 'as only in the Cape Province that .fricans had the voteB in the other three provinces .fricans did not have this ri ht. .nd it 'as ,ore land that the .fricans really neededB had not the loss of the vote been co,pensated for by the release of ,ore land9 6he 'hite liberals, 'ho 'ere already offerin the,selves as candidates for the ne' instit+tions, 'ere tellin the .frican people that half a loaf 'as better than none. 6he .fricans, tho+ h sceptical, decided to try these ne' str+ct+res. E+t of their conference in Bloe,fontein in 19!J ca,e the .ll2.frican Convention, a federal body to 'hich 'ere affiliated all or anisations of the .frican people and 'hich 'o+ld be their ,o+thpiece. 6he first ro+nd of elections +nder the ne' la' ca,e and 'ent, and it 'as no' the second ro+nd. .fricans felt that perhaps the fa+lt 'as 'ith the tea, they had sent to parlia,ent the first ti,e, and that 'as 'hy nothin had chan ed in their condition. -aybe the tea, had not fo+ ht hard eno+ h. &f, 'ith this second ro+nd, they sent to parlia,ent fi htin ,en, thin s 'o+ld chan e. &n the Eran e Aree 7tate and 6ransvaal, the o+t oin 7enator 1heinallt28ones 'as seekin a second ter,. Epposin hi, 'as a brilliant la'yer fro, 8ohannesb+r , 3y,an Basner. -ost of the yo+n people in both provinces 'ere for chan e and for Basner, ar +in that the 1heinallt28ones tea, had been in parlia,ent for fo+r years and the lot of the .frican people had not chan ed one iota. 6ho+ h & 'as not actively involved in the ca,pai nin , & too 'as for Basner. 6he candidates sched+led ,eetin s in Droonstad. ;hen Basner ca,e, the ,+nicipal hall 'as filled to overflo'in B his < 11% < or anisers had done their part and people 'ere e>cited. &t 'as the be innin of 8+ne. -y baby, Pallo, 'as only three 'eeks old, b+t & 'as deter,ined to o to the Basner ,eetin . & did not tell ..C. this. & arran ed 'ith ,y help, 8oanna, to baby2sit for ,e that evenin . .s ..C. 'as oin to be one of the interpreters, he left i,,ediately after s+pper to ive hi,self ti,e to ,eet the candidate and speaker. .s soon as 8oanna arrived, & follo'ed to the ,+nicipal hall. 6here 'as e>cite,ent all ro+ndB the air 'as char ed. &n his openin re,arks, Ntate Ntan a, as chair,an of the ,eetin , said eno+ h to ,ake it kno'n 'ho his candidate 'as. 6hen Basner, tall, i,pressive 'ith a bi head and po'erf+l voice, started: & a, not here seekin yo+r votes to send ,e to parlia,ent as yo+r representative, beca+se & think there is anythin & can do there for yo+. Nobody can do that for yo+. )o+ and yo+ alone 'ill do that, the day yo+ have the ri ht to o into that parlia,ent and speak for yo+rselves. & a, seekin yo+r votes so that & can, as yo+r representative, o aro+nd these far,s, factories and ,ines of the Eran e Aree 7tate and 6ransvaal, tellin the .frican people 'hy they are in the position they are inB tell the, 'hy they and their children are starvin in a land of plentyB tell the, 'hy they are so poor in so rich a landB tell the, that they are the creators of the 'ealth of this co+ntryB tell the, that it is their labo+r on the far,s, the factories, the ,ines, that has ,ade this co+ntry rich. B+t the fr+its of their labo+r are for the benefit of others, the bi far,ers, the factory o'ners, the ,ine ,a nates, and that is 'hy they, the prod+cers of this 'ealth, are poor, h+n ry and riddled 'ith disease. .s a private citiFen & cannot o aro+nd, tellin people this. 6he la's of the land forbid any citiFen to do that. B+t as yo+r representative, & can. & 'ill o ro+nd these far,s, factories and ,ines, tellin the .frican people, ,y constit+ency, that they and they alone can ri ht this 'ron a ainst the,B that +nited as a body of 'orkers, the creators of the 'ealth of 7o+th .frica, they can rind to a halt the

econo,ic ,achinery of 7o+th .frica, that they can brin do'n the 'hole syste,. & 'ill o aro+nd tellin the .fricans 'hy. .nd 'hen 'e speak to ether in one bi voice, 'hen 'e act to ether, 'e 'ill ,ake their far,s tre,ble and their ,ines 'ill 0+ake and a cold shiver 'ill r+n thro+ h their < 119 < factories, for they 'ill kno' that the oppressed, e>ploited .frican 'orker has no' discovered the reat po'er he has in his hands, the po'er to 'ithhold his labo+r and brin this co+ntry do'n. Nobody 'ill ever do that for yo+. & cannot do it. B+t & can sho' yo+ ho' to ether yo+ can do it. Basner 'as elo0+ent, inspired and fiery. 6he interpretations into Nhosa by ..C. and into 7otho by .. 6. 7ello 'ere as inspired, si,+ltaneo+s and brilliantB speaker and interpreters 'ere on the sa,e 'avelen th. 6here 'as no pa+se at all. Ene 'o+ld have tho+ ht that Basner 'as speakin in these lan +a es. No' and a ain 'hen the speaker*s voice rose in a crescendo, there 'ere sho+ts of *+ua Ngoana +asner" +abolelle" * ?7peak, child of Basner. 6ell the,.@ 3is a+dience follo'ed every n+ance of his speech and 'as 'ith hi, to the very end. .nd Basner kne' it. .fter the ,eetin & h+rried ho,e. ..C. ca,e ho,e shortly, all e>cite,ent. B+t before he co+ld ,ake his report, & 0+oted hi, e>cerpts fro, Basner*s speech. *)o+ 'ere there9* he asked, e>cited. *Ef co+rse & 'as there. Lid yo+ think & 'o+ld ,iss this ,eetin abo+t 'hich everybody & kno' is so e>cited9 *8+st like yo+, Phyllie4* 3e h+ ed and kissed ,e. &n school the follo'in day, all talk 'as abo+t the ,eetin of the ni ht before. 6he teachers co,,ended both ..C. and 7ello on their interpretation, and those 'ho kne' both 7otho and Nhosa said: *.t so,e point, & did not kno' 'hich lan +a e & 'as listenin to. & heard all three si,+ltaneo+sly.* Basner 'on the Eran e Aree 7tate26ransvaal 7enate seat. 3e 'as still in parlia,ent 'hen 'e ot to Cape 6o'n in 19#J, tho+ h he 'as beco,in disill+sioned and confessed that he had not done half as ,+ch as he had hoped to do in those fo+r years. (e islation co,in o+t of the 7o+th .frican parlia,ent 'as ,akin it diffic+lt even for those representin .fricans to advocate strike action by .fricans. ;hen the ,ine'orkers, K" """ stron , str+ck on 1# .+ +st 19#J, ,inin 'as bro+ ht to a standstill on the 1eef, for a 'hole 'eek. B+t the strikin 'orkers 'ere sent do'n the ,ine shafts at +npoint, 'ith nine killed and ,any in:+red. Basner*s candidacy a'akened even the teachers in the Eran e Aree 7tate and the 6ransvaal, t'o provinces 'here the teacher 'as not treated as a professional. 6he Eran e Aree 7tate .frican < 12" < 6eachers* .ssociation and the 6ransvaal .frican 6eachers* .ssociation started lookin critically at their contracts and their conditions of service. &n the Eran e Aree 7tate, teachers or anised branches in city, to'n and dorp, 'ith so,e far, teachers Hat reat risk to their lives and :obsI :oinin the local branch of EA7.6. in the nearest to'n or city. &n -arch 19#!, the Bloe,fontein teachers sta ed one of the bi est de,onstrations ever held in the city by .fricans, protestin a ainst the ne' service contract that had :+st been dra'n +p. & had one to Bloe,fontein to 'rite a s+pple,entary e>a,ination the day

before the de,onstration, hopin to ive ,yself a day of rest before the e>a,. 7'ept into the tide of the de,onstration, & ,arched 'ith the teachers to the offices of the 7ecretary of =d+cation. ;hen 'e ot there his assistant ca,e o+t, 'ith the ne' service contract, tryin to tell the teachers that this 'as the best ever in the 'hole co+ntry. 8oey 8acobs rabbed it o+t of his hand, tore it to pieces and thre' the pieces into his face. & 'rote the e>a,ination the follo'in day still f+ll of the e>cite,ent of the day before. &t 'as ood & had been there for & co+ld report first2hand to ..C., 'ho 'as no' president of EA7.6., on the ,ood of the teachers in Bloe,fontein and its environs. L+rin the t'o years of ..C.*s presidency, ne' branches of the or anisation spran +p in the ,ost +nlikely places in the Eran e Aree 7tate / Clocolan, ;epener, 7teynsr+st, and other little places that one hardly ever heard of. 6he teachers* involve,ent in the Basner ca,pai n had sho'n the, that there 'as so,ethin they co+ld do abo+t their lot. &t 'as an e>citin ti,e. Plans to liaise and co2ordinate 'ith the 6ransvaal .frican 6eachers* .ssociation 'ere initiated. By 19#$ this body and EA7.6. 'ere the ,ost ,ilitant in the 'hole co+ntry. ;ho 'o+ld have tho+ ht then that EA7.6. 'o+ld be the first .frican teachers* or anisation to 'elco,e Bant+ =d+cation9 6he old stal'arts left the province on retire,ent, transfer, pro,otion or death, and ne' ,en took over the or anisation / 0+islin s and collaborators. ;hile in the Cape Province and the 6ransvaal the overn,ent had to create ne' .frican teachers* or anisations to pro,ote Bant+ =d+cation, in the Eran e Aree 7tate the once2,ilitant EA7.6. 'o+ld pro,ote it for the,. 6hat ni ht in 8+ne 19#2 at the Basner ,eetin , & obtained the ans'ers to so,e of ,y 0+estions. & kne' 'here ,y place 'o+ld be in the 7o+th .frican set2+p. & +nderstood even the sli ht racis, of < 121 < places like the Cape Province, (ovedale and Aort 3are, 'hich & had tho+ ht 'ere free fro, racial attit+des. & +nderstood so,e of the reasons behind pro,otin an elite a,on the .frican people and 'hy the first rad+ates of Aort 3are 'ere so elitist in their attit+des. 6ho+ h born and bro+ ht +p in that ,ilie+, & 'o+ld try to shed those attit+des and involve ,yself in the str+ les of ,y people. < 122 <

5ac4 !o Fo#! )a#e

&n .+ +st 19##, ..C. 'as offered a post at Aort 3are. Professor 8abav+ 'as retirin and his position 'as offered to ..C. Ariends 'rote +r in hi, to accept the offer. ;e 'ere all e>cited, even o+r little Nandi. 7he told all 'ho passed by o+r ate that *;e are oin back to the Cape. ;e 'ill not be co,in back.* Nandi 'as :+st three2and2a2half years old. & had not been to Aort 3are since ,y st+dent days. ..C. had been there t'ice / once for the vacation co+rse and a ain for his -... rad+ation. B+t no' 'e 'ere oin back per,anently to o+r Aort 3are. &f, in the years in the field, 'e had ro'n this ,+ch, ho' ,+ch f+rther co+ld 'e ro' in an intellect+al centre like Aort 3are9 6here are places in this 'orld 'hich are not of this 'orld, little islands 'here the inhabitants live a life of their o'n, co,pletely +na'are of 'hat is oin on in the 'orld aro+nd the,. &nstit+tions of hi her learnin are :+st s+ch placesB even in the colonial 'orld, these instit+tions carry on this tradition, 'here the colonial elite have nothin or very little to do 'ith their fello' ,en. 6his 'as 'hat 'e fo+nd at Aort 3are 'hen 'e arrived there.

6here are three instit+tions at .lice, all connected / (ovedale, -acvicar 3ospital and Aort 3are / all 'ithin a three2,ile radi+s of one another. .ll three have ,+lti2racial staff, 'ith a predo,inance of 'hites at Aort 3are and (ovedale. 6he fe' .fricans 'ho ta+ ht on the staff at Aort 3are 'ere the ,ost fri htened people & ever had the ,isfort+ne to ,eet. 6hey 'ere not happy abo+t the discri,ination there, b+t they spoke of it in 'hispers, for fear of losin their :obs. 1acis, 'as ra,pant in the staff lo+n e. . n+,ber of .frikaners had :oined the fac+lty, and in the staff lo+n e they sat in ro+ps aro+nd a certain stron ,an / -r -eirin , an .frikaner fro, < 12! < Bloe,fontein. &n another corner 'as the Aort 3are old +ard, 'ho see,ed so,e'hat lost in this at,osphereB and in yet another corner, the s,all ro+p of .frican staff, lookin ti,id and lost. Professor C. D. -atthe's see,ed to be the only one 'ho ,oved fro, ro+p to ro+p 'ith ease, no' crackin :okes 'ith the .frikaners, no' 'ith his 'hite liberal friends and no' 'ith his .frican brethren. 6he 'hole at,osphere stank. .nd 'hat did they talk abo+t9 Nothin ,+ch / the 'eather, the 'ar H'itho+t any depthI, their 'ork / all the thin s that intellect+als in their ivory to'ers talk abo+t. ;eekends 'ere for ,ovies, irrespective of the kind of ,ovie sho'in . Beyond that, it 'as parties, and the talk of the staff revolved aro+nd 'ho 'as invited or not invited to so2and2so*s ho+se party. 6here 'as a lot of ani,osity bet'een the ad,inistration and the st+dent body. 6he sa,e 'as to be fo+nd at (ovedale and the 3ospital, tho+ h here it 'as not as prono+nced as at Aort 3are. .nd 'hat abo+t the st+dent body9 6hey 'ere a reflection of the staff. 6heir interests 'ere ,ovies, 'o,en, sports and ettin their de rees. &n o+r days, there had been a collective Aort 3are spiritB st+dents had been pro+d of Aort 3are and of doin Hor not doin I thin s in the na,e of their colle e. No, no' it 'as *,y hostel* first. 6his had en endered a very +nhealthy co,petition bet'een the hostels, partic+larly in sport. .nother thin that s+rprised +s 'as the re ionalis, of the st+dent body / +p2 co+ntry and do'n co+ntryB 6ransvaal and Eran e Aree 7tate as a ainst the Cape and NatalB to'n and r+ral area. 6his 'as in ro'n and +nhealthy. .s 'e ca,e fro, the Eran e Aree 7tate, st+dents fro, this area and the 6ransvaal clai,ed +s as ho,e2 people and visited o+r ho+se in .lice. 6hose fro, the Cape, especially 6ranskei, clai,ed +s too and 'ere fre0+ent visitors to o+r ho,e. -any of the, started talkin to each other for the first ti,e at o+r ho+se, and fro, then on the barriers 'ere broken. B+t there 'ere others, like LiliFa -:i, 'ho 'o+ld never condescend to talk to a *st+pid* +p2co+ntry fello', 'hose only interest 'as 'o,en and the ,ovies. ;hen LiliFa ca,e to the ho+se H'hich he often didI and fo+nd any of these +p2co+ntry *fools*, he 'o+ld o and play 'ith the children for a fe' ,in+tes and 'alk back to ;esley 3o+se, ret+rnin so,e other ti,e. .,on the st+dents there 'as a ro+p that 'as politically a'are and had seen thro+ h the politics of Aort 3are and the role of ,en s+ch as C. D. -atthe's and the other .frican staff. 6hese soon fo+nd < 12# < a place in o+r ho+se 'here they co+ld ,eet and disc+ss 'ith ro'n2+ps ,atters that 'ere relevant to their lives as .fricans at Aort 3are and in the 'orld o+tside. E+r life in the Eran e Aree 7tate had bro+ ht ho,e to +s the disabilities of the .frican people, and both ..C. and & had chosen to be part of that section of o+r people that 'as str+ lin for liberation. 6ho+ h ,erely paid2+p ,e,bers of the .NC, 'hich 'as the only or anisation 'e co+ld :oin in Droonstad, 'e had played a role in EA7.6. and as teachers 'ere very ,+ch interested in 'hat the profession co+ld do. 7o there 'as a lot that the

political st+dents at Aort 3are co+ld share 'ith +s. 6ho+ h not rabid )o+th (ea +ers, 'ith their slo an *.frica for the .fricans*, the Aort 3are st+dent of the day 'as not 0+ite clear abo+t the role of the 7o+th .frican 'hite in all this. None of the, ever talked of *drivin the 'hite ,an into the sea* as so,e )o+th (ea +e Fealots 'ere advocatin . -y ideas on the 0+estion of 'hites 'ere not clear either at the ti,e. 6hey 'o+ld beco,e so for ,e in Cape 6o'n, 'here & ained a tr+e analysis of the 7o+th .frican sit+ation. &n -ay, ..C. ave his first ;ednesday address to staff and st+dents in the Christian Union 3all. 6his 'as a Aort 3are tradition, accordin to 'hich every staff ,e,ber or visitor 'o+ld address the 'hole colle e on a topic of his choice. ..C. chose as his s+b:ect *6he =thics of ;ar of the Bant+*. 3e took certain episodes fro, 7o+th .frican history, the clashes bet'een the .fricans and the colonial po'er, and interpreted each episode fro, the point of vie' of the .fricans / the lions, this ti,e, tellin their o'n story. ..C. 'as by all acco+nts terrific and ,ade an indelible i,pression on the st+dents. & had not one to the ,eetin as & 'as in ,y ei hth ,onth of pre nancy. B+t even before he ca,e ho,e for l+nch, ro+ps of st+dents stopped by, e>cited, tellin ,e that for the first ti,e, they had an .frican 'ho 'as not afraid to interpret .frican history as it sho+ld be. 1i ht thro+ h the day, st+dents dropped by to con rat+late hi, and to ask ,ore 0+estions. Aro, that day on, ..C.*s place a,on Aort 3are st+dents 'as ass+red. ;hile the st+dents 'ere e>cited, his .frican collea +es 'ere, ho'ever, e,barrassed. .s he 'as oin o+t of the ,eetin , one of the,, very close to hi,, ca,e +p to hi, and asked: *8oe, ho' co+ld yo+ do that9* *;hat have & done9* he asked. 6he Aort 3are old +ard, the 'hite liberals, 'ere shocked. 6hey had never e>pected this fro, hi,. 6hey had tho+ ht that he too 'o+ld be one of their ood boys. ;e heard later that one of the, < 12$ < co,plained that the Eran e Aree 7tate had e,bittered hi,. Aor this chan e of attit+de, those 'hite liberals never for ave ..C. 7o,e of the .frican staff at Aort 3are also sh+nned +s and only sa' +s 'hen it 'as necessary. B+t ,ore and ,ore st+dents ca,e and fo+nd pleas+re in o+r co,pany. 6he i,pact of ..C.*s talk 'as felt even at (ovedale. No' and a ain the ,ost senior (ovedale st+dents stopped at o+r ho+se in .lice 'hen they 'ere in to'n. *1ebels* like 7ipho -akhali,a, a teacher at (ovedale, loved by the st+dents b+t feared by the a+thorities both at (ovedale and Aort 3are, 'ere pleased. 7ipho had s+b,itted, for his -aster*s thesis, an .frican interpretation of the Non 0a'+se episode, b+t no 7o+th .frican +niversity 'o+ld accept his thesis, 'hich ave a totally different vie' of this tra edy fro, the version of the 'hite liberal historians. ;hen 'e left the Eran e Aree 7tate, 'e had hoped to :oin the local branch of the Cape .frican 6eachers* .ssociation. &n ,y condition, & co+ld not. B+t ..C. ca,e back fro, each ,eetin thoro+ hly dis +sted. 3o' different thin s 'ere 'ith the teachers here in the Cape. 6heir ,eetin s 'ere still social atherin s. ..C. ,issed the ,ilitancy of the Eran e Aree 7tate teachers. & did not :oin the Gictoria =ast branch of C.6. after hearin these reports, tho+ h & 'as to :oin C.6. in Cape 6o'n in 19#K. 6he Cape teachers 'ere scared stiff of politics in their or anisation. &n 19#$, those 'ho had attended the ann+al conference of the .ssociation in Port =liFabeth ca,e back co,plainin that fello's like ;. -. 6sotsi, principal of Aree,antle 7chool for Boys, and C. -. Dob+s, a teacher at 7t 8ohn*s Colle e, U,tata, 'ere tryin to brin politics into the or anisation: they had had the nerve to ask conference to allo' &. B. 6abata, an avo'ed politician fro, Cape 6o'n, to address the,. Conference had ref+sed this

re0+est, for the teachers kne' that 6abata 'o+ld speak nothin b+t politics. 6hey 'ere a professional or anisation and they 'anted to re,ain that 'ay. & had never been a'ay fro, 'ork for s+ch a lon ti,e before. 6he lon est period had been for si> ,onths / three ,onths before ,y babies arrived and three ,onths after'ards. 3ere in .lice, & had been a'ay for ,ore than ei ht ,onths and & 'as itchin to o back to 'ork. Aort+nately for ,e, -iss 6rieste 6se'+, a teacher at (ovedale 3i h 7chool, decided to take +p the position of librarian at Aort 3are and & 'as asked to fill in for her at (ovedale. & :+,ped at the offer. .ll the 'ives of the teachers at (ovedale and Aort 3are < 12J < 'ere shocked. ;ives of teachers and other professionals in the Cape Province did not o o+t to 'ork in those days. 6hey stayed ho,e, to look after their ho,es, h+sbands and children. 3o,e2,akin 'as a respected callin . ;hy o o+t to 'ork, as if one*s h+sband co+ld not ,aintain one9 &n the Eran e Aree 7tate, beca+se of a shorta e of 0+alified teachers, 'o,en 'orked after ,arria e and only took leave of absence before and after the birth of a baby. .nd here & 'as breakin a Cape tradition. 6he other 'o,en 'ere shocked. -y baby 'as only three ,onths old 'hen & 'ent back to teachin . & re,e,ber ,eetin so,e of the 'ives of teachers co,in fro, schoolB they al'ays ,ade a point of tellin ,e that, as they passed the ho+se, they heard ,y baby cryin . .s if the baby 'o+ld not cry 'hen & 'as there4 -rs -atthe's 'as shocked too, even tho+ h she never said it in so ,any 'ords. 7he once ave ,e a ride on ,y 'ay fro, school. .s she 'as droppin ,e in front of the ho+se, she re,arked: *.nd & do not kno' 'hy one 'o+ld leave a three2,onth2old baby at ho,e and o o+t to 'ork. 1eally & do not kno'.* & did not say anythin . & thanked her and 'ent inside. &t t+rned o+t these 'o,en 'ere all 'aitin for so,eone to break this +n'ritten r+le. .fter & had left .lice, ,any of the, took :obs in and aro+nd (ovedale. -any others have no' accepted the idea of 'o,en 'orkin after ,arria e. Nobody thinks it stran e any ,ore. & en:oyed ,y teachin at (ovedale. 6he st+dents 'ere different fro, those & had in Droonstad, and 'e en:oyed each other. 6he senior ,atric+lation class 'as a ti htly knit ro+p, 'ho called the,selves *6he Board* fro, their set book, 4liver T#ist . Ene of the,, (o+is -tshiFana, 'rote an article on class activities for the st+dent ,a aFine, The 9$ble$ . 6his the a+thorities at (ovedale did not like and a stor, in a teac+p follo'ed, 'ith -tshiFana called before the school discipline co,,ittee. Beca+se of the article and the investi ation that follo'ed, all the boys e>cept one in that class of t'enty2five st+dents 'ere debarred fro, oin to Aort 3are. .t the Co,pleters* social at the end of the year, ->haka 7ihlali delivered the fare'ell speech. &n it he acc+sed the (ovedale a+thorities of havin broken their pro,ise to the .frican people. (ovedale, he said, 'as not the (ovedale that had pled ed at its inception to 'ork for the 'elfare of the .frican people. &t 'as no' one of the i,perialist forces in 7o+th .frica. Needless to say, ->haka did not et a reco,,endation to o to Aort 3are. 6here 'as an a ree,ent in those days that 'hosoever 'as blacklisted at (ovedale, 3eald2 < 12K < to'n, 7t -atthe's or Aort 3are co+ld not be ad,itted in the other three instit+tions, either as a teacher or as a st+dent. 6hro+ ho+t the follo'in year there 'as a lot of +nrest at (ovedale and in .+ +st 19#J the st+dents 'ent o+t on strike. 6he na,e of 8ordan ca,e +p, 'ith so,e of the a+thorities sayin the st+dents +sed

to hold ,eetin s at o+r ho+se in .lice. 6his 'as not tr+e. No (ovedale st+dents ever held ,eetin s at o+r ho+se in .lice. Not even Aort 3are st+dents had done so. .ll st+dents 'ere 'elco,e at o+r ho+se and 'e disc+ssed a 'hole ran e of topics, incl+din politics in these instit+tions and in 7o+th .frica at lar e. &n Nove,ber 19#$, ..C. received an appoint,ent as (ect+rer in .frican (an +a es at the University of Cape 6o'n. 3e 'as oin to be the first .frican to hold a f+ll staff position in a predo,inantly 'hite +niversity. 6o this very day, the University of Cape 6o'n prides itself for havin taken this bold step. 6he University of the ;it'atersrand had .frican people on its staff, b+t not as f+ll staff ,e,bersB they 'ere all 6eachin .ssistants. -any .fricans criticised ..C. for takin +p the position at UC6. 3is reasonin 'as that UC6 belon s to all people in 7o+th .frica, not only to the 'hites. 3e 'as oin there to keep that door a:ar, so that ,any others co+ld co,e in, for only then co+ld UC6 pride itself as an instit+tion of hi her learnin , free fro, the pre:+dices of 7o+th .frica. ;e left Aort 3are at the end of 19#$. < 12% <

Ca(e To,
.fter ro+ndin the Cape of 5ood 3ope the pirate Arancis Lrake 'rote: *6his Cape is a ,ost stately thin , and the fairest Cape 'e sa' in the 'hole circ+,ference of the earth.* 3e 'as ri ht. 6he city, b+ilt alon the conto+rs of 6able Bay, sn+ les +p a ainst the slopes of 6able -o+ntain. ;atch its s+nsets in s+,,er or 'inter / 'ith .pollo*s ball, a fla,in red, slo'ly droppin into the .tlantic Ecean beyond Ca,ps Bay. Er of a ,ornin , stand at 1hodes -e,orial above the University of Cape 6o'n and look east and see a carpet of fo lyin over the Cape Alats and beyond, as far as the Boland ,o+ntains. .s the s+n lifts fro, the eastern horiFon, 'atch this carpet roll slo'ly back, revealin 6y erber , then the 7trand, then Bellville, 7trandfontein, the Cape Alats, then 1ondebosch and then Ne'lands, ri ht +nder yo+r feet. 6his is a bea+tif+l city, and no ,atter fro, 'hich end yo+ see it, its ,a:esty daFFles the ,ind. -y so+l fo+nd a restin place here and & kne' & 'o+ld ,ake Cape 6o'n ,y ho,e. ..C. had preceded +s to Cape 6o'n to find acco,,odation before & and the children ca,e do'n. 3e fo+nd a place to stay in (an a, an .frican location t'elve ,iles fro, the city centre. 6he place ets its na,e fro, (an alibalele, the 3l+bi kin 'ho, after bein i,prisoned for so,e years on 1obben &sland, had been released on the Cape Alats 'here a settle,ent 'as b+ilt for hi, and his 'ives. & had hated livin in the location at DroonstadB & hated it even ,ore here. .t least in Droonstad ,y ho+se 'as not like the one ne>t to it, and that ,ade so,e differenceB it had its o'n sta,p and individ+ality. 3ere in (an a, the people are red+ced to the sa,e co,,on deno,inator. ;hat sets yo+r ho+se apart fro, the ones ne>t to it is the colo+r of the paint on the door and the colo+r of the < 129 < c+rtains in the 'indo's. 6ho+ h s+pposedly livin in to'n, the people 'ere ,ore conservative than ,ost & kne' in the co+ntry. & co+ld not i,a ine ,y children ro'in +p in that at,osphere. *;hat abo+t all these other people9* ..C. 'o+ld ask 'hen & co,plained. *8oe, & a, not the other people, have never been and & a, not oin to be in no',* & 'o+ld tell hi,.

&t 'as bro+ ht ho,e to ,e then 'hat a location really 'as, 'hy it 'as created in the first place / locate *the,* there, a'ay fro, *+s*, and let the, ste' to ether in their 'retchedness. .nd if they ive tro+ble, 'e can s+rro+nd the, and p+t the, +nder sie e. 6his is the sinister ,otive behind it all. & hate a locationB it confines one not only physically b+t also ,entally. .nd yet a,on the people livin there & ,ade a lot of friends, fo+nd ,any 'ho +nderstood e>actly 'hy they 'ere confined to the locations, beca+se they 'ere reservoirs of labo+r for the city. 6hese 'ere the people involved in political 'ork in (an a and else'here, and 'ith the, 'e fo+ ht ,any a political battle in Cape 6o'n. Beca+se & did not 'ant to live in the location, 'e started lookin for a place o+tside, in the s+b+rbs of Cape 6o'n. .nd 'hat a search4 6he ;estern Cape has al'ays been re arded as the ho,e of the Colo+red people. =ven tho+ h .fricans have been present since the be innin s of the city, they have never been re arded as belon in there. & think they, too, did not re ard Cape 6o'n as a place 'here they co+ld settle and ,ake a ho,e. .s a res+lt very fe' .fricans in Cape 6o'n had property, this in a city and a province 'here they co+ld have bo+ ht property in any of the s+b+rbs. .nd beca+se of the preference iven to Colo+reds for :obs, ,any .fricans had crossed over the colo+r line and 'ere livin as Colo+reds. Colo+red persons in 7o+th .frica ran e in colo+r fro, the blondest blonde to the blackest black. ;hat deter,ined 'hether one is Colo+red or not 'as 'here one lived, and one*s lan +a e: .frikaans is re arded as the lan +a e of the Colo+red people. .ll this 'as to affect profo+ndly o+r search for a place to rent or b+y in the s+b+rbs of Cape 6o'n. . cla+se in the 19!J (and .ct had restricted f+rther the ri ht of .fricans to b+y land any'here, stip+latin that .fricans co+ld only b+y land or property fro, other .fricans. &f fro, 'hites, Colo+reds, or &ndians, they had to have the per,ission of the 5overnor25eneral2in2Co+ncil. O+ite early in o+r search, 'e had iven +p on < 1!" < the 0+estion of rentin . 6he only people 'ho see,ed to have ho+ses to rent 'ere 8e's, and the fe' 'e approached told +s 0+ite bl+ntly they had decided never to rent to .fricans beca+se they +s+ally t+rned their property into a sl+,, takin in other fa,ilies into a s,all ho+se. En 'eekends 'e 'ere o+t ho+se2h+ntin . ;e 'o+ld be told of an .frican, Ndlov+, in .thlone 'ho had ho+ses for sale. ;hen 'e ot there, 'e invariably fo+nd -r Ndlov+ 'as no lon er Ndlov+, an .frican, b+t -r Eliphant, a Colo+red person. ;e 'o+ld o to a -rs 7iphondo, 'ho 'e 'ere told 'as .frican, 'ido' of the 1ev. 7iphondo, ,inister of so,e .frican ch+rch in .thlone, only to find that -rs 7iphondo 'as no' -rs 7pa'n, a Colo+red person. 6he -thi,kh+l+s had chan ed their na,es to 5rootboo,, Colo+red people. 7e alo had dropped the o in his na,e and ,ade it into the 8e'ish 7egal and he 'as no' a Colo+red person. &t 'as a fr+stratin b+t ed+cational search. ;e +nderstood 'hy people had to do s+ch thin s. En it depended not only 'here one co+ld live, b+t also 'hat kinds of :obs one co+ld et, and ho' ,+ch one co+ld be paid. &t 'as a ,atter of s+rvival, *beatin the syste,* as they say in the United 7tates of .,erica. &t 'as on these ho+se2h+ntin trips that ..C. and & ot to kno' the lar e .frican and Colo+red co,,+nities livin behind the sandd+nes of the Cape Penins+la, hidden a,on the Port 8ackson roves. Perhaps a friend 'o+ld have co,e to take +s to so,eone 'ho kne' a 8e' 'ho co+ld rent +s a place in ;ynber , Clare,ont or (ansdo'ne. 6his friend lived in 5rassy Park, 7teenber or 7o+th Penins+la, 'e 'o+ld be told. ;e 'ent to one s+ch place by train, ot off at the station near 5rassy Park, follo'ed a hard road for abo+t half a ,ile, and after that it 'as a sand trail into the b+shes for anythin fro, fo+r to five ,iles or ,ore. En o+r 'ay 'e ,et so,e chickens peckin in the sand, and ahead of +s ca,e the so+nd of an or an playin B it 'as a little off2key, b+t one co+ld reco nise the t+ne

for it 'as a fa,iliar ch+rch hy,n. 6hen, all of a s+dden, 'e ca,e +pon a h+ e settle,ent of ,akeshift lean2to*s, 'ith a sprinklin of 'ell2constr+cted 'ood2and2iron b+n alo's. 6here 'as no s,ell of +rine and faeces here as 'as +s+ally the case in ;inder,ere or Densin ton. 6here 'as a lot of activity: so,e 'o,en 'ere cookin in their braFiers o+tsideB others 'ere co,in in 'ith baskets on their heads, fro, the shop five ,iles a'ay near the train station. < 1!1 < ;e 'ent into the b+n alo' 'here the ,+sic ca,e fro,. 7ittin in front of the or an 'as an old ,an, -r Bhinase, 'ho 'as abo+t ,y father*s a e. 3e 'as +sin an old fire2e>tin +isher 'ith a c+shion on top as an or an stool. -rs Bhinase, his 'ife, 'as here, potterin aro+nd, keepin her h+sband co,pany. .s soon as 'e ca,e in, the ,+sic stopped and -rs Bhinase, addressin herself to o+r +ide, said: *)ho4 Bhele, yo+ are here already4 &s this the yo+n ,an 'ho has s+ch a bi na,e, teachin 'hite people9 .nd this his 'ife9* 7hakin hands, she said: *6he 5ood (ord be praised4 ;ho ever kne' that o+r sons 'o+ld be teachin 'hite people in their o'n schools9 5od is reat4* 6he Bhinases had been in Cape 6o'n since after the infl+enFa epide,ic. &t 'as that epide,ic, in fact, 'hich had ,ade the, leave ho,e. .ll three of their children had died / a yo+n ,an, :+st startin teachin , a irl startin at boardin school, and their yo+n est abo+t fifteen years old. *3e 'as a brilliant boy, the teacher. .nd the hy,n & 'as playin 'as his favo+rite,* said the father. 6hey had been teachers, too, back ho,e in 6so,o, 6ranskei. ;hen they first ca,e to Cape 6o'n, they lived in Ndabeni. B+t, 'hen the .fricans 'ere ,oved fro, Ndabeni to (an a, they had one to Clare,ont and then to this b+n alo' in 5rassy Park. *5o live in a location9 Draaled in like cattle9 No, not ,e4* said the old ,an. *& a, lad yo+ are lookin for a place o+tside a location. 6hat is no place to brin +p children,* he added. 6his 'as the attit+de & fo+nd in all these settle,ents. .fricans ,oved to these places to avoid livin in the se re ated locations. &n Park'ood, -r N o, another teacher in his ti,e, said to +s: *;hat a pity yo+ co,e to Cape 6o'n these days 'hen Cape 6o'n is no lon er Cape 6o'n. 6his +sed to be a place of c+lt+re, 'hen people / 'hite, Colo+red, .frican / +sed to live to ether, 'ith none of this se re ation of the Boers. No' they send +s, .fricans, to the location, so 'e sho+ld not kno' these other people and they sho+ld not kno' +s too.* -r N o still had his bookcase, 'ith a fe' books, ,ainly =n lish literat+re and 'orks on Native .d,inistration. 3e 'as an avid reader of the Torch and the Guardian , pro ressive ne'spapers in Cape 6o'n. .s 'e 'ere leavin , he invited ..C. to co,e back and bro'se thro+ h his papers on the &nd+strial and Co,,ercial ;orkers* Union in its early days in Cape 6o'n. Unfort+nately, the settle,ent the N os lived in, Park'ood, 'as destroyed by those < 1!2 < fires so co,,on in Cape 6o'n d+rin the ,onths of 7epte,ber and Ectober, and 'e lost contact 'ith -r N o. & often 'onder if any of the old ,an*s books and papers 'ere saved. 6hese settle,ents 'ere not :+st haphaFard, they 'ere properly r+n, 'ith co,,ittees that sa' to the 'elfare of the people, and that 'ere responsible to the people 'ho elected the,. *(ife is ood here,* -r Bhinase had told +s. *;e allo' no illicit bre'in here. People can bre', b+t not

for b+siness. 7hebeens are thin s of the location. ;e don*t 'ant the, here. Cri,e9 3ardly any. =ven the skollies ? an sters@ kno' that they can*t :+st co,e here. E+r yo+n ,en 'o+ld beat the hell o+t of the,.* &t 'as in Park'ood that & ,et =sther Ban ani, one of the (ovedaleans 'ho +sed to co,e ho,e for dinner on the 7+nday of the (ovedaleans in the days of ,y sister 5ranny. 6o ether 'ith another teacher, she had started a kinder arten for the children of their nei hbo+rs 'ho 'ere too yo+n to 'alk the distance to the nearest school in 1etreat. .nother 'o,an, a 'orker, Lora 6a,ana, had opened a si,ilar kinder arten :+st beyond the vlei in 1etreat. ;ere these 'o,en bein paid by the =d+cation Lepart,ent for their services9 No. 6heirs 'ere vol+ntary services. 6hose parents 'ho co+ld paid a s,all fee, b+t ,ost did not and their little ones 'ere never t+rned a'ay. & learnt a lot d+rin the trips to these settle,ents in the 'oods. & ot to kno' :+st ho' resilient .fricans 'ere and realised that no ,atter 'hat the circ+,stances, the f+t+re 'as 'ith the,. None of the, do+bted that. 6o the, all it 'as :+st a 0+estion of ti,e. &n these settle,ents in the b+sh, 'e ,et .fricans 'ho kne' the val+e of the vote 'hich they had lostB 'ho +nderstood that all these str+ct+res of overn,ent that 'ere bein set +p 'ere :+st ,ere i,,icks to delay the day of liberation. &n 19$#, all these co,,+nities 'ere ,oved, +nder the 7l+, Clearance 1e +lations of the Cape Livisional Co+ncil, and as *black spots* +nder the 5ro+p .reas .ct of 19$", to e,er ency ca,ps, one 'est of Nyan a =ast, called Bro'n*s Aar,, and the other east, 'hich later beca,e kno'n as 5+ +leth+ HE+r PrideI, a na,e besto'ed +pon this ,onstrosity by -r 1o ers, the s+perintendent of (an a location. Bro+ ht to the east ca,p 'ere .frican co,,+nities fro, =lsies 1iver, Gasco, Bellville, 5ood'ood, 6iervlei, ;inder,ere, Densin ton and =+reka. 6o ether they for,ed the h+ e location co,ple>, fo+rteen ,iles east of Cape 6o'n. ;hen this all happened < 1!! < & tho+ ht of the Bhinases and the N os 'ho had resisted bein kraaled in like ani,als. ;e finally ave +p tryin to find a place to rent or b+y 'itho+t 'orkin thro+ h the prescribed channels. 7o 'e decided to apply for the 5overnor25eneral*s per,ission. . land developer, one 5+tt,an, had :+st opened an office on (a'rence 1oad in .thlone. ;e 'ent to hi,. 3e la+ hed, sayin : *No, ,an, they 'ill never ive yo+ that per,issionB yo+ are a Native. & had a fine fello' here the other day and & 'as 0+ite 'illin to sell to hi,. B+t he never ot that per,ission to b+y fro, ,e, a 'hite ,an. 6hey are very strict, yo+ kno'. Personally & do not care to 'ho, & sell. .fter all, & 'ant ,oney.* ..C. asked hi, all the sa,e to ive +s the partic+lars abo+t the lot / its siFe, the area in (incoln =state, the street and the price. Ene had to s+pply all this infor,ation 'hen applyin for per,ission. *)o+ see, confident,* said -r 5+tt,an. *.ll ri ht, &*ll reserve for yo+ a corner lot and &*ll 'ait +ntil yo+ receive a reply fro, the 5overnor25eneral. =ven if it takes yo+ t'o years to et that reply, &*ll 'ait.* 7o sayin , he ave +s the infor,ation 'e needed. 6he letter of application that a *Native* ,+st s+b,it in order to b+y fro, a *non2Native* has to be sent to the follo'in offices: the office of the 5overnor25eneral2in2Co+ncil, the office of the local Chief Native Co,,issioner and the office of the local to'n clerk for consideration by the 6o'n Co+ncil. ;hen 'e ot ho,e, ..C. 'rote and sent off all three letters. .nd 'e 'aited. 6his 'as abo+t Ectober 19#J. 6hen abo+t the end of Nove,ber, 'e heard that the City Co+ncil had approved the application and 'ere oin to ,ake a stron reco,,endation that ..C. be allo'ed to b+y the lot fro, 5+tt,an. En the City Co+ncil the pro ressives 'ere in the ,a:orityB there 'ere three co+ncillors 'ho 'ere

Colo+red and 'o+ld s+pport ..C.*s application. .t least one h+rdle had been cleared. 6hen in -arch, Lr 3. 8. 7i,ons, a friend of ..C. on the staff of UC6 and an e>pert on Native .d,inistration, advised ..C. that perhaps it ,i ht be a ood thin for hi, to ,eet the Chief Native Co,,issioner in 7alt 1iver so that he sho+ld kno' :+st 'hat sort of Native ..C. 'as. 6hat very sa,e day, ..C. called the office of the Chief Native Co,,issioner and a date 'as set +p. ;hen ..C. arrived, he fo+nd that the Chief Native Co,,issioner 'as a -r Bro'nlee, randson of the first 7ecretary for Native .ffairs of the Cape Colony, Charles Bro'nlee. 7o the proceedin s be an on < 1!# < a very a,icable note, 'ith both of the, talkin abo+t the older Bro'nlee, his 'ritin s and his observations on Native life in 7o+th .frica. *.re yo+ by any chance the son of 8ohn 8ordan9 & 'orked 'ith hi, in &d+ty'a 'hen & 'as ,a istrate there,* asked -r Bro'nlee. *No, he is ,y +ncle, ,y father*s yo+n er brother. -y father, =li:ah 8ordan, 'as a teacher at -bokoth'ana, 6solo,* replied ..C. *Eh, yes4 & kno' -bokoth'ana. & once 'ent to 6solo as a 1elievin -a istrate. . clever ,an, that 8ohn 8ordan. ;hat ever happened to hi,9* ..C. told -r Bro'nlee abo+t the 'anderin s of his +ncle and his death in the early forties. *.nd by the 'ay, yo+r application for per,ission to b+y fro, this 5+tt,an. & don*t kno' 'hen they 'ill ,ake the decision. B+t it sho+ld not take lon no'. ;hen did yo+ hope to b+ild9* asked -r Bro'nlee. *Before the 'inter rains, if possible.* *)o+ are ri ht. 6hey can be a n+isance here in Cape 6o'n, & kno',* re,arked -r Bro'nlee. .t l+nchti,e they parted 'ith bo's and *a pleas+re to have ,et yo+* on both sides. ;ithin a ,onth of this ,eetin , ..C. received the follo'in co,,+nication fro, 7alt 1iver, the office of the Chief Native Co,,issioner: 6o: -r .rchibald Ca,pbell 8ordan 7chool of .frican 7t+dies University of Cape 6o'n 1ondebosch, Cape 6o'n Lear 7ir, &t pleases the office of the 5overnor25eneral2in2Co+ncil, in Pretoria, to rant per,ission to one .rchibald Ca,pbell 8ordan, a Native, to b+y lot %!, Ale+r 7treet, (incoln =state, a s+b2 section of Cra'ford, fro, one 5+tt,an, a =+ropean, etc., etc. &n yo+r service, Bro'nlee, Chief Native Co,,issioner, 7alt 1iver, C.6. pp: 5overnor25eneral2in2Co+ncil &t t+rned o+t that in fact these decisions, tho+ h s+pposed to be ,ade in Pretoria, are taken by the local City Co+ncil and the office

< 1!$ < of the Chief Native Co,,issioner. ..C. 'as so e>cited 'hen he ca,e ho,e that afternoon that as soon as he had had so,ethin to eat 'e r+shed to 5+tt,an*s office. 5+tt,an co+ld not believe it. *)o+ are the first Native to have ot this per,ission.* &n -ay 19#K 'ork on the constr+ction of o+r ho+se started. ;e co+ld not 'ait. .fter the 'alls 'ere +p, ..C. 'ent by every day on his 'ay ho,e fro, UC6. 6he 'inter rains ca,e and held +p 'ork for three 'eeks, b+t then the 'eather i,proved and 'ork contin+ed. &n .+ +st 19#K, o+r ho+se 'as finished, and 'e ,oved into it in the ,iddle of the ,onth. ;e na,ed it *6habisano*, a place of ,+t+al re:oicin , 'here 'e hoped to ,ake each other happy. 6his 'as the ho,e of o+r fo+r children, the place in 'hich they 'ere n+rt+red, c+ltivated and roo,ed. &n this ho+se 'e all re' and ,at+red intellect+allyB in this ho+se, ..C. and & 'atched 'ith pride the develop,ent of o+r fo+r children. 6habisano4 < 1!J <

Li co% Es!a!e
(incoln =state 'as a ,i>ed co,,+nity of 'orkin people, ,ostly Colo+red, a ood n+,ber of 'hites and one black fa,ily, the 8ordans. 8+st belo' +s, b+t not in (incoln =state, 'as another black fa,ily, the -d+lis, 'ho 'ere one of the fe' .frican fa,ilies 'ho had bo+ ht property in Cape 6o'n. 6he people livin in (incoln =state 'ere yo+n fa,ilies 'ith fo+r or five children, ,any of 'ho, 'ere the a es of ,y children. -ost of the Colo+red and 'hite ,en 'ere dischar ed soldiers and this 'as ho' they had +sed their dischar e benefits. E+r children played to ether in the sand / there 'ere no roads yet / and in the b+shes aro+nd. 6hro+ h o+r children 'e, the parents, soon ot to kno' each other and so,e of +s beca,e close friends. &t 'as a bea+tif+l settin . Beca+se of o+r books and ,y da+ hter Nandi, 'ho loved children, ,y ho+se soon beca,e the place 'here the nei hbo+rs* children ca,e to read and be read to. ;e all loved it. ;e re istered o+r children at 7t -ark*s =n lish Ch+rch school in .thlone. .s Natives they sho+ld have one to the .frican schools in (an a or the local .frican school in .thlone. Beca+se this 'as a -ethodist instit+tion 'e +sed that as an e>c+se and sent the, to the .n lican school, as 'e 'ere .n lican. 6ho+ h this 'as before the days of Bant+ =d+cation, the trend 'as already evident that children sho+ld o to the schools of their o'n ethnic ro+p. 6he 6eachers* (ea +e of 7o+th .frica, the ,ost pro ressive Colo+red teachers* association, 'as resistin this tendency and had instr+cted all ,e,ber principals not to t+rn a'ay .frican children fro, their nei hbo+rin schools, especially children in ,i>ed nei hbo+rhoods of Colo+red and .frican, :+st beca+se of overn,ent press+re. 7o 'e co+ld bank on s+pport fro, the 6(7.. 6he principal, -r .braha,s, < 1!K < tho+ h a little +neasy, co+ld not very 'ell o a ainst the directive of his or anisation. 6here 'ere ,any other black children in this school, as 'as the case in ,ost of the ,i>ed nei hbo+rhoods. 6he difference 'as that all these had re istered as Colo+red and o+rs 'ere co,in as .frican. &n school they s+ffered no discri,ination either fro, the teachers or fro, other children. 6hey 'ere happy at 7t -ark*s and they all did 'ell. B+t at the end of every year, -r .braha,s ,ade a point of tellin ..C. that the inspector had asked ho' lon o+r children 'ere oin to attend. .pparently he

told the inspector that he had allo'ed o+r children at 7t -ark*s beca+se they 'ere too yo+n to take the b+s to (an a. 3e 'as ,ore than relieved 'hen the first three passed 7tandard # H7t -ark*s had classes only +p to this 7tandardI. -r .braha,s co+ld not 'ait +ntil o+r yo+n est, (indi, passed 7tandard # at 7t -ark*s, b+t asked ..C. to transfer hi,. (indi still tells people that -r .braha,s e>pelled hi, fro, 7t -ark*s, an e>p+lsion he did not re ret, for it ,eant :oinin his brother and sisters at 1os,ead in Clare,ont and oin there by b+s and train. Aro, 1os,ead they all 'ent to (ivin stone 3i h 7chool in Clare,ont. B+t the at,osphere had chan ed drastically at (ivin stone. 6here 'as a lot of friction a,on the teachers, 'hich affected the st+dents as 'ell. .fter their 8+nior Certificate, they transferred to .thlone 3i h in .thlone, 'hich 'e had avoided beca+se the principal 'as a ,e,ber of 6=P., the conservative Colo+red teachers* association, 'hich 'as la+nched after the pro ressives ained control of the 6(7. in 19#2. 3ere the at,osphere 'as con enial a,on teachers and thro+ ho+t the school. 6hey 'ere very happy here, and 'hen (indi left for =n land in the ,iddle of his second year of hi h school, everybody ,issed hi,. Aor the first five years of ,y life in Cape 6o'n & re,ained at ho,e, raisin the children and settlin in. B+t & 'as never i,patient to et o+t and 'ork as & had been in .lice. 6ho+ h at ho,e, & 'as b+sy 'ith political 'ork and in the Cape .frican 6eachers* .ssociation. 6his period ave ,e an opport+nity to be at ho,e and en:oy ,y children and for the, to feel sec+re, kno'in that 'hen they ca,e back fro, school -a,a 'o+ld be there. .s soon as they ca,e in, each one of the, 'o+ld o thro+ h the ho+se, lookin for ,e / *5ood afternoon4P / and only then 'o+ld they p+t a'ay their school books. .fter that, afternoon activities 'o+ld be in. 6hey 'ere al'ays 'ith ,e, in the kitchen, in the livin 2roo,, in their bedroo,, < 1!% < o+t in the yard, doin thin s to ether. 6oday there is not a ho+se chore they cannot handle, fro, paintin to cookin an ei ht2co+rse ,eal. 6his oes for all fo+r of the,. 7ince they 'ere fo+rteen years old, & have done very fe' ho+se chores. & only do eno+ h to ive ,y children a rest. ;e did a lot to ether / readin , disc+ssin ,atters, distrib+tin leaflets and oin to political rallies, for ho' co+ld they stay a'ay fro, the rallies 'hen they had been distrib+tin leaflets and talkin to those 'ho took the,9 7tran e that even tho+ h there 'as al'ays a possibility the police 'o+ld co,e and break +p a ,eetin , & never tho+ ht of 'hat & 'o+ld do 'ith fo+r yo+n kids 'ith ,e, none of the, older than seven years. .t ho,e, once every t'o 'eeks, they 'o+ld p+t on an evenin recital, sho'in +s 'hat they 'ere doin in school. No' and a ain, ..C. and & 'o+ld be asked for an ite,. ..C. al'ays played 'Thina Mbo)oth#ana' , a school son he +sed to sin back ho,e 'hen he 'as a kid. -y favo+rite 'as a portion fro, 0ing 7olo$on's Mines *La'n in the Lesert*. & can still see the children h+ddled to ether, dra'in +p the pro ra,,e for the evenin . & do not re,e,ber any rehearsals. & s+ppose these 'ere held in school. Ence a ,onth, ..C. 'o+ld p+t on a pro ra,,e of ,+sic. 6his 'e al'ays presented on 7+ndays after dinner. 6here the children 'o+ld be, 'ith one or t'o spra'lin on the floor, another on the piano stool, another in a chair, and ..C., ,aster of cere,onies, p+ttin on the sho', as serio+s as ever. 6here 'ere very fe' c+lt+ral events that 'e did not take the, to / concerts by the Cape 6o'n Erchestra in the City 3all, sho's and plays at the (ittle 6heatre, ballets and open2air sho's at -aynardville in ;ynber . No 'onder ..C. co+ld not +nderstand, 'hen they 'ere teena ers, ho' children 'ho had been e>posed to s+ch * ood* ,+sic co+ld ever listen to :aFF. 6o ..C. :aFF 'as :+st noise, +ntil 'e ca,e to -adison, ;isconsin, 'here o+r son (indi beca,e a :aFF e>pert and ta+ ht his father the n+ances of :aFF. Aor fo+r ho+rs they sat to ether in the livin 2roo,, 'ith (indi playin fro, his collection. .fter (indi left, ..C.

said: *& a, pleased. & did not kno' that (indi 'as approachin his :aFF ,+sic as a scholar.* ;hen as teena ers they sho'ed an interest in :aFF, & al'ays told hi, that they 'ere :+st oin thro+ h a phase and thin s 'o+ld balance o+t a ain. 6hey co+ld never lose their love of the ,+sic they 'ere first e>posed to. .nd it has t+rned o+t to be so, e>cept for (indi, 'ho can tolerate only certain classical co,posers. < 1!9 < ..C. 'as a 'onderf+l father, 'ho loved his children and 'as pro+d of the,. 3e had, like ,ost fathers, hoped that his first2born 'o+ld be a boy. B+t 'hen Nandi, a da+ hter, ca,e, ..C. 'as so e>cited that he for ot he had 'ished for anythin else. 6hen 'hen the boys ca,e, his :oy kne' no bo+nds. Not that Nandi ever lost her place in his heart. Never4 6he achiever that he 'as, he e>pected reat thin s fro, his children, reater than he had achieved. ;hy not9 6hese children lived in a ,+ch bi er 'orldB they had been e>posed to a 'orld of books, ,+sic and pro ressive ideas ,+ch sooner than he had and ,+ch sooner than ,ost children. ;henever their parents had 'ritten so,ethin / a poe,, article or essay / 'e all ca,e to ether to criti0+e it, each one havin an inp+t. 6his has borne ood fr+it, for all of the, have a ood pen and Nandi 'as 'ritin ood poetry before she died. 6hese children lived in a 'orld of ideas, in an intellect+al at,osphere, and nothin 'as held back. 6he dinner ho+r, fro, seven o*clock every evenin , 'as the best ho+r of the day for the 8ordans at 6habisano, for d+rin this ho+r 'e 'ere al'ays to ether, sharin the day*s e>periences. ;e talked, disc+ssed, asked 0+estions, had 0+estions ans'ered. 6his 'as o+r happy ho+r. ;hat a pity that ..C., o'in to press+re of 'ork, co+ld not spend ,ore ti,e 'ith his children in those early years, to appreciate f+lly :+st ho' they 'ere shapin +p. &t 'as not +ntil -adison, ;isconsin, that he co+ld sit do'n for ho+rs 'ith the,, especially the boys, and disc+ss :aFF 'ith (indi, or econo,ics, philosophy and history 'ith Pallo. 3is irls asto+nded hi, also. Nandi had developedB besides 'ritin poetry, her paintin and her pencil 'ork 'ere very pro,isin . .nd NinFi, besides bein an avid lover of literat+re, has a creative eni+s that can t+rn even the ,ost ,+ndane ve etable into the ,ost te,ptin and tasty dish, and 'ith chisel and paint can t+rn any piece of 'ood into a bea+tif+l orna,ent. &, 'ho 'as close to the, all the ti,e, 'ho took the, to political ,eetin s, distrib+ted political leaflets 'ith the,, ans'ered their 0+estions on literat+re and history, and read to the, their bedti,e stories, kne' that they 'ere developin into the intellect+als that they are. & a, lad they 'ere so c+rio+s and in0+isitive. 6hat ,ade ,e do ,y ho,e'ork too. & had to kno' 'hich books, encyclopaedias, or te>ts to refer the, to 'hen they ca,e askin 0+estions on literat+re, history, politics, or the ,eanin s of 'ords. 6hey ,ade ,e think. =ven today, ,y children still keep ,e on track. ;hen & < 1#" < espo+se any reactionary, co,pro,isin ideas, they tell ,e: *)o+ are beco,in very reactionary, -rs 8. & a, s+rprised at yo+.* Er: *& a, shocked to hear that co,in fro, yo+.* H& s+ppose this is 'hat happens 'hen people et old.I ;ith s+ch checks, & a, bo+nd to keep +p 'ith the latest trends in pro ressive tho+ ht. People are perhaps s+rprised that & et fr+strated so,eti,es 'hen (indi says to ,e: *)es, yo+ ta+ ht ,e that: to ar +e +ntil & et a reasonable ans'er.* )es, it is ,y o'n teachin . B+t so,eti,es & 'ish he 'o+ld :+st accept 'hat & say. Perhaps too late for ,e no'4 &n Cape 6o'n & 'as to e>perience so,ethin & had never fo+nd at ho,e or 'hen teachin , and this 'as

the +n'illin ness of blacks to 'ork for other blacks. & s+ppose the rationale is that 'hen one leaves the co+ntry and oes to to'n, one is oin to 'ork for 'hites. 6he Colo+red people, on the other hand, re ard it as belo' their di nity and stat+s to 'ork for a *Native*. Aor both ro+ps, this is irrespective of 'hat 'a es are paid. &,portin so,eone fro, the co+ntry involves a lon process. &t ,eans an application to the local Native .ffairs Lepart,ent. 6his application is then processed thro+ h the (abo+r B+rea+, 'hich does not ,ean that the person 'ill a+to,atically be iven the per,ission to proceed to Cape 6o'n to take +p the :ob. 6here is also the risk that 'hen this person arrives, like the others, she ,ay not 'ant to 'ork for another black person and 'as only +sin yo+ to et per,ission to enter Cape 6o'n. B+t if yo+ are 'orkin and have children, it is al,ost i,possible to keep yo+r :ob +nless yo+ have help at ho,e. 6hree ti,es & i,ported people fro, the 6ranskei to co,e and 'ork for ,e. Enly one of the, absconded 'hen she ot to Cape 6o'n and so+ ht 'ork fro, 'hites. 6he la' allo'ed ,e to have her tracked do'n and sent back to the co+ntry 'here she ca,e fro,. B+t 'hy bother9 )o+ shr+ yo+r sho+lders and thro' +p yo+r ar,s. -y first help fro, the local Colo+red people 'as a s,all 'o,an, 7ophie, fro, 8akkalsvlei, on the other side of ;elco,e =state. ;e called her *-p+,p+* ?Blind,an*s2b+ff@. 7he liked playin this a,e 'ith the children. &n Nhosa it is called Mpu$puthela b+t not bein a speaker of the lan +a e, she re,e,bered only the first part of the 'ord. . very efficient person -p+,p+ 'as, and very fond of children. 6he children 'ere :+st as fond of her. (ike so,e 'orkers she 'anted to do thin s only 'hen she 'anted to. & spoke to her < 1#1 < several ti,es abo+t this, tellin her & ,i ht as 'ell have no help than have help & co+ld not rely on. 7he al'ays +sed the children, tellin ,e that if she left they 'o+ld be very +pset and beco,e sick. 6hin s reached a li,it 'ith ,e, and & told her & 'as ter,inatin her services at the end of the ,onth. 7he did not say anythin . ;hen she 'as 'ith the children o+tside, she told the, she had been dis,issed. & 'as in the kitchen 'hen a dele ation of fo+r entered and char ed ,e: *;hat do yo+ ,ean ter,inatin -p+,p+*s services9 Lon*t yo+ kno' that she is the only person 'orkin in her fa,ily9 3o' is her ,other oin to ,ana e 'hen -p+,p+ is not 'orkin 9* 6he s+b:ect of the dele ation 'as sittin o+tside in the arden, pretendin to be readin a paper, 'hen, in fact, she 'as listenin to 'hat 'as oin on inside. Confronted 'ith so stron a case, & backed do'n and ave -p+,p+ another chance. ;hen & tell ,y children of that incident, 'e all la+ h and they say: *7o 'e 'ere -p+,p+*s trade +nion.* -p+,p+ left on her o'n, to 'ork for a -alay co+ple 'ho had :+st ,oved into o+r area. 7he had to re,ove herself fro, the sti ,a of 'orkin for a *Native*. 7he 'as to re ret it, for at -rs 8acobs she ate servant*s ,eat and servant*s food. 7he appealed to the *trade +nion* to take +p her case 'ith ,e. B+t not even the *trade +nion* co+ld help her this ti,e. &t 'as dis +sted 'ith her for it kne' 'hy she had left. 6hen ca,e C+beida, a -alay 'o,an of abo+t thirty2five. 7he did not ,ind 'orkin for a *Native*. &n fact, 'here she lived in 6hornhill, she preferred *Natives* to Colo+red or -alay. .ct+ally C+beida left +s to ,arry a black ,an fro, Ci,bab'e, 'ho 'orked in 1ondebosch. 7he had been ,arried before to a Colo+red ,an. .t the ti,e she ca,e to +s, this ,arria e 'as on the rocks. No' C+beida 'anted to try the *Native* in the hope the ,arria e 'o+ld 'ork this ti,e. C+beida 'as another 'onderf+l person. 7he liked doin thin s 'ith the children, and fro, her they learnt ho' to prepare ,any &ndian dishes. .fter C+beida ca,e -araldia, also -alay, ,arried and 'ith a lot of children. -araldia 'o+ld so,eti,es brin the s,aller children 'ith her to 'ork. .t first she feared & 'o+ld co,plain and 'o+ld

ask ,e if she co+ld ive the, so,ethin to eat. *Ef co+rse, ive the, so,ethin to eat. 3o' can 'e eat and they don*t9* -araldia had a bea+tif+l da+ hter, :+st older than NandiB .lice 'as her na,e. .t every party in o+r ho+se, .lice 'as the toast of the atherin and the 'hite boys 'anted to dance 'ith her, ,+ch to the cha rin of < 1#2 < the blonde Colo+red irls 'ho had co,e to the party to ,eet these 'hite boys fro, the University of Cape 6o'n. None of the, ever tho+ ht that the 'hite boys, perhaps, 'ere tired of blondesB they 'anted to ,eet so,e Colo+red br+nettes. .nd o+r .lice 'as :+st that, very bea+tif+l. -araldia 'as 'ith +s to the very end. ..C. 'rote to her 'hen he reached (ondon. & do not think there 'as a person in (incoln =state and in 6hornhill 'ho did not kno' that she had received a letter fro, the *Loctor* in =n land. 7he kept that letter in her coat pocket to sho' those 'ho, perhaps, had not seen or heard abo+t it. 3o' can one for et s+ch people9 & often think abo+t the, and 'ish and hope that 'e 'ill ,eet so,eday. 6alkin of parties4 6hose in o+r ho+se 'ere a ,a net that attracted all the people in o+r area and ,any fro, other parts of Cape 6o'n. 6he children*s friends fro, school 'o+ld be thereB their 'hite friends fro, the University of Cape 6o'n 'o+ld be thereB ,y nieces and nephe's and their co+sins fro, the .frican locations 'o+ld be thereB the street2corner boys in o+r nei hbo+rhood 'o+ld be there. 6he only condition 'as that they sho+ld dress +p clean and tidy. & re,e,ber the first ti,e the street2corner boys ca,e. 6he party 'as :+st startin and people 'ere arrivin . 6hey stood at the ate, debatin 'hether to co,e in or not. ..C. sa' the, and 'ent +p to the,: *.re yo+ not co,in to the party, yo+ fello's9 5o back and dress +p nicely and co,e and :oin the other kids.* 6hey all ran ho,e and in no ti,e they 'ere back, all spr+ced +p. .nd did they en:oy the,selves4 ;hat & liked ,ost abo+t the, 'as that they sa' to it that no riff2raff ca,e to o+r parties. 6hey al'ays looked o+t for the boys fro, 5lee,oor, 'ho ,i ht co,e and ca+se tro+ble at the party at *their* professor*s ho+se. ;ith the, aro+nd, nothin co+ld to+ch +s. &t is 'hen one sees free2,i>in of people in Cape 6o'n that one can +nderstand f+lly the cr+elty of se re ation and apartheid in 7o+th .frica. (eft to the,selves, people kno' ho' to sort the,selves o+t and live in peace and har,ony one 'ith the other. Ene other person 'ho lived 'ith +s 'as E+pa Booysen, an old Dhoi, 'ho helped ,e in the arden. .nd 'as E+pa pro+d of his 'ork4 &f, 'hen he ca,e, he fo+nd that & had done so,e 'ork, he 'o+ld ask the children: *;ho plant that r+bbish in the arden9* 6his 0+estion 'as never directed at ,e even tho+ h & 'as there / al'ays at the children. E+pa re' +p very close to nat+re. 3e co+ld read < 1#! < the 'eather ,+ch better than the official 'eather forecaster. 3e 'o+ld look at the clo+ds, their colo+r and the direction in 'hich they 'ere ,ovin , and say: *&t*s oin to rain toni ht,* or *No, it*s 'ind, no rain.* &t al'ays t+rned o+t to be so. Co,,ands fro, ,e he co+ld take, b+t not fro, ..C. Ene ti,e he 'as dr+nk and 'as ,akin passes at the 'o,en passin by. ..C. 'ent o+t to talk to hi,, askin hi, to stop. ..C. ,ade the ,istake Hif ,istake it 'asI of takin hi, by the hand to lead hi, inside. E+pa 'renched his ar, off, and lookin ..C. in the face said: *No, ,an4 & a, no prisoner4 )o+ kno', if yo+ and & 'ent to a 'hite ,an askin for a :ob, the 'hite ,an 'o+ld ive that :ob to ,e before he 'o+ld ive it to yo+. Lo yo+ kno' that9*

6here 'as the stat+s arro ance co,in o+t. E+r E+pa 'as a Colo+red ,an, better than a Native. &n the 7o+th .frican conte>t, he 'as better than ..C., a professor. 1elatin this confrontation to +s, ..C. la+ hin ly said: *& :+st 'onder 'hat :ob this 'o+ld be for 'hich & 'o+ld be co,petin 'ith E+pa.* 6he botto, line in all this is: .ll e,ployers are e>ploiters, no ,atter ho' liberal and enero+s they ,ay be. &t is :+st a 0+estion of de ree. 6ake +s for e>a,ple. &n both the Eran e Aree 7tate and Cape 6o'n, 'e tried to be fair, ood and enero+s to o+r help, payin the, 'hat they 'o+ld be ettin if they 'ere 'orkin in the 'hite s+b+rbs in Droonstad or 7ea Point. .s they 'ere people 'ith fa,ilies, their day 'ith +s ran fro, ei ht to si>, or even before that, if they ot the dinner ready or oin by then. & ,ade ,y children share the ho+se chores 'ith the,. 6hey co+ld brin their yo+n children 'ith the, and share 'ith +s 'hatever 'e ate. &n fact, -araldia*s irls, 'ho 'ere the sa,e a e as ,ine, :oined +s 'henever 'e 'ent o+t picnickin , and at o+r ho+se parties they ca,e not to 'ork b+t to en:oy the,selves, as did the other kids. 6hey 'ere involved in the preparations beca+se the party 'as at their ho$e . 7at+rday 'as half2day and they 'ere d+e back on -onday ,ornin at ei ht o*clock. Beca+se of these advanta es and privile es, if they co+ld be called that, they all liked 'orkin for ,e and felt they 'ere enero+sly treated. & flattered ,yself too, feelin & 'as bein ood and enero+s to the,. B+t for all that, & 'as +nderpayin the,. &n both the Eran e Aree 7tate and Cape 6o'n, the do,estics 'ere the least2paid 'orkers. 6r+e, the 'a es in Cape 6o'n 'ere ,+ch better than those paid in the Eran e Aree 7tate. .ll & did 'as to pay the sa,e < 1## < lo', e>ploitative 'a e that the other e>ploiters of labo+r 'ere payin . 6his 'as once bro+ ht ho,e to +s rather forcef+lly. ..C. had asked E+pa Booysen to break +p vir in ro+nd in the ve etable arden. &t 'as a hot day. 6he children and & 'atched hi, strain and s'eat, t+rnin over those sods. ;e 'ere at dinner 'hen E+pa ca,e to ..C. to collect his ,oney. *.ll ri ht, E+pa, 'ait for ,e in the kitchen. &*ll be 'ith yo+ soon,* ..C. said. 6hen, t+rnin to ,e, he asked: *By the 'ay, 'hat is the rate for this kind of 'ork9* *& think yo+ 'ill have to ive hi, ,ore than the +s+al rate. 6hat 'as hard 'ork he did o+t there.* *Eh, no4 &*ll pay hi, the +s+al rate,* said ..C. 3e co+ld not have said a 'orse thin . &n one voice, his children in an er called o+t: *)o+ can*t do that4 )o+ can*t do that4 Lid yo+ see ho' poor E+pa s'eated and strained, the ,+scles in his short ar,s standin o+t, t+rnin over those sods9 )o+ can*t do thatB yo+ 'ill have to ive hi, ,ore.* ..C., not f+lly +nderstandin :+st ho' serio+s they 'ere, said: *Eh, no4 &*, oin to pay hi, 'hat he 'o+ld enerally et.* 6hen Pallo sa' red and dared his father to do it. *8+st do it4 )o+ 'ill never a ain stand on any platfor, conde,nin e>ploiters 'hen yo+ are one of the,. 8+st o do it4 &*ll e>pose yo+4* Pallo 'as nine years old. ..C. tho+ ht the better of it and paid E+pa Booysen 'hat his children felt 'as a 'a e he deserved for the hard 'ork he had done. 3e said often after'ards: *& a, lad they are very sensitive to these iss+es. 6hey 'ill al'ays keep +s on the ri ht trackB 'ith +s and o+r set 'ays, it is easy to slide back and not ,atch o+r deeds to o+r rhetoric.* < 1#$ <

I "o%"e2e !
.t one ti,e all the teachers, 'hite and .frican, in the Cape Province belon ed to the sa,e teachers* association. 6he 6ranskei, tho+ h part of the Cape Province, 'as an e>ceptionB it had al'ays had its o'n local self2ad,inistration, as if it 'ere a provinceB and the teachers in 6ranskei had their o'n association. 6he Cape teachers* association 'as called the 7o+th .frican 6eachers* .ssociation, or 7.6.. 6he .frican teachers in 7.6. 'ere not pleased 'ith their position 'ithin the or anisation. 6hey felt that they 'ere treated as a *kitchen* depart,ent, in that all ,atters pertainin to the, 'ere never iven serio+s consideration by the or anisation and 'ere al'ays tabled last on the a enda. 6hey never ca,e +p in open conference, b+t 'ere al'ays dealt 'ith by an e>panded 7.6. e>ec+tive, incorporatin key branches of the .frican section. &n 192$, the .frican branches of 7.6., +nder the leadership of Professor L. L. 6. 8abav+, broke a'ay to for, the Cape .frican 6eachers* .ssociation. Enly a fe' branches in the north2'estern Cape re,ained 'ith 7.6.. 6his break 'as a pro ressive stepB the .frican teachers reco nised that tho+ h they 'ere all teachers +nder the sa,e depart,ent, their proble,s 'ere different. 7hortly after this schis,, the Colo+red teachers broke a'ay, too, to for, the 6eachers* (ea +e of 7o+th .frica. Unfort+nately, tho+ h the break itself 'as a pro ressive step, the Cape .frican 6eachers* .ssociation beca,e elitist, dra'in its ,e,bership only fro, the teachers in the .frican &vy (ea +e schools, the bi cities and a fe' friends of these elite in the r+ral areas. By the ,id2thirties, the or anisation had de enerated into a social cl+b for the elite, and the i,portant ite,s on the body*s a enda beca,e < 1#J < receptions and tennis ,atches. 6r+e, the teachers still concerned the,selves 'ith incre,ents to their salaries b+t nothin ,+ch beyond that. &t beca,e the ho,e of the .frican rad+ates of Aort 3are, no ,atter 'hat re ion of the Cape Province they 'ere teachin in. -r ;. -. 6sotsi 'as the only Aort 3are rad+ate teachin in 6ranskei 'ho re,ained 'ith the 6ranskei 6eachers* .ssociation, all others :oinin C.6.. Evert+res to link the t'o or anisations / C.6. and 66. / 'ent on for so,e ti,e, 'ith the 6ranskei teachers resistin this ,er er, sayin 0+ite openly that their o'n or anisation 'as not a social cl+b b+t a place of serio+s b+siness. =vent+ally, in 19#", the ,er er 'as effected and the United Cape .frican 6eachers* .ssociation e,er ed. (ater *United* 'as dropped and the or anisation 'as kno'n si,ply as the Cape .frican 6eachers* .ssociation, or C.6.. ;hen this happened, ne' blood and ne' attit+des 'ere inf+sed into the or anisation and the teachers be an to take their 'ork serio+sly. Pro ressive ele,ents e,er ed 'ithin C.6., ,e,bers 'ho sa' the teachers as part and parcel of the co,,+nity in 'hich they lived and involved 'ith iss+es of concern to the co,,+nity. 7+ch ele,ents 'ere beco,in vocal by 19#$ and so,e of the, hoped that &. B. 6abata, a social scientist of note fro, Cape 6o'n, 'o+ld be iven a chance to address conference at their ,eetin in Port =liFabeth. B+t the ,a:ority still felt that politics 'as so,ethin o+tside their callin as teachers and therefore o+tside their or anisation. 6hey 'ere professionals and 'anted to keep C.6. that 'ay. &n 19#J C.6. ,et in Cape 6o'n. 6hey had invited, as their keynote speaker, the o+t oin Chief &nspector of =d+cation, -r 3obson. .s the the,e of his topic, -r 3obson took the C.6. slo an *=0+al Pay for =0+al ;ork*. 3e pointed o+t that it 'as +nderstandable that professionals sho+ld have that as a slo an, ,ore so teachers in the Cape Province, ,any of 'ho, held the sa,e 0+alifications as 'hite teachers, and a ood n+,ber of 'ho, 'ere teachin in the sa,e schools and the sa,e children. B+t 'hile this 'as ood as a slo an, it co+ld not chan e thin s for the .frican teachers, 'hose salaries

'ere based on the 'a es of the least2paid .frican 'orkers, those on the far,s and the ,ines. 6he 'hite teachers in 7o+th .frica co+ld al'ays have their de,ands ,et, for their salaries 'ere based on the salaries of the 'hite 'orkers in ind+stry. 6o keep 'hite teachers in the classroo,, their salaries had to be co,petitive 'ith 'a es in ind+stry. *;hat then can the .frican teacher do to < 1#K < better his condition9 6he .frican teacher has to 'ork very hard for the i,prove,ent and a raise in the 'a es of .frican 'orkers on the far,s and in the ,ines, for not +ntil those 'a e levels have i,proved 'ill his salary ever be i,proved, no ,atter ho' hi hly 0+alified. ;hat raises he or she 'ill et 'ill al'ays be ,ini,al, :+st a little ,ore than the .frican 'orker is ettin . 6hat 'ay he or she can al'ays be kept in the classroo,.* 6his address 'as a shock to the teachers. 3obson had told the, that their fate 'as bo+nd +p 'ith the fate of the least2paid .frican 'orker and this 'as 'here the .frican teachers had to address the,selves. &t da'ned +pon the, that afternoon at (an a 3i h 7chool that theirs 'as a political fi ht. .fter 3obson*s address, the rest of the conference 'as taken +p by disc+ssion of 'hat 3obson had said and ho', as teachers, they co+ld :oin the fi ht of the .frican 'orkers. . co,,ittee of fo+r, 'ith ..C. as chair,an, 'as appointed, to dra' +p +idelines 'hich 'o+ld be s+b,itted for disc+ssion and adoption or re:ection at the ne>t C.6. conference the follo'in year in U,tata. 6he +idelines called on the .frican teachers to co,e ho,e, ho,e to the .frican co,,+nity 'here they belon edB it pointed o+t that the political fi ht of the .frican people 'as their fi ht, and as leaders of tho+ ht in the co,,+nity, they co+ld no lon er stand on the sidelines and be spectators. 6heir or anisation, C.6., had to :oin other .frican or anisations fi htin for the ri hts of the oppressed and e>ploited in 7o+th .frica. 6his 'as 'here C.6. and the teachers sho+ld be. ;hen these +idelines 'ere presented to conference in U,tata the follo'in year, the 'hole ho+se accepted the, 'itho+t dissension. 6hey 'ere not p+t i,,ediately into effect beca+se the north'estern Cape teachers* branches that had re,ained in 7.6. had applied for ad,ission as ,e,bers of C.6., and asked for a year to st+dy the +idelines. 6he +idelines 'ere for,ally accepted as C.6. policy in 19#% in O+eensto'n. 6he die 'as cast and the .frican teachers in C.6. accepted the challen e. H&n 19#K & had :oined the ;estern Cape branch of C.6..I .t the end of the conference, after the ne' policy had been accepted, C.6. iss+ed the follo'in state,ent: &t is clear that o+r str+ le is ine>tricably bo+nd +p 'ith the str+ le of the .frican labo+rer. =ven o+r slo an *=0+al Pay for =0+al ;ork* is an old trade +nion slo an. &t i,plies reco ni2 < 1#% < tion of ,erit irrespective of colo+r. 7o anyone 'ho ,akes the de,and is fi htin for the principle of f+ll de,ocratic ri hts. B+t 'e have already established the fact that it is f+tile to strive to obtain e0+ality bet'een ;hite teacher and Black teacher +nless there is e0+ality bet'een ;hite labo+rer and Black labo+rer. &n short, to seek e0+ality bet'een ;hite teacher and Black teacher is to seek f+ll social, econo,ic and political e0+ality bet'een ;hite and Black in 7o+th .frica. E+r slo an therefore i,plies that o+r str+ le is the eneral political str+ le for the e,ancipation of the .frican. 6here can be no escape fro, this concl+sion. .s if to test the deter,ination of C.6., the ne'ly for,ed Nationalist overn,ent of Lr -alan ,ade

clear its intention to appoint a co,,ission of in0+iry into the ed+cation of the .fricans as a separate ro+p. C.6. decided not to appear before the co,,ission, 'hose case 'as already clear2c+t, b+t 'o+ld instead s+b,it a ,e,orand+,, re:ectin the pre,ise on 'hich the co,,ission 'as set +p, and 'o+ld contin+e to deal 'ith the 'hole 0+estion of ed+cation for citiFens of a co+ntry. 6o the co,,ission*s 0+estion, *;hat do yo+ consider sho+ld be the +idin principle and ai,s of Native =d+cation9*, C.6. ans'ered as follo's: ;e repeat that the f+nda,ental +idin principle in ed+cation sho+ld be to e0+ip every individ+al to take his place in society accordin to his capabilities and ,ake his contrib+tion to it as a f+lly responsible citiFen. .ll the inhabitants of the Union of 7o+th .frica sho+ld receive the sa,e facilities for ed+cation. .ll the children, irrespective of race, colo+r or creed, sho+ld be re arded as its f+t+re citiFens. Dno'led e is the herita e of -ankind. 6he C.6. ,e,orand+,, dated 1J .pril 19#9, 'hich ..C. and his co,,ittee had been entr+sted 'ith dra'in +p, 'as s+b,itted to the =iselen Co,,ission on Native =d+cation. 6hese 'ere e>citin ti,es4 &n the ;estern Province, 'e 'ere not only ca,pai nin a ainst the ne' ed+cation syste, that 'as co,in b+t also a ainst the Gan 1iebeeck celebrations, sched+led for .pril 19$2. Co+pled 'ith these 'ere the ne' se re ation la's that the Nationalists had introd+ced as soon as they ca,e to po'er. 6he < 1#9 < .nti26rain .partheid rally at the 5rand Parade 'as one of the bi est rallies ever held in that city, 'ith all the people*s or anisations co,in to ether to oppose this ,eas+re. .t the rally all the bi +ns fro, the pro ressive ele,ents in Cape 6o'n 'ere on that platfor,, and the people resolved to oppose apartheid in all its for,s. ;orkin to ether 'ith the 6eachers* (ea +e of 7o+th .frica, the .nti2C.L, the Ne' =ra Aello'ship and 7E)., 'e held ,eetin s thro+ ho+t the Cape Penins+la, ca,pai nin a ainst both the Gan 1iebeeck celebrations and the co,in of Bant+ =d+cation. 6he 7ociety of )o+n .frica H7E).I 'as a yo+th or anisation, ,ostly .frican, la+nched +nder the a+spices of the .ll2.frican Convention in the early fifties, to co+nter the rabid racis, of the )o+th (ea +e 'ith its slo an *.frica for the .fricans*. 7E). spread rapidly thro+ ho+t the .frican colle es, schools and to'nships, and bro+ ht lo ic and reason to the 7o+th .frican sit+ation. 7E). ta+ ht yo+n people that it 'as not the 'hites 'ho 'ere the ene,y of the blacks, b+t the capitalist syste, 'hich e>ploited both black and 'hite 'orkersB that the 'hite 'orkers had been, thro+ h concessions, coopted and ,ade to think that they 'ere not e>ploited and their place lay 'ith the 'hite o'ners of capitalB ho'ever, the day 'as not far off 'hen 'hite 'orkers 'o+ld kno' that their co,rades2in2ar,s 'ere the e>ploited .frican 'orkers. &n 6ranskei, 7E). branches soon affiliated 'ith the 6ranskeian Er anised Bodies and they effectively 'orked 'ith the peasant or anisations, Dhon o and -akh+l+span. &t 'as the yo+th in 7E). 'ho distrib+ted 'u0#ayo: isi0r#eqe ne 0ha)a' to the peasants of 6ranskei. 6his 'as ,y translation of &. B. 6abata*s The +oycott as a :eapon of 7truggle . ;hen C.6. prod+ced the pa,phlet -en)' i$fundo ?6here 5oes =d+cation4@ a cadre of yo+n people fro, 7E). distrib+ted it to the people. L+rin the b+s boycott in .le>andra to'nship, 8ohannes2b+r , it 'as ele,ents 'ithin 7E)., 'orkin 'ith the or anisations of the local people, that saved the day, 'hen the (iberals collaboratin 'ith the Cha,ber of Co,,erce tried to pers+ade the p+blic to ride the b+ses, b+yin five2penny tickets for fo+r pence. 6he people sa' thro+ h the trick and ref+sed to ride the b+ses and decided to stay ho,e. Lan -okonyane, one of the heroes of that str+ le, 'as a leader in

7E).. *;e Ai ht &deas 'ith &deas* 'as the 7E). slo an. 6he yo+th tried to live +p to that slo an. &n the =astern Cape 7E).*s stron holds 'ere Aort 3are, < 1$" < 3ealdto'n, (ovedale, O+eensto'n and (ady Arere. .s st+dents at Aort 3are, yo+n ,en like G+thela, Ca,eron -adikiFela, Bo:ana 8ordan, Nota, 7on ca and others 'orked 'ith peasant or anisations in the Gictoria =ast area, fi htin the overn,ent*s land rehabilitation sche,e / uMa)atsha , as the people called it. ;hen Aort 3are 'as closed in -ay 19$# beca+se the st+dents had boycotted the 5rad+ation Ball, al,ost every st+dent 'ho 'as a ,e,ber of or connected 'ith 7E). 'as blacklisted and prevented fro, co,in back 'hen Aort 3are re2opened in 8+ly. 6he sa,e happened to ,e,bers at 3ealdto'n. -ost of these yo+n ,en and 'o,en ca,e to Cape 6o'n to find :obs. &t 'as a odsend, for they did a lot of 'ork in the fi ht a ainst Bant+ =d+cation and the boycott of the Gan 1iebeeck :a,boree. Aor the Gan 1iebeeck celebrations, o+r slo an 'as *;e 3ave Nothin to Celebrate4* ;e in C.6. 'orked in the areas 'here there 'as a concentration of .fricans / (an a, Nyan a, 7i,onsto'n, 1etreat, Densin ton, =lsies 1iver, =+reka =state and 5ood'ood. .nd the people 'ere 'onderf+l. 6here 'as one 'o,an in =lsies 1iver, a live'ire, 'ho 'o+ld t+rn the a+dience aro+nd in the =+reka 3all, no ,atter 'hat the 0+islin s and collaborators tried to do. &t 'as at these ,eetin s that & realised the versatility of the .frican lan +a es: there is not a sin le concept that cannot be e>pressed in the,. .t one ,eetin in Nyan a, the speaker had been talkin abo+t the 0+islin s in o+r ,idst 'hen an .frican 'orker ot +p to ,ake his co,,ents. 3e had +nderstood 'ell the ,eanin of *0+islin * and in Nhosa referred to 4o6Mpise)haya ?the ene,y 'ithin o+r ranks@, 'hich is 'hat a 0+islin is. ;ith so ,+ch response and +nderstandin , 'ho ever tho+ ht that thirty years later 'e 'o+ld be still talkin abo+t the sa,e thin s, coverin the sa,e ro+nd9 6he overn,ent 'ent all o+t to ,ake the Gan 1iebeeck celebrations a s+ccess. -oney 'as available to all 'ho 'ere 'illin to participate, especially in ,akin the 5rand Ainale in Cape 6o'n a s+ccess. .n area of abo+t ten ,iles alon the Aoreshore 'as set aside for booths, depictin the history of 7o+th .frica fro, 1J$2, the year of Gan 1iebeeck*s arrival, to 19$2. 6he ba6h'a and the Dhoi 'ere to be bro+ ht do'n fro, the Dalahari and parts of Bots'ana for the 'orld to seeB .frican ,erchants in and aro+nd Cape 6o'n 'ere enco+ra ed to take +p booths, sho'in 'hat they had done and 'ere doin B the Colo+red *Coons* 'ere to be there to entertain as 'ell as the -alay choirs, both feat+res special to Cape 6o'n. B+t < 1$1 < the people of the host centre declared: *;e 3ave Nothin to Celebrate,* and stayed a'ay. =ven as J .pril approached, it 'as kno'n that so,e ,erchants in (an a 'ere takin +p booths on the Aoreshore. 6he people, in one of the ,eetin s in (an a, had said: *(et the, o. B+t they ,i ht as 'ell re,ain at the Aoreshore, for they 'ill not et +s oin to their shops a ain.* 6he people kept their 'ord. 6o a ,an, those ,erchants 'ho had booths for the Gan 1iebeeck celebrations 'ent bankr+pt. 6he lines 'ere bein dra'n bet'een those 'ho 'o+ld collaborate and those 'ho ref+sed. &. L. -kiFe, principal of (an a 3i h 7chool, lost all the respect people had for hi, on the iss+e of the Gan 1iebeeck celebration. By the ti,e he sold his so+l to the overn,ent and 'ent off to for, the collaboratin Cape .frican 6eachers* Union, as a preparation for Bant+ =d+cation, he had been 'ritten off. ;hen he died

in 7ero'e on 12 .pril 19$#, the day Bant+ =d+cation 'as introd+ced, people in Cape 6o'n said that 7t Peter had called hi, to ans'er for his sins. ;e had o+r bi est *Boycott the Gan 1iebeeck Celebrations* rally on # .pril on the 5rand Parade. &t 'as o+r last call to the people to keep a'ay and it 'as also a victory celebration, for only the previo+s Ariday the last of the -alay choirs had decided to stay a'ay too. & 'as on that platfor,. &t 'as ,y first p+blic speech at a political rally. ;hen &. B. 6abata ca,e to tell ,e that the co,,ittee 'as no,inatin ,e as one of the speakers, & pleaded 'ith hi, to tell the, not to. *En the sa,e platfor, 'ith all yo+ people, bi +ns, 'ho have been speakin before bi a+diences here and other places4 3o' can yo+ do that to ,e9* *;e 'ant an .frican 'o,an on that platfor,, Phyllie. .nd yo+ are that 'o,an,* he said. *Please et -rs 7i0'ana, please, please.* *No, Phyllie, the co,,ittee 'ants yo+. .nd it is oin to be yo+.* 7o sayin , he left ,e. ;ith ,e on that platfor, 'o+ld be 5oola, 5ool, chair,an of the .nti2C.L, ;ille, van 7choor, president of the 6eachers* (ea +e of 7o+th .frica, Bennie -. Dies, editor of the Teachers' ;ournal -iss 8ane 5ool of the 6eachers* (ea +e, .. 7. 8ayiya of the Cape .frican Goters* .ssociation, &. B. 6abata of the .ll2.frican Convention / all of the, seasoned p+blic speakers. ;hat 'as & oin to say to those cro'ds9 B+t 'hen & took +p the the, *;e 3ave Nothin to < 1$2 < Celebrate* and related it to the position of .frican 'o,en, the e>ploited 'orkers in the cities and the 'ido's of the reserves, & 'as not at a loss for 'hat to say. 6ata, 'ho 'as co,in to Cape 6o'n that 7+nday, 11 .pril, heard the report of the ,eetin in Le .ar fro, so,e 'orkers fro, Cape 6o'n 'ho 'ere on their 'ay ho,e. 6hey had for otten the na,e of the yo+n .frican 'o,an on the platfor,. .ll they re,e,bered 'as that she 'as said to be the 'ife of a teacher in a 'hite school in Cape 6o'n. ;hen 6ata asked ,e abo+t it and told ,e 'hat these 'orkers 'ere sayin , he re,arked: *& tho+ ht it ,i ht be yo+, Phyllie. B+t & told ,yself not to feel elated, :+st in case there 'as another black teacher in a 'hite school here in Cape 6o'n.* 3e 'as so pro+d of his 50aFa. Ef the participants fro, +p2co+ntry 'ho 'ere po+rin into Cape 6o'n for the celebrations, the .fricans 'ere s+pposed to be ho+sed in the barracks in (an a, b+t they had to be re,oved for fear of their lives. .s they ali hted fro, the trains and 'alked do'n to the barracks, people stood on either side of the street, booed and :eered at the,, callin the, 0+islin s and collaborators. 6hey kne' they co+ld not sleep there and those 'ho had l+red the, to Cape 6o'n kne' that they had to be re,oved. &n the dead of ni ht they 'ere transferred to so,e ar,y barracks beyond ;inder,ere, 'here they lived for those t'o 'eeks. 7o,e had hoped to see Cape 6o'n 'hile there. 6hey never did. .ll they sa' 'as the Aoreshore. En 6+esday, J .pril, the ,arch past took place in front of an e,pty randstand. 6he people 'ere not there. ;hat a flop for the overn,ent that had p+t +p this sho'4 ;hat a s+ccess for the people*s boycott4 < 1$! <

The Ca2(aig Agai s! 5a !' E*'ca!io

;e co+ld not o ahead in f+ll force 'ith the ca,pai n a ainst Bant+ =d+cation +ntil the =iselen Co,,ission had ,ade its reco,,endations. 6hese appeared in 19$1. B+t the people had been prepared for 'hat 'as co,in , for 'e all kne' it 'as not to o+r benefit. E+r first task 'as to ac0+aint each other 'ith the reco,,endations and their i,plications. &n ti,e the .frican people of the ;estern Cape 'ere f+lly ed+cated and they kne' 'hat to do. &. L. -kiFe, principal of (an a 3i h 7chool, had, at the insti ation of the Native .ffairs Lepart,ent, la+nched his Cape .frican 6eachers* Union, collectin aro+nd hi, all the collaboratin ele,ents to for, this body. 6he e>c+se +sed 'as that C.6. had affiliated to the .ll2.frican Convention 'hich, accordin to their reasonin , did not represent all .frican or anisations. 7o,eho' Brian B+ntin , arch2 ene,y of the .ll2.frican Convention and the Unity -ove,ent, and editor of Ne# Age ?M@ tho+ ht that he co+ld ,ake co,,on ca+se 'ith -kiFe. 7o, every action of -kiFe that 'as anti2C.6. fo+nd covera e in B+ntin *s Ne# Age . -kiFe had tried to take control of the local branch of C.6. in 19$1, not by convincin the other teachers that his co+rse 'as ri ht b+t by takin over the C.6. f+nds and acco+nt. 6he treas+rer happened to be one of his hench,en, and -kiFe tho+ ht that, assisted by the bank acco+nt, he co+ld b+ild his C.6U. (ittle did he kno' that 'hen his friend had one ho,e on holiday in 8+ne, he had left the books 'ith his assistant, a sta+nch C.6. ,e,ber. ;hen 'e held o+r first branch ,eetin in .+ +st, the books 'ere still 'ith 7iyaya, the assistant treas+rer, and not 'ith -abali, -kiFe*s ,an. ?M@ M . ne'spaper of the Co,,+nist Party of 7o+th .frica, p+blished in Cape 6o'n. < 1$# < -kiFe*s ,otion that the branch disaffiliate fro, the .ll2.frican Convention 'as lostB he sta ed a 'alk2 o+t, callin on his fello' follo'ers: *Co,e, let*s o, 'e have ot the books.* -abali, the treas+rer, did not kno' 'hether to follo' or not. .s he 'as oin o+t, he said to -kiFe: *No, 7iyaya still has the books. & left the, 'ith hi, 'hen & 'ent ho,e on vacation.* -kiFe 'as st+nned. .s soon as they 'ere one, 'e re +larised the sit+ation, appointin 7iyaya treas+rer of the local branch. =ven after that, -kiFe still tried to ,aintain that his body 'as the ;estern Province branch of C.6.. 3e 'rote several letters to Gictor 7i'isa, as e>2secretary of C.6. ;estern Province. =very ti,e these letters ca,e, -rs 7i'isa ave the, back to the post,an, tellin hi, that there 'as no e>secretary of C.6. at that address. 3e tried sendin letters by re istered ,ail to be si ned for. Nontando ret+rned the, +nsi ned, +ntil -kiFe ave +p. 3is last atte,pt 'as ,ade at a ,eetin 'e had in (an a to'ards the end of 19$2. ;e had en:oyed a very s+ccessf+l C.6. conference in 8+ne, as a res+lt of 'hich the people of Cape 6o'n sa' C.6. for 'hat it 'as, and had held a ood :oint ,eetin 'ith the 6(7., also asse,blin in Cape 6o'n that 8+ne. -kiFe 'as deter,ined to s,ash this +nity bet'een Colo+red and .frican teachers and, 'ith the help of B+ntin *s Ne# Age he tho+ ht he co+ld do it. Aor this ,eetin , -kiFe or anised so,e old 'o,en to disr+pt the ,eetin , and alerted Ne# Age that 'e 'o+ld never a ain hold a ,eetin in (an a. 6he ,eetin opened and ..C., 'ho 'as the ,ain speaker, 'alked onto the platfor,. -kiFe*s *'o,en* 'o+ld not allo' hi,. 3e 'as not one of the teachers of their children. 6hey 'anted teachers in the (an a schools to address the, on the 0+estion of Bant+ =d+cation. ..C. did not live a,on the,B he ,+st o and speak to the Colo+reds a,on 'ho, he stayed. .s a res+lt of the disr+ption the chair,an had to close the ,eetin . 6he ne>t iss+e of Ne# Age carried the follo'in front2pa e ne's: *6he Unity -ove,ent Lriven o+t of (an a.* .s 'e read this 'e 'ondered if Brian B+ntin realised, even in his

hatred of the Unity -ove,ent, 'ho his bedfello' 'as. ;e stayed a'ay fro, (an a for abo+t fo+r ,onths, 'orkin 0+ietly a,on the people, holdin s,all ho+se ,eetin s, teachin each other abo+t the tra edy of Bant+ =d+cation that 'as abo+t to befall +s. ;hen 'e ret+rned in -ay, 'e ca,e back in f+ll force. E+r yo+n 'orkers had canvassed every ho+se in (an a and every 'orker*s place of residence. ;e or anised o+r bo+ncers, too, as 'e < 1$$ < kne' that this 'as oin to be it . -kiFe had sent o+t a leaflet, distrib+ted thro+ ho+t the location by the children in his school. &n it he said: *3ere they co,e a ain, the ,isleaders. )o+ have sho'n the, before 'hen they 'ere here. 7ho' the, a ainB drive the, o+t thro+ h that door.* 3e invited Ne# Age to send a reporter to the ,eetin . Ne# Age sent -ary 6+rok, 'ho ca,e 'ith 6ho,as N 'enya, a ,e,ber of the (iberal Party. 6he hall 'as f+ll. 6he air 'as char ed. .s & 'alked in & kne' it 'as o+r day. .ll the yo+n s+pporters to 'ho, & had iven leaflets 'ere there, +sherin people in, standin alon the sides of the hall, e>pectant. Dh'eb+lana, the chair,an of the local branch, opened the ,eetin and called +pon ..C. to co,e +p and speak. -aphisa, one of -kiFe*s ,en, a teacher in (an a, rose to ob:ect. . bi , sto+t, stron 'o,an ot +p and looked at -aphisa: *Lo+ ie, sit do'n. ;e have children and 'e are not here to listen to yo+r nonsense4* 7he ave -aphisa :+st one ,ore look and he kne' he had to sit do'n. ;hen -kiFe sa' this, he tried to et +p hi,self. -a odla, his assistant, 'ho had realised on co,in in that they stood no chance at this ,eetin , p+lled hi, do'n. 6hen the ,eetin co+ld proceed. &t 'as a very ood ,eetin and the people, for the first ti,e, had the opport+nity to disc+ss the resol+tion that had co,e o+t of the .NC conference at the end of the year, na,ely that all children, e>cept those already in 7tandard $ and above, sho+ld be 'ithdra'n fro, school. 8ohnson N 'evela, a stron .NC ,an, had introd+ced the resol+tion and had asked the people of the ;estern Province to adopt it at this ,eetin . B+t the people replied: *No, 'e have to disc+ss it first and arrive at o+r o'n decision.* 6his 'as 'hat one liked abo+t the people of the ;estern Cape. 6hey disc+ssed iss+es thoro+ hly and arrived at their o'n decisions. 6hree 'o,en ot +p to speak on this resol+tion. Ene 'as a yo+n 'o,an, Arancina -a,fanya, a ,other of three. Arancina said: *;hat & 'o+ld like to kno' is: ;hose children ,+st be doo,ed to no ed+cation 'hile other people*s et ed+cation9 6he resol+tion asks +s to 'ithdra' o+r children fro, school, 'hile other people*s children, already in 7tandard $ on'ards, 'ill et ed+cated. )o+ see ,e standin here, ,y first2born is d+e to o to school only this co,in year. & 'ant her also to o to Aort 3are so,e day. ;hy sho+ld ,y children be conde,ned to i norance, 'hile other people*s are not9 ;ho has any ri ht to tell ,e that ,ine ,+st re,ain +ned+cated, 'hile other people*s et ed+cation9 & 'ant ,y child, d+e to < 1$J < start school only ne>t year, to o to Aort 3are too so,eday.* .nother 'o,an to speak 'as -rs ;innie 7i0'ana, veteran of protests in Cape 6o'n, ,e,ber of the Co,,+nist Party and the .NC. -rs 7i0'ana said: *& a, a,aFed that the .NC, an or anisation of the .frican people, 'hich sho+ld kno', if it does not, that ed+cation is the only hope the .frican people have, thro+ h 'hich they hope to liberate the,selves so,e day, co+ld ever co,e +p 'ith s+ch a resol+tion. & have lived in this location for years and & think & can say & kno' the 'ishes of the ,others here abo+t the ed+cation of their children. & can say the sa,e abo+t all those fathers in the barracks and

bachelors* 0+arters. =very one of the, 'ishes to see his children ed+cated. 5o to the ,ines, the far,s, the r+ral areas, there is not a sin le .frican parent 'ho does not 'ish to see his or her child ed+cated, to be in a better position than the parent. 3o', then, can the .NC, an or anisation of all these people, call +pon the, to do 'hat they kno' the people 'ill never do9* 6he third 'o,an 'ho spoke fro, the floor 'as Linah -apille, also a ,e,ber of the Co,,+nist Party and the .NC, 'ho said: *6he fi ht is for +s, the parents, not for o+r children. ;ho ever heard of parents p+ttin their children in the forefront, in the front lines in battle9 ;e 'ant o+r children ed+cated. B+t 'e can ref+se to co2operate 'ith Ger'oerd in the school boards and co,,ittees he 'ants to set +p. 6hat is o+r role. 6hat is o+r fi ht.* .fter a f+ll disc+ssion, the chair,an called for a resol+tion. -oses -olelekoa p+t for'ard the follo'in resol+tion: .fter a f+ll disc+ssion of the ,erits and de,erits of the resol+tion of the .NC at its conference, this ,eetin of parents and teachers of the ;estern Cape, held in (an a 3all, resolves: 1. 6hat 'e shall contin+e to send o+r children to school, for a child 'ith even Bant+ =d+cation is better than a child 'ith no ed+cation at all. 2. 6hat 'e call +pon o+r teachers to stay in their posts, teachin o+r children 'hat they kno' sho+ld be ta+ ht, as they have been doin over the years. E+r teachers are o+r hope, for they and they alone 'ill co+nteract the poison of Bant+ =d+cation. ;e call +pon o+r teachers to be vi ilant, 'atchin o+t for any si ns in the content of 'hat is to be ta+ ht that are not in the interests of o+r children. !. 6hat this fi ht is for +s the parents. .nd as s+ch 'e, the parents, 'ill ref+se to co2operate and collaborate 'ith the < 1$K < overn,ent in the elections of school boards and school co,,ittees to r+n the Bant+ =d+cation schools. ;e f+rther resolve that all collaborators and 0+islin s be ostracised. P+t to the ho+se, the resol+tion 'as carried 'itho+t any dissension. -ary 6+rok, the Ne# Age reporter, left before the vote 'as taken, even before -olelekoa finished readin his resol+tion. .s she 'as oin o+t, the yo+n people, standin alon the sides of the hall, called to her: *Gote, -ada,, vote4* 7he 'as so e,barrassed. 6here 'as not a line in Ne# Age abo+t that ,eetin . 6he people of the ;estern Cape kept their resol+tion, and for the first fifteen years of Bant+ =d+cation, those 'ho served on the school co,,ittees and school boards 'ere appointed ,e,bers, 'ho did not have the confidence of the people. 6his 'as the bea+ty of involve,ent in the ;estern Cape. 6he people 'orked to ether, e>a,ined the iss+es, disc+ssed the, and arrived at a consens+s, irrespective of 'hich or anisation led the fi ht. 6here 'as hardly any rivalry a,on the different pop+lar or anisations. 6he people +nderstood that, even tho+ h they belon ed to separate bodies, the ene,y 'as the sa,e and their fi ht 'as the sa,e fi ht. ;hat 'as i,portant 'as defeatin the ends of the ene,y. Agents provocateurs there certainly 'ere. B+t the people of the ;estern Cape never allo'ed the,selves to be led astray. 6hey kne' 'ho the 0+islin s and collaborators 'ere, and these 'ere ostracised and sh+nned. ;hen 7ob+k'e held his Aebr+ary ,eetin in (an a a ,onth before the P.C la+nched the pass ca,pai n in 19J", the thron s that ca,e to the ,eetin 'ere not P.C ,e,bers. 6he P.C as an

or anisation 'as yo+n and hardly kno'n a,on the people. 6hose 'ho attended 'ere the people 'ho had stood to ether in the fi ht a ainst Bant+ =d+cation and in the Gan 1iebeeck boycott, and they ca,e fro, the active or anisations in the ;estern Cape. 6he people of the ;estern Cape la+ded and follo'ed the P.C call on 21 -arch 19J", beca+se it str+ck a chord in their heartsB they 'ere ready to take the fi ht for'ard. 6he 'o,en in (an a, 'ho sha,ed the ,en oin to 'ork on 21 -arch, 'ere .nnie 7ilin a, Nellie -alindi and Linah -apille, all of the, .NC ,e,bers. 6o the,, this 'as a national call and had to be s+pported. 6his is ho' ,at+re the people of the ;estern Cape 'ere in their politics. Ene 'ishes that o+r people in the other areas, too, 'o+ld take a leaf o+t of the people*s +nity in the ;estern Cape and act to ether, to defeat the < 1$% < ends of the ene,y. 6he ene,y is not a ,e,ber of .NC, .C.PE, BC-, ULA or any of the people*s or anisations. 6he ene,y is the oppressive syste, of 7o+th .frica, the overn,ent that has i,posed it +pon the people, the lackeys 'ho operate the ,achinery. 6hat is the ene,y. En 1# Lece,ber 19$!, C.6. called an .ll2&n Conference of all teachers fro, the fo+r provinces and invited teachers fro, the sister or anisation, the 6(7.. .ll teacher bodies, e>cept the Eran e Aree 7tate .frican 6eachers* .ssociation, no' in the control of collaborators, responded to the call. 6he Bant+ =d+cation .ct had :+st been passed in Ectober of the sa,e year, and .pril 19$# 'as sched+led as the start of the ne' syste,. =iselen, as 7ecretary for Bant+ =d+cation, had on 1! Lece,ber, the day before the conference, iss+ed a stern 'arnin that all teachers 'ho attended the conference 'o+ld be dealt 'ith severely by his depart,ent. B+t the teachers ca,e in their n+,bers in spite of this threat. 6he 0+estion facin teachers and parents 'as *;hat no'9* =verybody kne' 'hat 'as in store for the .frican people and their children in the ne' syste,. -r (eo 7ihlali, president of C.6., took as the the,e of his address the C.6. ,otto: *;here 6here &s No Gision, the People Perish*. -r 7ihlali ,ade it 0+ite clear to his a+dience that there co+ld be no t+rnin back. ;hen C.6. e,braced the ne' policy, it 'as beca+se the teachers had a vision of 'hat they 'anted the ed+cation of their children to be, and 'hat they, the oppressed of 7o+th .frica, sa' as their f+t+re / a f+t+re that ave every individ+al an opport+nity to develop to his or her hi hest potential, a f+t+re in a ne' society 'here e>ploitation and oppression 'o+ld be +nkno'n, a f+t+re of a 7o+th .frica of e0+als. *6his is o+r vision,* declared -r 7ihlali, *and nothin is ever oin to blot and bl+r that vision for +s. 6his is o+r vision of a ne' 7o+th .frica and to et there, 'e, the teachers, 'e, the parents, ,+st ird o+rselves for the str+ le ahead, a str+ le 'hich all the forces of reaction, the po'er of the state, are bent on divertin , th'artin and sabota in .* Conference a reed to adopt the resol+tion of the Parent26eacher Er anisation of the ;estern Cape, na,ely, that teachers 'ere to re,ain at their posts, forever vi ilant, teachin as they had done before and 'atchin o+t for indoctrinationB parents 'ere to ref+se to serve on the proposed school boards and co,,itteesB and parents < 1$9 < 'ere to keep their children in school. . n+,ber of yo+n people at the conference had been askin ,e to speak, sayin that if & did, that 'o+ld ive co+ra e to the other 'o,en in the conference. 6ho+ h ,any 'o,en attend conferences of

this kind, fe' ever speak. 6he idea that these are the affairs of ,en is still present and the 'o,en al'ays hold back. 7o 'hen 'e convened in the afternoon, & tho+ ht & 'o+ld obli e. & had co,e as representative of o+r local ;estern Province C.6.2Parent .ssociation, and & spoke on their behalf. & al'ays +sed Nhosa at s+ch ,eetin s and 'o+ld relate ,y the,e to the e>periences of the people. . flock 'itho+t la,bs is doo,ed. . herd 'itho+t calves has no f+t+re. . people 'hose children are doo,ed to i norance has no f+t+re. &t is o+r children 'ho are, by this .ct, conde,ned to a 'orld of darkness and i norance, 'ho 'ill never fit in any'here in the 'orld after bein sh+t a'ay fro, the rest of h+,anity by Bant+ =d+cation. &f 'e all realise that, 'e cannot, no ,atter 'hat the odds, stand idly by and let that happen. ;here are the ,others in this hall 'ho 'ill say: *Never4 Not to ,y child4*9 ;here are the 'o,en of this nation 'ho 'ill say: *Never, not to o+r children4*9 3ave 'e less co+ra e than the ,other2 hen, that 'ill dare the falcon that s'oops do'n on her yo+n 9 & do not think so. (et +s take a lesson fro, those ,others in 3itler*s concentration ca,ps, 'ho, in a desperate sit+ation, tried to save their children. ;e 'ill do the sa,e too. ;e 'ill tell Ger'oerd that over o+r dead bodies 'ill he conde,n o+r children to i norance. ;e 'ill tell hi,: Never, not to o+r children. 6o ,e, the fi ht a ainst Bant+ =d+cation 'as a fi ht for the ,others of the nation. &f they stood fir,, 'e co+ld defeat the ends of this ,eas+re. Perhaps this conviction 'as borne o+t of ,y e>perience in the ;estern Cape, 'here it 'as the ,others, the 'o,en, 'ho 'ere o+r reat s+pport in C.6.. Aor three f+ll years, 19$$ thro+ h to 19$K, the a+thorities tried 'itho+t s+ccess to et the people to elect school board and school co,,ittee ,e,bers. 6hen in 19$% they decided to call a ,eetin for elections thro+ ho+t the Cape Penins+la for all schools, on the sa,e day. &n addition, the parents 'ere to be ad,itted to the ,eetin s if < 1J" < each had an invitation as a parent 'ith a child in that partic+lar school. Police 'ere posted at the doors to check identity papers, beca+se they 'ere +nder the i,pression that certain ele,ents opposed to Bant+ =d+cation 'o+ld float aro+nd on election day to oppose the elections. 6hey 'ere to learn that this 'as the decision of the people, the parents, and no *press+re ro+ps* 'ere responsible. 6he ,eetin at 7t Cyprian*s Hthe .n lican school in (an aI 'as presided over by -r -a,a, e>2 principal of the -ethodist school and no' co+rt interpreter in the Cape 7+pre,e Co+rt. .fter the people 'ere asse,bled, -r -a,a asked anyone for a prayer to start the ,eetin . -oses -olelekoa responded and prayed as follo's: *Lear 5od, please help +s to re,e,ber the decisions 'e, as parents, have taken on this 0+estion. 3elp +s not to 'aver no' b+t to abide by the decision of the people of this area. .,en.* -r -a,a kne' that there 'as oin to be so,e tro+ble. &n a fe' 'ords, he e>plained the reason for the ,eetin and called for no,inations for ,e,bers, first of the school board. 7ilence. 6hen .nnie 7ilin a, a veteran fi hter and opponent of every anti2.frican la', rose: *& dare anyone, 0+islin or collaborator, to et +p no' and tell +s to elect. 3e or she 'ill soon kno' of 'hat st+ff 'e are ,ade.* 7he sat do'n. *.ny no,inations9* called -r -a,a. 7ilence.

6he ,eetin closed. Aro, 7t Cyprian*s the 'o,en 'alked over to the -ethodist school. 3ere the ,+nicipal police 'ere still checkin the parents* identity notes. *;hat are yo+ 'aitin for9* asked the ,atrons fro, 7t Cyprian*s. *6he police are still checkin if 'e have children in this school,* 'as the ans'er. *;ho says9 ;ho does not kno' that every ,other is every child*s ,other9* 7o sayin , they p+shed their 'ay in and the police co+ld not do anythin . Chairin the ,eetin here 'as -r Parsons, Chief Native Co,,issioner in 7alt 1iver. .fter -r Parsons had opened the ,eetin , -r -yathaFa asked if -r Parsons had a child in the (an a -ethodist school H'hich, of co+rse, as a 'hite person, he did notI. < 1J1 < *No.* *;hy are yo+ here then9 Lon*t yo+r children o to the University of Cape 6o'n9* =veryone at the ,eetin 'anted to kno' 'hat -r Parsons 'as doin at a ,eetin of parents 'hose children attended the -ethodist school in (an a. ;hen -r Parsons e>plained that he 'as the Chief Native Co,,issioner, the people told hi,: *;e all kno' that. ;hat 'e 'ant to kno' no' is 'hy yo+ are at this ,eetin , 'hen yo+r children attend the University of Cape 6o'n9* 3e co+ld not et past that 0+estion and the ,eetin had to close, and no elections 'ere held. 3e never a ain 'ent to any ,eetin . ;here the chair,an 'as a local person, 'ho had the ri ht to be at the ,eetin , the people dared the 0+islin s and collaborators to tell the, to elect. &n the Cape Province 'e had decided to send the children to school, b+t to boycott the ,achinery for r+nnin the schools. 6his 'e did. 6here 'as a lot of talk that in 8ohannesb+r the children 'ere oin to be 'ithdra'n fro, school, follo'in the .NC resol+tion. .,brose 1eeves, Bishop of 8ohannesb+r , decided to close all fifty ch+rch schools in his see rather than rent the, to the Lepart,ent of Bant+ =d+cation. 6his ,eant that children fro, these schools 'o+ld have to find acco,,odation in other schools or stay at ho,e. & 'ent +p to 8ohannesb+r for an on2the2spot assess,ent of the sit+ation. 6he (iberal Party 'as interested in the sit+ation and asked ,e to ive the, ,y report. En 12 .pril 19$#, the first day of Bant+ =d+cation, there 'as an air of so,ethin abo+t to happen. -ost of the parents & spoke to 'ere sayin : *;ho has a ri ht to tell ,e 'hether to send ,y child to school or not9 & dare anybody 'ho is oin to stop ,y child to,orro'.* & tho+ ht of 'hat -rs ;innie 7i0'ana had said at o+r ,eetin in (an a 'hen this 'as bro+ ht +p. 8+st t'o blocks fro, ,y co+sin*s ho+se 'as a bi Presbyterian school, +nder the principalship of -r 5. 8olobe. 6hat ,ornin , 12 .pril 19$#, fathers 'ith sticks +nder their ar,s 'ere escortin their yo+n ones to the school, darin anybody to stop the,. .fter 'atchin this for an ho+r or t'o, ,y co+sin drove ,e to 3oly Cross, do'n the road. &t 'as the sa,e scene / fathers 'ith their children, seein to it they 'ent in. 6hinkin it 'as perhaps Erlando 'here the parents 'ere not in favo+r of 'ithdra'in their children < 1J2 <

fro, school, 'e 'ent to Benoni and 5er,iston the ne>t day. 3ere 'e fo+nd the sa,e scenes. 6he children fro, the .n lican schools that had been closed 'ere there 'ith their parents seekin ad,ission in those schools that 'ere open. En o+r 'ay back, 'e stopped at -r Nto,bela*s, o+r nephe', 'ho 'as principal of the .lbert 7treet 7chool, 8ohannesb+r , to find o+t 'hat the position 'as at his establish,ent. *.ny boycotts9* & asked. *;hat boycotts9 & have ,ore children than & can take. 6he .n lican parents are cla,o+rin for roo, for their children beca+se 1eeves has closed all his bi schools. B+t 'e can take only a fe'. ;e 'ere overcro'ded even 'itho+t that.* *;ho then is 'ithdra'in his children9* & asked. *Nobody4 &f there 'ill be any children not in school, it 'ill be ,ostly those fro, the 1eeves* schoolsB they, too, beca+se they cannot find a place. -y a+nt, this is 8ohannesb+r , a place of bi talk.* 6he ne>t day 'e 'ent to the Aar =ast 1and / 7prin s and Brakpan / and here too the children 'ere in school and the parents 'ere sayin : *;e are not fools. ;e, too, 'ant o+r children ed+cated. 6hey e>e,pt fro, this 'ithdra'al all those in 7tandard $ and +p, beca+se their children are already in those 7tandards. ;ho do they think they are foolin 9* 6he school boycott4 Co+ld it have s+cceeded9 No. Beca+se as one observer 'rote in the 5ape Ti$es : *6his co+ld never have been a decision of the .frican parents, 'ho 'ere so keen on ed+catin their children and 'o+ld o to any len th to achieve that. 6his 'as a rash decision of the elite 'ho p+rported to speak for the,, a p+blicity st+nt, so as to appear to+ h.* .nd it 'as :+st so. None of the .NC elite had even prepared the people for this school boycott, nor 'ere they prepared to ed+cate the people on ho' it co+ld be achieved, even at this late sta e. .nd neither did they +nderstand all the thin s i,plicit in the Bant+ =d+cation .ct, for if they had, they 'o+ld have kno'n that the 7o+th .frican overn,ent 'as by this .ct tryin to solve for all ti$e the labo+r proble,s of 7o+th .frica. 6he Bant+ =d+cation .ct of 19$! rele ates the ,a:ority of .frican children to a position of he'ers of 'ood and dra'ers of 'ater, even before they are born. ;hat co+ld better s+it the ,ine ,a nates, the far,ers, the ind+strialists, than to be provided 'ith this ar,y of illiterate 'orkers9 7econdly, the .ct ,ade it a cri,e for anyone to teach .frican chil2 < 1J! < dren 'itho+t the per,ission of the -inister of =d+cation. 7o .frican parents 'ho in the past had ta>ed the,selves and b+ilt schools for their children co+ld not do so any ,ore. 6he children 'ithdra'n fro, the schools 'o+ld be roa,in the streets 'ith nothin to do. .nd the .ct had foreseen s+ch an event+ality in that it incl+ded a cla+se that e,po'ered the -inister to collect all children 'ho 'ere not in school 'hen they sho+ld be and send the, to yo+th ca,ps, 'hich the overn,ent 'o+ld establish for that p+rpose. 6he ,ass arrests of schoolchildren 'e are 'itnessin today take place +nder that cla+se of the Bant+ =d+cation .ct. 6he only difference perhaps is that instead of bein sent to yo+th ca,ps, a e+phe,is, for yo+th :ails, these kids are bein sent to the ordinary :ails. 6hose ele,ents 'ho 'ere for the school boycott 'o+ld have +s believe that it 'as a s+ccess, and to s+pport this they cite the *c+lt+ral cl+bs* that 'ere set +p in areas like Benoni. 6hey ,ake s+re not to tell +s that ,ost of the children 'ho ca,e to these *c+lt+ral cl+bs* 'ere fro, the .n lican schools, no' closed. Bishop 3+ddleston ,akes this point clear in his book Naught for -our 5o$fort . ;hen, after the 7o'eto st+dent rebellion in 19KJ, so,e teachers on the 1eef resi ned in protest,

parents 'ere 'orried and de,anded to kno' fro, these teachers 'ho 'as oin to teach their children in the ri ht 'ayB 'ho 'o+ld be the 'atchdo s, seein to it that overn,ent propa anda did not poison their children. &t is interestin to ,e that the lessons of non2collaboration and the boycott th+s ca,e to be espo+sed by the very children 'ho started school 'hen these 'ords 'ere first +sed. 6he ideas behind the, took root, and since 19KJ it is the children 'ho are teachin these lessons to their parents. 6oday*s children see, to have dr+nk 'ith their ,others* ,ilk the ,eanin of these 'ords and have co,e to +nderstand that the *boycott is a 'eapon of str+ le*, 'hich, as &. B. 6abata says, a people 'itho+t ar,s can +se to halt the ,achinery of the state. < 1J# <

6#i!i g
=arly in 19$K, a friend, 1onnie 7e al, asked ,e to 'rite an article for his recently la+nched ,a aFine Africa 7outh . *& 'ant a story of an .frican 'o,an, Phyllis, and it ,+st be in yo+r ,aiden na,e, for ..C. is already a contrib+tor to the ,a aFine and & don*t 'ant another 8ordan in it.* *;hen do yo+ o to press9* & asked. *-iddle of -arch. 6his 'ill o into o+r .pril/8+ne iss+e of the ,a aFine.* *ED, &*ll do it. 3o' ,+ch editin do yo+ do9* *8+st dottin the i *s and crossin the t *s. No chan e 'hatsoever, e>cept to correct a sentence that is 'ron .* *6hat s+its ,e fine. & do not 'ant anybody chan in the 'ay & 'rite.* *No proble, there, yo+ ,ay be s+re.* 6here 'ere so ,any 'o,en 'hose profiles & co+ld dra', those s+ccess stories of 'o,en 'ho had done this and that and are no' *pillars* of their society. & tho+ ht: *6o hell 'ith the, all*. ;e have heard eno+ h abo+t the, and are oin to hear ,ore, for they are the beloved of those 'ho 'rite anythin on the .frican. & decided to 'rite abo+t those other 'o,en 'ho, nobody ever hears abo+t, 'hose story has never been told, beca+se they are not the *pillars* of their societies. 6hese 'ere so,e of the irls & had ro'n +p 'ith, no' ,arried and livin the lives of 'ido's, as their ,enfolk 'ere a'ay in the cities. 6heir faces ca,e floodin before ,e / Nto,be,nya,a, B+yis'a, NoFen aFi, Nobant+, No,a'o, -ka,l+n + and ,y co+sin Nont+th+, 'hose h+sband 'as so,e'here in Cape 6o'n and had for otten that he had left a 'ife and t'o children at ho,e. People do not even kno' that these 'o,en e>ist. < 1J$ < .nd if they do, 'ho cares9 6+rnin this over and over in ,y ,ind, & decided that the best 'ay 'o+ld be to be in by providin so,e back ro+nd and tellin the story of the tra edy of the .frican people before & dre' the profile of any .frican 'o,an. *.frican 6ra edy* is the article.?M@ &t is the sad story of a 'hole people, 1$,""",""" so+ls, land2less, ho,eless, destit+teB a people 'ho have been r+thlessly +prooted fro, the co+ntry, b+t not allo'ed to develop roots in the to'ns, victi,s of a vicio+s 'orked2o+t syste, to render the, ho,eless,

propertyless and poor so that they can be p+shed into the labo+r ,arket to still the econo,ic cries of the ind+strial a e. 6he Native 1eserves have the, by the tho+sand, those yo+n ,en 'ho have never kno'n lifeB h+sbands and fathers 'ho have never kno'n 'hat ho,e is, 'hat fa,ily life isB fathers 'ho do not even kno' their o'n children. &t is the tra ic story of tho+sands of yo+n 'o,en 'ho are 'ido'ed lon before they reach the a e of thirtyB yo+n ,arried 'o,en 'ho have never been ,others, yo+n 'o,en 'hose life has been one lon son of sorro' / b+ryin one child after another and lastly, b+ryin the h+sband, that lover she has never kno'n as h+sband and father. 6o the,, both ,en and 'o,en, ad+lthood ,eans the end of lifeB it ,eans loneliness, sorro', tears and deathB it ,eans a life 'itho+t a f+t+re beca+se there is no present. 6his is the tra ic story of o+r people4 & had seen it in the r+ral areasB & had seen it in the cities. & had seen it only three years back, in its + liest, here in Cape 6o'n in the transit ca,ps that the Livisional Co+ncil had set +p t'elve ,iles east of Cape 6o'n, 'hen they 'ere clearin the settle,ents that people had ,ade a,on the sand2d+nes and b+shes thro+ ho+t the Cape Penins+la. 6he 'inter of 19$# had been one of the coldest in Cape 6o'n, 'ith floods that s'ept a'ay people*s shanties in the b+shes, takin everythin 'ith the, and leavin so,e 'ith nothin b+t the clothes they stood in. &t 'as d+rin this 'inter that people 'ere re,oved to bare b+sh, 'itho+t even the se,blance of shelter, nothing . =arly in the year personnel of the Livisional Co+ncil had one ro+nd all the settle,ents 'here .fricans lived infor,ally, ivin each ho+sehold a n+,ber, their lot 'hen they ,oved. . ,onth ?M@ M Africa 7outh Gol. &, no. !, .prilR8+ne 19$K. < 1JJ < before the re,ovals, the Co+ncil a ain ca,e ro+nd, leaflettin these areas, tellin the people 'hen they 'o+ld be ,oved and advisin the, to be ready on that partic+lar day. En the said day the vans ca,e, collected the people 'ith their belon in s, drove to the *transit ca,p* area, d+,ped the, in the open, each fa,ily on its desi nated spot. 6he places they had lived in 'ere b+lldoFed. -oreover, if people 'ere not there 'hen the ,ovin vans ca,e, their possessions inside 'ere b+lldoFed alon 'ith the shack. &t 'as -ay of a very cold 'inter 'hen all this 'as done. &t is only 'hen one sees s+ch thin s that one can realise the callo+sness of 'hite a+thorities 'hen they deal 'ith .fricans. & 'ent d+rin the second 'eek of the re,ovals to see for ,yself. . friend, -rs 8ilana, 'ho lived in Nyan a =ast, not far fro, the school, took ,e, and 'hat & sa' be s description. 6here 'ere the people 'ith their children, d+,ped on 'et sand, in the b+sh, in the rain, 'itho+t any shelter. 7o,e had cleared trees, p+t hessian over the b+shes and 'ere cro+chin +nderneath, ro+nd an open fire. Ethers had set their pieces of f+rnit+re do'n, p+t hessian aro+nd the,, and pieces of cardboard and Finc on top. =verybody 'as co+ hin , the children*s noses 'ere r+nnin , and ,any had pne+,onia. Children died. 6here 'ere no shops, no 'ater, nothing" ;hat provisions ,ost had bro+ ht 'ith the, had already r+n o+t. 6he nearest shop 'as +s+ally t'o ,iles a'ay thro+ h b+sh, and it 'as possible that if one 'alked to it one 'o+ld not find the 'ay ho,e, for there 'as no reco nisable 'ay ho,e. Aor fo+r days & 'as there talkin to and ,eetin those people in the transit ca,ps. 3ere & ,et a ,an 'ho told ,e that he had been at 'ork 'hen the ,ovin vans ca,e. ;hen he ca,e back, there 'as no *ho,e*. =>cept for the street, he co+ld not even reco nise 'here his ho+se had been. 3e headed for the transit ca,p on foot for there 'ere no b+ses oin that 'ay. 3e 'as oin to find his fa,ily. ;here9 3e did not kno'. *NkosaFana, & ran, & prayed, and & cried. &t 'as ettin dark and & did not kno' in 'hich area people fro, =+reka 'o+ld be. & 'as +ided by the fires in the b+sh. .s & approached a ro+p, & 'o+ld call o+t: 8Nivela )#a (hobosha* Ngaba ba)uliphi cala aba)#a

(hobosha*8 ?Lo yo+ by any chance co,e fro, =+reka9 ;hich 'ay 'o+ld be people fro, =+reka9@* 6hat ,an tr+d ed thro+ h that b+sh, in the cold, h+n ry and tired, +ntil three in the ,ornin 'hen he ca,e +pon his fa,ily. *6hey offered ,e food,* he told ,e. *B+t & co+ld not eat. & 'as :+st < 1JK < lad & had fo+nd the,.* -any children 'ere separated fro, their parents and stayed 'ith other ro+ps co,pletely +nkno'n to the,. B+t the people took the, in +ntil their parents sho'ed +p. & 'ent back a ain in 7epte,ber of the sa,e year and it 'as then that & ,et -rs L+,ani, the s+b:ect of ,y article. 6hin s looked ,+ch better than they had been 'hen & first 'ent there. 6his 'as the res+lt not of the a+thorities b+t of the people. -y second article for Africa 7outh 'as *6he ;ido's of the 1eserves*, 'hich has en:oyed a lot of p+blicity and has been translated into Arench, Ale,ish and L+tch. & a, lad & opened the 'indo' on these 'o,en. Before that no one had tho+ ht their story 'as 'orth tellin . (an ston 3+ hes 'rote to con rat+late ,e after readin it and later incl+ded it in his antholo y An African Treasury . &t is in that vol+,e that ,any people in the .,ericas read the article. Ether articles of ,ine in Africa 7outh incl+ded the series *.n .byss of Bant+ =d+cation*. . variation of these appear in <ighting Tal) edited by the late 1+th Airst, +nder the title *Aive )ears of Bant+ =d+cation*. 6his series appeared also in 5ontact the (iberal Party ,a aFine. 7o,eti,e in the ,id2fifties, &. B. 6abata prod+ced a booklet on the boycott entitled The +oycott as a :eapon of 7truggle . &t 'as felt that beca+se of the sit+ation in 6ranskei and other r+ral areas 'here the peasants 'ere protestin a ainst stock li,itation, the rehabilitation sche,e and Bant+ .+thorities, this booklet sho+ld be translated into Nhosa. & 'as asked to do it. 1eadin it in Nhosa, no one 'o+ld ever think it 'as a translation. &t 'as also 'hile 'orkin thro+ h the booklet in Nhosa that & realised that there 'as not a sin le concept e>pressed in the =+ropean lan +a es 'hich one co+ld not e>press in .frican lan +a es. &f anythin , it is the =+ropean lan +a es that fall short of e>pressin concepts fo+nd in the .frican lan +a es, for e>a,ple, the N +ni 'u+untu' or the 7otho '+otho' . 6hose peasants in 6ranskei 'ho read the booklet adopted it as their bible. .t the ,eetin in BiFana, chaired by the Chief Native Co,,issioner of Ciskei, to in0+ire into the ca+ses of the 19J" dist+rbances in Pondoland, the peasants 0+oted concepts fro, that booklet in Nhosa, in p+ttin their case. .nd ..C., the scholar, 'riter, critic, translator and lin +ist, declared that & had prod+ced a classic. < 1J% <

UCT a * M$ 6o#4
&n 19$K & decided to attend the University of Cape 6o'n to do a Liplo,a in Native .d,inistration. & 'anted to +nderstand this net'ork of la's that binds the .frican people hand and foot. ;hen & ot to UC6 & fo+nd that the pro ra,,e 'as ,+ch 'ider and ,ore interestin than & had tho+ ht, for it e,braced Co,parative .frican 5overn,ent and (a', dra'n +p and iven by a very able professor, Lr 3.8. 7i,ons. 6he pro ra,,e covered three areas of colonial .frica / British, Arench and Bel ian .frica / and co,pared the ad,inistrative syste,s of the three po'ers. &t 'as an eye2opener, for basically the p+rpose of all three in .frica 'as the sa,e, na,ely, to e>ploit .frica*s reso+rces and the

labo+r of her people. ;hen 'e t+rned to 7o+th .frica it 'as then that & +nderstood that, in fact, the basis of apartheid 'as laid by the =n lish, before the t+rn of the cent+ry. 1eadin the correspondence bet'een the Colonial Effice in Britain and the overn,ent in Cape 6o'n, as 'ell as debates in the Cape parlia,ent, 'as very revealin . En one occasion Cecil 8ohn 1hodes, then pri,e ,inister, 'arned his fello' 'hites: *& have :+st ret+rned fro, 6ranskei and fo+nd there h+ e instit+tions, 'here they are teachin the native 5reek and (atin, prod+cin e>cellent fello's, parsons by the doFen. B+t they are overdoin it. 6hose ,en 'ill soon a itate a ainst the overn,ent.* En the 0+estion of i,posin ta>es on .fricans, 1hodes a ain did not e0+ivocate: *;e 'ant to et hold of these yo+n ,en and ,ake the, o o+t and 'ork. &t ,+st be bro+ ht ho,e to the, that in f+t+re nine2tenths of the, 'ill spend their lives in daily labo+r, in physical 'ork, in ,an+al 'ork.* &n 1%99, three years before Lr Ger'oerd 'as born, (ord -ilner spelt o+t the ai,s of Britain in 7o+th .frica in these < 1J9 < 'ords: *6he +lti,ate ai, is a self2 overnin 'hite co,,+nity in control of the econo,y, s+pported by 'ell2treated and :+stly overned black labo+rers.* Ef co+rse it 'o+ld be (ord -ilner and other 'hites 'ho 'o+ld deter,ine 'hat ood treat,ent and overn,ent 'o+ld be, and not the .frican labo+rers. By the end of ,y t'o years 'orkin to'ards ,y Liplo,a, & kne' every la' in the stat+te2books overnin the .frican people, and every loophole. &t 'as :+st as 'ell, for the follo'in year & 'ent to 'ork in the offices of the &nstit+te of 1ace 1elations in Cape 6o'n. 6he 7o+th .frican &nstit+te of 1ace 1elations had been inspired by Lr . rey of 5hana on his visit to 7o+th .frica in the ,id2t'enties. &t never had any pop+lar s+pport a,on the .frican people, even a,on the intellect+als. &nitially it 'as :oined by ,en on the .dvisory Boards in the bi cities and the first layer of Aort 3are rad+ates, C. D. -atthe's, N cobo, -oerane and a fe' others. B+t by the ,id2 forties, not even the *respectable* Aort 3are rad+ates 'ere attracted to it. .,on 'hites, the sa,e held. &t 'as the ho,e of the (iberals of the Cape, 8ohannesb+r , Natal and partic+lar places like Aort 3are, (ovedale and 7t -atthe'*s. 6he &nstit+te is ,ainly a research body, carryin o+t pro:ects on race relations in 7o+th .frica. =very year it prod+ces a s+rvey fro, hi hly selected reports fro, the 0+ality papers in 7o+th .frica, tho+ h never fro, the Guardian Torch , or other pro ressive papers in the co+ntry, and also very little fro, the .frikaans press, e>cept perhaps 1ie +urger . E+r office in Cape 6o'n, beca+se it 'as located in the le islative capital, dealt 'ith le islation that 'as co,in +p before parlia,ent in that partic+lar year, interpretin it for the lay,an and ,akin o+r research kno'n a,on the p+blic thro+ h the ,edia. ;hoever 'as handlin a pro:ect in o+r office had to do a lot of research into past le islation and cons+lt 'ith so,e la'yers in to'nB 'e al'ays dealt 'ith L. B. -olteno 7.C., the father of the &nstit+te in Cape 6o'n / it 'as s+ch a pleas+re 'orkin 'ith hi,. Besides this, o+r office handled all the cases of .fricans 'ho had proble,s 'ith their passes, ,en and 'o,en, ne' arrivals and old 'orkers 'ho tho+ ht they 'o+ld et into tro+ble +nder the pass la's and infl+> control. 6hey ca,e to o+r office for free help. -y kno'led e of Native .d,inistration and the la's affectin .fricans th+s ca,e in handy. .nd ho' does anybody handle a case of one 'ho has no ri hts +nder the la's of the land9 Ene looks for all the loopholes and +ses < 1K" < theseB one also taps the tender feelin s of the ad,inistrators 'ho have to apply these la's. 6his ,eant kno'in :+st 'hich chord to to+ch 'hen 'ritin a letter to -r Pal, ren, -r ;orrall or -r 1o ers, the

7+perintendent in (an a. Ene had to kno' 'hat thin s not to incl+de in a letter to the Chief Native Co,,issioner in 7alt 1iver and, to so,e e>tent, 'hat sort of ,an he 'as. Ene had to learn all these tricks and to lie 'here and 'hen it 'as necessary / to lie to save a ,an or 'o,an fro, bein t+rfed o+t of an +rban area / and to be s+re that all the sa,e the story h+n to ether. Ene had to consider all the possibilities of 'here and ho' this see,in ly neatly se'ed2+p story co+ld be p+nct+red. ;hat co+ld one do in a sit+ation 'here the people have no ri hts +nder the la'9 .ll & re0+ired 'as that 'hen they ca,e, they sho+ld ive +s the tr+e story, hide nothin fro, +s, for 'e 'ere there to help the, and et ro+nd the la' if 'e co+ld. B+t not kno'in all the facts 'e co+ld not b+ild a case. 5ive ,e all those + ly facts and fro, the, & co+ld proceed. &t 'as a heart2rendin :ob. B+t & a, lad to say that in ,any cases 'e s+cceeded in obtainin for the people 'ho asked o+r help 'hat they 'anted, 'hich 'as often not ,+ch at all / a 'o,an 'antin to have her stay in Cape 6o'n e>tended so that she can conceiveB a ,other askin that she be allo'ed to brin her children into Cape 6o'n beca+se the relative she had left the, 'ith has died and no' there is no one at ho,e to look after the,B a 'orker 'ho 'ants to chan e his cate ory for he has an offer for a better2payin :obB a 'o,an co,in to Cape 6o'n, s,+ led in the boot of a car, to look for her h+sband. .ll these 'ere h+,an desires and h+,an re0+ests. )et in a better society, people sho+ld not even be re0+ired to refer s+ch 0+estions to others. 6hey are private personal iss+es and no third person sho+ld kno' abo+t the,. < 1K1 <

The S!a!e of E2e#ge c$

6he events of 21 -arch 19J" and those of # .pril, 'hen hell*s f+ry 'as let loose on the .frican people, 'ere to brin ,e closer still to ,y people. .fter 21 -arch and the shootin s in (an a and 7harpeville, the .frican 'orkers in Cape 6o'n do'ned tools and very fe' of the, reported for 'ork. .fter the bi f+nerals on 2J -arch there 'as virt+ally a co,plete 'ork stoppa e in the .frican to'nships in and aro+nd the Penins+la. Ene of the provocations that ,ade .fricans ,arch to the centre of the city on !" -arch 'as the police raids on their livin 0+arters, +nleashed in an atte,pt to drive the people to 'ork. 6he !" -arch 'alk to Caledon 70+are, the central police station, 'as not pre2plannedB it developed spontaneo+sly as the police 'ere drivin 'orkers o+t of their 0+arters into the centre of (an a. ;hen tho+sands had athered near the iNk+ndla, they all decided to proceed to parlia,ent, and on they ,arched. & 'as at 'ork and did not kno' abo+t this +ntil l+nchti,e, 'hen the people 'ere already conver in on Caledon 70+are. ..C. and Pallo 'ere at the +niversity at 5roote 7ch++r, Nandi 'as do'nto'n at the (ittle 6heatre, NinFi and (indi 'ere in school in .thlone. ;hen Pallo and the other st+dents heard that .frican col+,ns 'ere approachin -o'bray, they fle' do'n and :oined the ,archers, :+st as the first col+,n 'as enterin Le ;aal Lrive, and ,arched 'ith the, to Eran:eFicht. ..C. had follo'ed in his car 'ith one or t'o other professors. 3e did not kno' that Pallo 'as 'ith the ,archers. 3e only sa' hi, later, restin 'ith the others +nder the trees, as they debated 'hether to o to the 3o+se of .sse,bly or to Caledon 70+are. ..C. called o+t to Pallo to let hi, kno' that he too 'as there. & 'as on ,y 'ay to l+nch in the Cape 6o'n < 1K2 < 5ardens 'hen, as & crossed (on 7treet, so,e 'hite 'o,an told ,e that .fricans 'ere reported to be ,archin to the 3o+ses of Parlia,ent. & fle' thro+ h those ardens, headin for the 3o+se. .s & ca,e o+t, & sa' other people strea,in past, r+nnin to'ards Plein 7treet. & follo'ed and ot to the area

aro+nd Caledon 70+are, :+st as the people 'ere co,in in and takin their places. &n no ti,e, the 'hole area filled +p and there 'as nothin b+t a sea of black faces all aro+nd. 6he fe' 'hites, Colo+reds and &ndians 'ere hardly visible in that sea of black. . helicopter 'as already dronin above +s. &t 'as a tense ,o,ent. Nobody kne' 'hat 'as oin to happen. .ll stood there, silent and deter,ined. No' and a ain, thro+ h the din of the helicopter above +s, ca,e a lone voice: 'u7ana olungaliliyo lufel' e$bele)#eni"' ?. baby that does not cry dies in its ,other*s back2strap.@ ;hose voice this 'as, no one kne'. ;e 'ere to learn later that this 'as Gernon Aebr+ary, ..C.*s Colo+red st+dent in his Nhosa && class at UC6. Patrick L+ncan li,ped past +s and headed for the door of the police station, askin : *;here*s D osana9 ;here*s Philip D osana9 Lid anyone see hi, o past here9* & do not kno' if he received any ans'er to his 0+estion. ;e all stood there, silent. .fter a 'ait of abo+t t'o and a half ho+rs in that hot s+n, Philip D osana cli,bed on a police van to address the cro'ds. B+t as his voice co+ld not carry, and beca+se he did not speak the lan +a e of the ,a:ority of the people athered here, -la,li -akh'eth+ ot +p ne>t to hi, to tell the people to o ho,e, their rievances had been noted and 'o+ld be passed on to the -inister in char eB passes 'ere s+spended and the police 'o+ld not harass the, any,ore. 6he people 0+ietly t+rned ro+nd and 'ent ho,e, !",""" of the,4 6hey had co,e to to'n on foot, ,archin fo+rteen ,iles over Le ;aal Lrive, orderly and 0+iet, re,indin each other *No violence, -a2.frika4* Ethers had follo'ed by b+s and train and ca+ ht +p 'ith the ,archers in front of Caledon 70+are. 6hose fro, Nyan a, on hearin of this, follo'ed on foot. B+t by the ti,e they ot to Clare,ont train station, the cro'ds 'ere already oin ho,e, and they t+rned to o back 'ith the,. ;here & 'as standin , so,e .fricans do+bted the 'isdo, of oin ho,e, sayin it 'as all a trick. 6his 'as :+st a 'ay to def+se the sit+ation. 6hey 'ere ri ht. By the ti,e the cro'ds reached the to'nships, the overn,ent had declared a 7tate of =,er ency, ivin the -inister of 8+stice and any officer in his depart,ent < 1K! < arbitrary po'ers to deal 'ith .fricans. &n ter,s of the 7tate of =,er ency of 19J", the 7o+th .frican overn,ent did a'ay 'ith habeas corpus . 6hat s+spension 'as to be incorporated later in the 5eneral (a' .,end2,ent .ct of 19J!. Pallo had ,arched back 'ith the people, all the 'ay fro, Caledon 70+are to (an a :+nction, 'here he took the b+s ho,e to 7+nnyside. ..C. and the other fac+lty ,e,bers had driven back to varsity to collect their ba s and they too headed ho,e. &t had been an e>citin day. Passes s+spended4 Loes it really ,ean a chan e in policy9 )es, s+spended they 'ere for ,ore than t'o ,onths. 6he 7tate of =,er ency 'o+ld have stopped any black sta,pede into the to'ns. &t covered the 'hole co+ntryB it 'as r+thless. Under it, ,en, 'o,en and children, especially boys, 'ere arrested for all sorts of infrin e,ents of the la's, real and i,a inary. 6hat sa,e evenin after the 7tate of =,er ency 'as p+t into effect, the 'hole P.C e>ec+tive in the ;estern Cape 'as arrested for incite,ent, the sa,e char e that had been levelled a ainst 7ob+k'e and others in the 6ransvaal and a ainst Chief .lbert (+th+li, after he had b+rnt his pass in p+blic. By the ,ornin of !1 -arch all entrances to the locations 'ere sealed, 'ith ar,y +nits in fo+rs, standin at each entrance, 'ith instr+ctions to shoot anyone leavin or enterin . .s soon as & ot to 'ork, & told -rs -atthe's, the secretary, +nder 'ho, & 'orked, that & 'o+ld like to check 'hat the sit+ation 'as like in (an a, 'hether it 'as possible to o in thro+ h the footpaths. 7he a reed that & leave as soon as & co+ld. & left at eleven o*clock. 6he s+b+rb of Pinelands is separated fro,

(an a by only a broad bo+levard, r+nnin fro, east to 'est. 6here are ,any footpaths fro, Pinelands into (an a, 'hich ,any 'orkers fro, (an a +se. & tho+ ht & 'o+ld try one of these. & kne' that oin thro+ h the ate 'as 'ell2ni h i,possible, and & did not 'ant to ans'er any of the 0+estions at the ates, still ,ore o thro+ h that barrier of ar,ed soldiers. Aro, to'n, & took the b+s to Pinelands, and ot off at a spot :+st belo' the (an a 3ospital 'here & kne' there 'as a footpath. & crossed the street, 'alked thro+ h the b+shes to'ards (an a, and ri ht there, in front of ,e, a,on the b+shes 'ere the soldiers. .nother 'o,an co,in fro, Paarden =iland and oin ho,e to her children :oined ,e. ;e stood there for a fe' ,in+tes and both of +s decided not to try this entrance. A+rther on, east of +s, there 'as another footpath, near 6hornton. ;e decided to try that one, even tho+ h 'e fi +red 'e 'o+ld find the sa,e sit+ation. < 1K# < .t this one, too, soldiers 'ere standin +ard. & ave +p and 'ent ho,e. 6hat 7at+rday, ..C. and & tried another path thro+ h Brid eto'n2De'to'n into the barracks and Fones so+th of (an a. 6he soldiers 'ere there too. 6hey 'ere so yo+n B they looked bored, standin there 'ith nothin to do, defendin 'hite s+pre,acy. 6he .frican 'orkers 'ere ho,e, doin their do,estic chores for a chan e. .ll the ind+stries 'here .fricans 'orked 'ere losin ,oney. -ana ers 'ere ettin desperate and so,ethin had to be done. By the ,ornin of # .pril ,ore ar,y +nits 'ere called in, flo'n into Cape 6o'n the previo+s ni ht. 6hat ,ornin and ri ht thro+ h the day and the ne>t and the ne>t hell*s f+ry 'as let loose on the .frican peopleB they 'ere beaten o+t of their ho+ses, beaten in the streets and driven to 'ork. 6his 'as the day a seventeen2year2old 'hite boy, a police,an, assa+lted ..C. in 1ondebosch. 3e had one to the post office to send off so,e e>a,ination books, and 'as ret+rnin to his car. 6he yo+n police,an ran across, tellin hi, to stop. *& did not even think he 'as callin to ,e,* said ..C. ;hen the yo+n officer reached hi,, he de,anded to kno' 'hy he did not stop. *-e9* asked ..C. 3e had his ci arette in his hand and the officer knocked it o+t 'ith *)es, yo+4* and a slap across the face. .t that point another officer, older, ran to'ards the, callin : *7top it4 7top it4* ;hen he ot +p, he said: *& a, sorry, 7ir. 7orry4* ..C. 'ent back to the +niversity, and ,ade a report to the head of his depart,ent, infor,in hi, he 'as oin ho,e and 'o+ld re,ain there +ntil the +niversity +aranteed hi, safe passa e to and fro, his 'ork. 3is nephe' Bransby, 'ho 'as servin articles 'ith a fir, of la'yers in to'n, called ho,e on the off2chance that his +ncle ,i ht be there. *)o+ are ho,e early,* re,arked Bransby. ..C. told hi, 'hat had happened that ,ornin . 3e had :+st finished 'ritin an official letter to the head of his depart,ent. .t once Bransby called Lonald -olteno 7.C. and reported that his +ncle had been assa+lted by a yo+n 'hite officer in 1ondebosch. -r -olteno at once called -r 3arry (a'rence, -P for 7alt 1iver, and told hi, to brin the ,atter +p at once. .ll these 'ere people 'ho respected ..C. and felt o+tra ed that s+ch a thin co+ld happen to hi, :+st beca+se he 'as black. Enly t'o years before, (a'rence*s son had < 1K$ <

been in ..C.*s class and the yo+n fello' had nothin b+t praise for his professor, both as a person and as a teacher. (a'rence 'as f+rio+s and raised the ,atter at once, de,andin a p+blic apolo y, to ..C., to the University of Cape 6o'n and to the .frican people at lar e. 6he 3o+se adopted s+ch a ,otion. 7o,eti,e d+rin the 7tate of =,er ency, the Co,,andant of the ;ynber Police ca,e to o+r ho+se, 'ith a 'ritten apolo y to ..C. fro, his depart,ent, the Lepart,ent of Native .ffairs and the Lepart,ent of 8+stice. &t 'as (indi 'ho ans'ered his knock at the front door. .fter he had introd+ced hi,self (indi ,ade hi, stand on the stoep 'hile he 'ent to the st+dy to call his dad. -any people sent ,essa es of sy,pathy to +s. Enly one person, a ,e,ber of staff in the =n lish Lepart,ent at UC6, a friend of ..C., tho+ ht he had ,ade an +nd+e f+ss for other *Natives* 'ere also bein assa+lted. ;hy sho+ld he have i,a ined an e>ception 'o+ld be ,ade of hi,9 .fter callin -r -olteno, Bransby had phoned ,e at 'ork. & called ho,e at once and ..C. ans'ered. *.re yo+ h+rt9* & asked. *No4 No4 Lon*t 'orry. & a, all ri ht. & a, not even an ry any ,ore. &*ll tell yo+ 'hen yo+ et ho,e. Please, don*t 'orry4* &t 'as only in the evenin that & heard the 'hole story. )es, hell*s f+ry 'as let loose on the .frican people that # .pril. 6his 'as the day the police shot and killed -kh'ane in Nyan a ;est. 6hey had driven hi, and other ,en o+t of their shacks and as they ran ro+nd the fence, the police opened fire and killed -kh'ane on the spot. 3is 'ife 'as the first to reach hi,, :+st as he 'as aspin for his last breath. & ,et -rs -kh'ane a 'eek after, still in shock. .nother 'orker, Nkohla, of Nyan a =ast, had been shot 'hile r+nnin a'ay and had ca+ ht a b+llet 'ith his forear, as he co'ered to protect his head. ;hen he fell, the police took hi,, thre' hi, in the van, and sent hi, to ;orcester :ail 'here his broken ar, 'as attended to so,e ten ho+rs later. Under the 7tate of =,er ency, people disappeared into thin air. . boy 'ho had r+n an errand for his ,other after school 'o+ld not co,e ho,eB a ,an 'ho had one to (an a to rene' his pass 'o+ld disappearB a 'orker 'aitin for his train at a rail'ay station 'o+ld not be seen or heard of a ain. Nobody kne' 'hat had happened to the,. .ll had been taken +nder .rticle # bis of the =,er ency 1e +lations. 6heir relatives ca,e to o+r office in Bree 7treet to help < 1KJ < the, find their loved ones. 6his 'as ,y assi n,ent. &t see,ed a hopeless task, for 'e had nothin to o onB the police precincts in and aro+nd Cape 6o'n did not keep any records of s+ch people. Under the =,er ency 1e +lations a *,ock* co+rt 'as established in Cape 6o'n 'here those arrested appeared before a ,a istrate, 'ere sentenced and sent to oodness2kno's2'here. &t 'as to this co+rt that & directed ,y in0+iries. &t 'as not ,+ch help to +s. .ll & co+ld obtain 'as the na,e of the person arrested Hin ,ost cases ,isspeltI, the date of appearance in co+rt, the date of depart+re fro, Cape 6o'n, the train the said person 'as p+t on, the destination, and the last train station on the other end. ;here the person landed +p nobody kne' or even cared to kno' in the *,ock* co+rt. -rs Dathleen 1ose -atthe's, then secretary of the 7o+th .frican &nstit+te of 1ace 1elations in Cape 6o'n, 'as :+st ,arvello+s. 7o,e'here & have said of this 'o,an: *& shall never for et the h+,anity and the co+ra e of -rs Dathleen 1ose -atthe's, then secretary of the 7.&11 office in Cape 6o'n, +nder 'ho, & 'orked, for tho+ h 'e had so little to o by, she held on do edly, and 'e follo'ed every lead, checkin and recheckin every bit of infor,ation. &t 'as the sy,pathy and co+ra e of this 'o,an that co,forted those 'ho ca,e to o+r office for help and ave the, hope that so,ethin 'o+ld so,eday t+rn +p.*

P+ttin bits of infor,ation to ether, little by little, 'e 'ere able to trace ,ost of the people 'ho had disappeared. & 'as in the to'nships on 6+esdays and 6h+rsdays and later every 'eekend. 3ere 'ith so,e ood ne's perhaps, or here to check on a na,e. 6o this very day & can still see the happy faces 'hen the ne's 'as ood, b+t ho' sad they looked 'hen the ne's 'as bad. ;hen they cried, & cried 'ith the, and, locked in their e,braces, & kne' that the sit+ation 'e 'ere all in had bo+nd +s to ether. &t 'as d+rin these trips that & ,et in Nyan a ;est a tall black ,an, a si>2footer, ,+scle all over. 3is 'hole body 'as covered in 'eals, his le s 'ere s'ollen +p to the 'aist and he told ,e that for a 'hole 'eek he had +rinated blood. 3e had been beaten 'ith s:a,boks and tr+ncheons by the police on # .pril. *6here 'ere si> of the,,* he told ,e. *&f only & had had t'o to face, & 'o+ld have sho'n the,.* & believed hi,. 3e 'as a iant. *NkosaFana, & 'as not in this ca,pai n. B+t the police beat ,e into it. No' & a, in it heart and so+l.* & learnt a lot fro, the people d+rin those days and ,onths. Ene thin 'as that no ,atter 'hat the odds, ho' lon the road, they < 1KK < 'ere deter,ined to 'alk it to the very end. Ene had to be in the ,a istrate*s co+rts, 'here batches of the, 'ere facin trial. 6he people 'ere defiant and +nafraid. 6he Nhosa call the, a$a1ela)ufa / those 'ho defy death. 6hose to be char ed 'o+ld be called +p to the 'ell of the co+rt, before the ,a istrate / si> or ei ht of the,. 6he char e 'o+ld be read o+t: 5+ilty or not +ilty9 *Not +ilty4* 'o+ld be their response, and they 'o+ld be re,anded for so,e later date. 6hen they 'o+ld t+rn ro+nd to o to the base,ent 'here they had been kept and 'here others 'ere 'aitin . .s soon as they left the 'ell of the co+rt, each 'o+ld call o+t 'i=#e Lethu"' , and fro, the base,ent ca,e a th+ndero+s response: 'Afri)a"' *.,andla4* 1esponse: 'Nga#ethu"' 6here 'as nothin that any co+rt orderly co+ld do to silence the,. 6he .frican people kne' that history 'as on their side. 6hey still kno' it today. .fter !" -arch ,y brother -F+kie 'as one of the fe' contacts that the P.C ,e,bers in (an a had 'ith the o+tside 'orldB thro+ h hi, they co+ld send and receive ,essa es. 6his ,eant he had to o thro+ h that cordon of ar,ed +nits, 'ith bayonets at the ready, every ti,e he entered (an a. ;as & scared for hi,4 ;o+ld -F+kie kno' 'hat to do and say 'hen asked 0+estions9 & 'o+ld ask ,yself. ..C. al'ays told ,e that -F+kie 'o+ld handle the sit+ation ,+ch better than & ever co+ld. & co+ld not believe it. Aor all the serio+s disc+ssions 'e had had, to ,e he 'as still that s,all, innocent boy, shootin ,arbles on the stoep or ,o+ldin clay cattle +nder the table in the kitchen at ho,e, 'ho 'o+ld be fed +p 'ith ,e 'hen & said: *No clay in the ho+seB clay belon s to the side of the cattle2fold, not inside the ho+se.* 7o & al'ays breathed a si h of relief 'hen & sa' hi, enter o+r ate, cool as ever, cal, and controlled. 1+nnin to ,eet hi,, & 'o+ld say: *N0oko, yo+ are here4 3o' are yo+9 3o' are thin s9* 6hen & 'o+ld think to ,yself: *Perhaps ..C. is ri htB N0oko is no lon er a child.* 6his an>iety for hi, never left ,e. & re,e,ber in 19J1, 'hen he and five others 'ere arrested in (an a for *f+rtherin the ends of a banned or anisation, the P.C* and 'ere +nder interro ation for ,ore than t'o 'eeks, & 'as all torn inside, fearin they 'o+ld beat hi, +p, 'onderin if he 'o+ld ive a consistent story every ti,e he ca,e +p for 0+estionin . Dno'in that the police 'o+ld search his

< 1K% < roo, in Cra'ford, & 'ent there, looked thro+ h his bookcase for any books that ,i ht be tho+ ht s+bversive and re,oved these, as 'ell as papers he had in his dresser, and left these in the c+stody of the fa,ily in the ne>t roo,, reat friends of his, 'hose three2year2old da+ hter :+st adored hi,. ;hen the detectives bro+ ht hi, to the ho+se to search his roo,, this three2year2old, & 'as told, seein his hair +nke,pt, ca,e o+t 'ith a br+sh and co,b and started co,bin hi,. -rs Plaat:e, the ,other, said: *& 'as so lad 'hen Nt+th+ did that, to sho' the, that he 'as a ood ,an 'ho 'o+ld not h+rt anybody.* *&s this yo+r child9* the police had asked. *No, she is ,y friends* and 'e are ood friends,* he had told the,. 6o ,e -F+kie 'ill al'ays be ,y little brother, the baby & prayed for 'hen & 'as five years old. 6hro+ ho+t those si> ,onths of the 7tate of =,er ency, a black Lod e police car al'ays parked at the corner of Unity 1oad and Covin ton 1oad, ri ht in front of o+r ho+se. -r Aorbes, o+r ne>t2door nei hbo+r, alerted +s to its presence there every ni ht. Aor three ,onths & co+ld not sleep. &, too, stood by the 'indo', 'atchin the,. 6he car 'o+ld co,e +p o+r street at abo+t eleven o*clock, slo'ly o do'n to Port 8ackson 1oad, then back a ain at abo+t ,idni ht, +p the roadB at abo+t one o*clock, it 'o+ld stop :+st before the li ht and re,ain there +ntil fo+r in the ,ornin . .fter three ,onths of 'atchin , & decided & ,i ht as 'ell et ,y sleep. & a, certain no' that after three ,onths of 'atchin o+r ho+se, they kne' that no people ca,e to +s by ni ht. B+t they ,aintained their vi il, :+st to keep +s on tenterhooks. < 1K9 <

The Siege
Leter,ined tho+ h the .frican people ,ay be, their econo,ic condition and their settle,ent in se re ated locations, often ,any ,iles fro, the centre of the cities and 'hite s+b+rbs, ,ake the, very v+lnerable. .n .frican to'nship is easy to s+rro+nd and blockade. &n fact, the po'ers2that2be do not even have to spend a b+llet on the people, they can brin the, do'n on their knees :+st by sh+ttin off the 'ater s+pply, 'hich is, in ,any cases, controlled fro, the city. Beca+se of their poverty it is diffic+lt for .fricans to store +p anythin for a lon sie e. 6his 'as the case in 19J". .fter the bi 7ob+k'e ,eetin in Aebr+ary in (an a, the P.C cadres had one ro+nd, holdin ,eetin s, advisin people to store +p foodst+ffs, as nobody kne' ho' lon the ca,pai n 'o+ld last. . friend of ,ine, 6he,bsie, 'ho lived in (an a, told ,e abo+t these ,eetin s and one day, 'ith her, & 'ent to a ,eetin at the North Barracks, ne>t to (an a 3ospital. .s these 'ere ,eetin s for ,en, 'e 'ent there dressed as ,en 'ith scarves ro+nd o+r heads. &t 'as dark and no one co+ld reco nise +s. & 'ore ,y brother -F+kie*s overalls, 'hich & had been +sin 'hile paintin at ho,e. ;e ,ade s+re that 'e sat apart and at a distance fro, the rest of the ,en. Nor,an 7h+ba and -anelisi Ndibon o 'ere the speakers. 6hey told the ,en of the co,in ca,pai n, 'hat 'as to be done, e,phasised that it 'as oin to be non2violent and disciplined, and above all e>horted the people to start storin +p foodst+ffs / sa,p, beans, s+ ar, tea, coffee, oil and drippin . 6hey stressed the i,portance of dry foodst+ffs. ;e left as soon as the ,eetin be an to break +p. .fter seein 6he,bsie to her ho+se in -va,bo 7treet, & took the b+s ho,e to 7+nnyside. & never said anythin to ..C. at that sta e. & believe the

< 1%" < people stored so,e foodst+ffs, b+t by 2J -arch appeals 'ere already o+t for food for the people in the to'nships. 6he 'eekend before the bi ,arch, 3+dson 5ila and one other on the P.C Cape e>ec+tive stopped at o+r ho+se. ',dl'a$ahashi $fo )a ;ordan"' ?6he ar,y has r+n o+t of food and is no' eatin the horses.@ ;e responded at once 'ith cash, and the follo'in day 'e 'ent ro+nd to o+r friends in the nei hbo+rhood askin for food donations. ;e 'ere still p+FFlin over the 0+estion of a food depot 'hen 'e learnt that 7ayed S 7ayed, an &ndian b+siness concern that s+pplied .frican traders in the to'nships, had accepted the responsibility for bein a depot. 6his 'as the best arran e,ent, for the 7ayeds delivered orders to the to'nships. 6he response fro, the non2.frican co,,+nity of Cape 6o'n to this appeal 'as tre,endo+s. People flooded the 7ayeds 'ith roceries / bread, ve etables, s+ ar, tea, dried ,ilk / yo+ na,e it. 6he &ndian fr+it vendors on the 5rand Parade 'ere bi contrib+tors and al,ost every ,erchant on the Cape Alats that & kno' of contrib+ted, and this 'as besides the contrib+tions of ordinary people, Colo+red and &ndian. & re,e,ber ho+se'ives in (incoln =state stoppin by ,y ho+se, sayin : *& +nderstand the people in (an a are o+t of food. ;hat can & ive9* ;e directed the, to the 7ayed S 7ayed depot. & a, al'ays saddened 'hen & hear people, especially .fricans, speakin dispara in ly abo+t Colo+red people / shifty, irresponsible, snobbish and ood2for2nothin . 6hey speak like that beca+se they do not kno' Colo+red people nor +nderstand the,. &f one 'ants to kno' the Colo+red people, one has to et to kno' those in the ;estern Cape, 'here it co+ld be said there is a Colo+red tradition, for it is here that as a ro+p and a co,,+nity they started to e,er e. 6he Colo+red people, & ,ean the ordinary people or 'orkers, are a fine people 'ho have a healthy s+spicion and distr+st of all overn,ent instit+tions and all those 'ho operate the,. 6hey sho'ed this in Cape 6o'n d+rin the 7tate of =,er ency and even before that, after the shootin in (an a. ;hen the b+llets be an to fall, people ran in all directions, to Brid eto'n, De'to'n and Bontehe+'el, and hid a,on the Colo+red people there. ;hen it 'as not safe for so,e .fricans to sleep in their ho+ses, beca+se they 'ere 'anted by the police, the Colo+red people of .thlone, Cra'ford, Brid eto'n, 6hornhill, Bontehe+'el and 7alt 1iver took the, in and hid the, for as lon as it 'as necessary. 7o,e 'ere s,+ led o+t of the co+ntry fro, these hide2o+ts. 6here 'as no < 1%1 < fear that these friends 'o+ld betray the,. -y brother -F+kie, 'ith a price of one tho+sand rand on his head, dead or alive, el+ded the police for three ,onths, hidin a,on the Colo+red people. -any of the ordinary yo+n Colo+red ,en 'ere very sorry they had not :oined the ca,pai n in 19J". 6hey told the .fricans that they did not 0+ite +nderstand +ntil the bi ,arch into Caledon 70+are and the 7tate of =,er ency. 6hey 'ere deter,ined to be co+nted in the ne>t ca,pai n. &n 19KJ, the st+dents of the University of the ;estern Cape 'ere the first to co,e o+t in s+pport of the st+dents of 7o'eto. < 1%2 <

1971 a * 1978
.fter the 7tate of =,er ency 'as lifted in .+ +st 19J", one 'o+ld have tho+ ht that thin s 'o+ld i,prove in 7o+th .frica. Not in the least. &f anythin , they ot 'orse. 6here 'ere arrests thro+ ho+t

the co+ntry, in the cities and r+ral areas. 6he blacks had called for a Convention of the People, all the people of 7o+th .frica, b+t the overn,ent i nored this de,and. 6he .NC then called for a stay2at2 ho,e in protest a ainst celebrations of 7o+th .frica*s ne' stat+s as a 1ep+blic after it 'ithdre' fro, the Co,,on'ealth. (eaflets 'ere distrib+ted all over the co+ntry. 6he state ,achinery 'as set into ,otion to cr+sh any protest on the part of the people. Nandi and Pallo, no' at the University of Cape 6o'n, 'ere ca+ ht +p in these activities 'ith other st+dents. &f there 'as anythin that ,y children liked, it 'as leaflettin and distrib+tin political propa anda. 6his is not s+rprisin : they had started 0+ite early 'ith their ,other. Co,in ho,e one afternoon, after distrib+tin leaflets in 1ondebosch and Ne'lands, they told ,e that so,e'here in Ne'lands the police sa' the, and follo'ed the, for so,e t'o or three blocks. B+t they el+ded the,. .t t'o o*clock that ni ht, a call ca,e thro+ h: *Nandi, scra,4 6he police are after +s4* ..C. had taken the call in the st+dy. *;ho is that callin at this ti,e of ni ht9* *& do not kno'. .ll he said 'as: PNandi, scra,4 6he police are after +s4P* ..C. 'as ettin back to bed. *B+t 'e have to 'ake +p the children and et the, o+t of here,* & said. *;here are they to o in the ni ht9* he asked. < 1%! < *& do not kno'. (et*s take the, to the Nobles for toni ht and think of 'here to hide the, to,orro'. B+t those police ,+st not find the, here.* ..C. dressed and 'ent do'n the road to the Nobles. &n the ,eanti,e, & 'oke +p the kids and told the, of this call. *;ho co+ld it be9* & asked. 6hey did not kno'. By the ti,e ..C. ca,e back fro, the Nobles, they 'ere ready, and their dad took the, over. ;e co+ld not sleep after that. ;e e>pected the heavy police knock on o+r door. ;here 'ere 'e oin to hide the, for a fe' days, at least9 'as the 0+estion. ;e decided to ask o+r friend, -rs Birt in 1ondebosch, to take in Nandi for a 'eek. 6ho+ h Pallo had ,any friends in (incoln =state in 'hose ho,es he co+ld sleep, 'e tho+ ht it 'as not safe for hi, to be in the nei hbo+rhood. .ll the other friends 'e co+ld think of 'ere not safeB they co+ld be raided too. .ny'ay, 'e had the 'hole day to fi +re o+t so,ethin . .fter breakfast at the Nobles, they ca,e ho,e and drove 'ith their dad to the +niversity. .t 'ork & called -ary Birt and asked her if she 'o+ld have Nandi for a fe' days. No proble,B she 'o+ld collect Nandi at ho,e in the afternoon. Nandi sho+ld :+st call her 'hen she 'as ready. ;hen 'e 'ere all ho,e in the afternoon, the kids said: *7tran e4 none of o+r co2'orkers had ot any s+ch alert the ni ht before.* .ny'ay, 'e decided that Nandi sho+ld o to the Birts in 1ondebosch and Pallo 'o+ld sleep at the Nobles a ain. En the third ni ht Pallo ref+sed to o. *&f the police take ,e, they 'ill take ,e fro, here. & a, not oin any'here. & a, not oin to r+n a'ay fro, the,.* & tho+ ht this 'as childish and silly, b+t it 'as his decision. ;e respected it, ..C. sayin : *(et hi,, if he feels that 'ay.* No police ever ca,e. .fter a 'eek Nandi ca,e ho,e. 6o this very day, 'e do not kno' 'ho played this cr+el :oke on +s. . si,ilar trick 'as to be played on ,e a ain in 19J2 at t'o o*clock one ,ornin . & had not seen ,y brother for a fe' days. & 'as not 'orried, for the last ti,e & had seen hi, he had told ,e he 'as oin to (esotho for a ,eetin there.

*6his is the (an a Police 7tation. .re yo+ -rs 8ordan9* *;hat do yo+ 'ant9 ;ho are yo+9* & asked. *& a, the police ser eant, (an a Police 7tation.* *;hat do yo+ 'ant9* *&s yo+r brother*s na,e 1e ie9* *;hat do yo+ 'ant9* *;e have hi, at the police station. 3e 'as arrested this evenin at < 1%# < a P.C ,eetin at the Alats. )o+ can co,e and see hi, to,orro'.* *6hank yo+4* and & p+t do'n the phone. 5ood 5od4 Co+ld it be so9 ;hen did he co,e back fro, (esotho9 ;hy did he not co,e ro+nd to tell ,e he 'as back9 ;hy have none of his friends called to let ,e kno'9 7ho+ld & o o+t in this rain to his place in Cra'ford to find o+t if he 'as back9 &t 'as po+rin o+t there4 & decided to s'eat it o+t +ntil ,ornin and only then try to find o+t the tr+th. Aro, 'ork & called one of his friends, 7ifanelo. *;hen did N0oko co,e back fro, (esotho9* *3e is not back yet. ;ho tells yo+ he is back9* he asked. .fter & had told hi, of the call of the previo+s ni ht, 7ifanelo said: *6hat ,+st be 7o2and2so Ha fello' 'ho 'as once chair,an of the ;estern Cape branch, the first layer of the e>ec+tiveI. 3e ,+st be 'onderin 'here he is and 'ants to tell his bosses that he is o+t of to'n. -al+,ekaFi, don*t 'orry, if anythin happens to -al+,e, &*ll be the first to tell yo+.* ;hat do people et o+t of playin s+ch cr+el :okes on others9 People 'ere still bein s'ooped +pon by ni ht. 6he police had taken (ettie 7ibeko in ,id2a+t+,n 19J2. & had seen her in Nyan a not lon before that and she had told ,e that since .rchie, her h+sband, had left, the police 'ere harassin her, 'antin to kno' 'here he 'as. *6hey are oin to endorse $e out , 7is* Phyl, that & kno'. & do not kno' 'hat they 'ant fro, ,e or 'ant ,e to say. & really do not kno' 'here .rchie is. 6hat is a fact,* she had told ,e. (ettie 7ibeko 'as three ,onths pre nant 'hen she 'as arrested. 7he 'as let o+t :+st t'o 'eeks before her baby 'as born. & 'as already in =n land 'hen they released her. ;hat tho+ hts 'ent thro+ h (ettie*s ,ind, sittin there alone for si> ,onths, 'ith her +nborn baby9 (ovely (ettie4 & a, hopin to see her a ain so,eday. < 1%$ <

U i"e#si!$ A(a#!hei*
&n 19$9 the 7o+th .frican overn,ent passed the =>tension of University =d+cation .ct, co,,only kno'n as *University .partheid*. &n ter,s of this .ct, fo+r ethnic +niversities 'ere set +p: the University of the ;estern Cape in Bellville, fo+rteen ,iles east of Cape 6o'n, for the Colo+redsB

;estville on 7alisb+ry &sland in L+rban, for the &ndiansB 6+rfloop in the northern 6ransvaal for the 7othoR6s'ana ro+pB and N oye in D'a Llan eF'a, C+l+land, for the C+l+. Aort 3are in the =astern Cape, 'hich had hitherto been the only colle e for blacks, 'as to be e>cl+sively for the Nhosa. Under this .ct, those predo,inantly 'hite +niversities, like the University of Cape 6o'n, the University of the ;it'atersrand and the University of Natal, 'hich had hitherto accepted blacks, co+ld no lon er do so 'itho+t the per,ission of the -inister of =d+cation. Per,ission 'o+ld be ranted in special cases 'here the co+rses the st+dents 'anted to p+rs+e 'ere not available at the ethnic +niversities. 6his ,eant that o+r children co+ld not o to the University of Cape 6o'n 'here their father 'as teachin . Nandi alone had ,ana ed to beat the .ct 'hen she entered the Lra,a 7chool at UC6 in 19$9. 6he .ct e>cl+ded Pallo :+st at the end of his hi h school, NinFi by t'o years and (indi by three years. 6he policy at UC6 'as that all children of parents 'ho 'ere on the UC6 payroll obtained an %" per cent rebate in fees. 6his incl+ded the children of :anitors and everyone else e,ployed on the ca,p+s. 6he 19$9 .ct 'o+ld th+s deny o+r children this benefit. ;e 'ere then faced 'ith sendin Pallo either to one of the ethnic colle es, so,ethin 'e 'ere not prepared to do, or overseas to contin+e his ed+cation. Not only Pallo, b+t (indi as 'ell. NinFi had < 1%J < chosen to o into n+rsin and she had started her co+rse at Bara 'anath, 8ohannesb+r , in 19J1. 6o et into a British +niversity, Pallo had to have credit in co+rses at .2level. 3e needed t'o co+rses to convert his Cape 7enior Certificate, and fort+nately for +s, t'o of his father*s collea +es offered to help hi, in these s+b:ects, =n lish and 3istory. 6he +niversity 'as also racio+s eno+ h to allo' hi, library privile es on ca,p+s. 7o for t'o years, Pallo 'as +p at varsity to +se the library. 6here he had an opport+nity to ,eet and r+b sho+lders 'ith other yo+n people. &t 'as a ood e>perience for hi, and he liked it there. &n no ti,e he beca,e 'ell kno'n on Areedo, 70+are and a,on the -odern 7ociety ro+p. =arly in 19J1, ..C. had been a'arded a Carne ie 6ravel 5rant to to+r .,erican +niversities and colle es. 6hese rants are iven to noted scholars fro, all over the 'orld to enable the, to beco,e ac0+ainted 'ith hi her ed+cation in the United 7tates. 6he University of California in (os .n eles seiFed +pon this opport+nity, and invited ..C. as a visitin professor for a year after the Carne ie to+r. ..C. then applied for a passport to leave 7o+th .frica to take +p these assi n,ents. & 'as to re,ain behind 'ith the children. ..C. 'as to have left early in 8+ly, b+t he 'as ref+sed a passport. 6his he ot to kno' :+st three days before he 'as d+e to leave. 6he Gice2Chancellor of the University of Cape 6o'n 'ent +p personally to Pretoria to p+sh for the iss+in of the passport. =ven his effort did not help. ;e 'ere to learn later that the Lepart,ent of Native .ffairs, 'hich in fact is the Lepart,ent that decides these ,atters as far as .fricans are concerned, had reco,,ended that he be allo'ed to take +p the travel rant, b+t the Lepart,ent of 8+stice 'as still fed +p 'ith hi, for the stor, that had bre'ed 'hen he 'as assa+lted by the police officer, and vetoed the reco,,endation. ;hen this happened, everyone 'ho kne' ..C. / friends and st+dents / +r ed hi, to leave the co+ntry and take +p this opport+nity. =ven if it ,eant never co,in back, he, an e,inent scholar, 'o+ld al'ays find a s+itable post o+tside 7o+th .frica. &n addition, there 'as the 0+estion of his children 'ho, it see,ed, co+ld no lon er receive a ood ed+cation in 7o+th .frica. ;hy not leave9 .nd 'ith +niversity apartheid, ho' lon 'o+ld he keep his post at UC69

6here 'as also the 0+estion of 5ro+p .reas. 6he 'hole of .thlone, Cra'ford, 7+nnyside and 1ylands, ri ht +p to Bellville, had been declared a Colo+red area. &nspectors fro, the 5ro+p .reas Board had already co,e ro+nd to assess and val+e the properties of < 1%K < those 'ho 'o+ld have to leave. Aor +s, this ,eant oin to live in a location / Nyan a or 5+ +leth+ / 'hich 'e had avoided in the first place. &t see,ed that even if ..C. co+ld keep his post at UC6, there 'as no f+t+re for +s in Cape 6o'n. ;hy not leave9 & 'as all for hi, leavin too. .fter ,+ch tho+ ht, ..C. decided to leave 'itho+t a passport. ;hy not take (indi 'ith hi,9 (indi had :+st one ,ore year to finish hi h school, and co+ld finish his schoolin in =n land. &t 'as not an easy decision to ,ake, to send (indi off at fifteen. ;e disc+ssed this for days a,on o+rselves and 'hen (indi accepted the idea, 'e decided that he 'o+ld leave 'ith his dad. Enly his brother, Pallo, 'as a ainst the idea, ar +in that (indi 'as too yo+n to be sent to stran ers in =n land. 3o' & 'ish & had listened to Pallo*s advice. 6hat year and a half alone in =n land 'as devastatin for (indi. 6he e>perience left hi, an ry and bitter. =ven as 'e approached the ti,e for the, to depart, & 'as not certain if (indi*s oin a'ay 'as the ri ht thin for hi,. & said to ..C. that, sho+ld (indi at any ti,e d+rin their :o+rney say he 'anted to co,e ho,e, he sho+ld p+t hi, on the first train, boat or plane ho,e. & 'as to learn that in Bots'ana he cried one day sayin he 'anted to co,e ho,e. 3is dad co,forted hi, and talked thin s over 'ith hi,, and (indi 'as then 'illin to o on. 6hey had left ho,e at the end of 7epte,ber, 'ith stops in Bots'ana and Lar es 7alaa,, reachin (ondon in Ectober. Aro, Lar es 7alaa,, (indi sent ,e this ,essa e: *Deep on s,ilin ,* and another one 'hen they reached (ondon. ;e all ,issed hi,, partic+larly Pallo, his brother and protector. 6hey had been very close and perhaps & sho+ld have kno'n that his life 'o+ld be a void 'itho+t Pallo. (indi enrolled at Din ston 3i h 7chool in 3+ll, )orkshire, and stayed there 'ith an =n lish fa,ily, 'orkin people, 'hose da+ hter 'e had ,et in Cape 6o'n. .t the be innin of the follo'in year, ..C. left hi, and proceeded to (os .n eles. &t 'as a str+ le for ..C. to et to California. 3e had i,a ined that 'ith an invitation fro, an .,erican +niversity it 'o+ld be easy for hi, to obtain an .,erican visa. Not at all4 3e had no passport and he had to have that first before the .,erican =,bassy 'o+ld consider his application. 6he British a+thorities in those days 'ere sy,pathetic to 7o+th .fricans leavin the co+ntry. &t 'as easy to be ranted citiFenship on the basis that one had been at one ti,e a British s+b:ect or one*s parents 'ere once British s+b:ects. 6his 'as ho' ..C. obtained citiFenship in Britain 'ithin a ,atter of three < 1%% < days. 6his ri ht of citiFenship covered ,e, his 'ife, and his ,inor children. ..C. had 'ritten fro, (os .n eles advisin +s to apply for British citiFenship and passports. By then it had been decided that 'e 'o+ld all leave 7o+th .frica for Britain. 6he British Cons+late in Cape 6o'n 'as not very keen to iss+e passports to +s, advisin that 'e try the 7o+th .frican overn,ent first. 6he children did. 6he 7o+th .frican overn,ent, after a lon delay, ref+sed ,y children passports, sendin both Nandi and Pallo this ,essa e: *Passport applications denied. Lepart,ent 'ill consider applications for =>it Per,its.* ;e all then applied for e>it per,its. < 1%9 <

E g%a *
Enly those 'ho have had to leave ho,e kno' the +nspeakable pain involved. No 'ords can describe it. -+ch as the sit+ation 'as + ly in 7o+th .frica, and still is + ly today, 7o+th .frica is ,y ho,e. & love it. No place in the 'orld is like that co+ntry to ,e. Aor all its + liness, it is ,y ho,e, the place 'here ,y roots are, and & love it. 6his is 'hat is so painf+l. =ven no' it is still ,y hope that &*ll o back to live there. &t is the only place 'here ,y so+l can find rest and peace. ..C. had ret+rned to =n land fro, (os .n eles in the s+,,er of 19J2 to prepare for o+r co,in and to ,eet +s there. .s (indi 'as in school in )orkshire, he bo+ ht a c+te se,i2detached ho+se in one of the better s+b+rbs of 3+ll. Pallo, 'ho 'as entered for colle e in =n land, 'as the first to leave, in 7epte,ber 19J2. NinFi 'as no' trainin as a n+rse. .fter she left +s to o back to Bara 'anath, Nandi and & 'aited for o+r papers. .nd 'e 'aited and 'aited. &n a sit+ation like this one cannot even plan. =arly in Ectober, Nandi*s e>it per,it ca,e. .t least she co+ld o. ;e started sellin so,e of o+r belon in s and packin o+r library, and booked a passa e for Nandi and ,e on the Pendennis 5astle for the end of the ,onth. Ene 'eekend, 'e drove ho,e to &d+ty'a to say fare'ell to 6ata, ,y fa,ily, ,y sisters 5ranny and Ntan ashe and their fa,ilies. & did not tell 6ata and Ntan ashe that & 'as leavin . 5ranny 'as the only one & told. & feared to tell these t'o, for & did not kno' ho' & or they 'o+ld have taken it. 6here 'ere never any fare'ells bet'een ,e and Ntan ashe: 'e had al'ays avoided the,. ;hen 'e ret+rned to Cape 6o'n after the 'eekend at ho,e, the travel a ency called to say that there 'ere places for +s on the boat leavin that Ariday. & at once called -r 6horpe, Chief Native < 19" < Co,,issioner in 7alt 1iver, to 'ho, & had referred the 0+estion of ,y e>it per,it. *.ny 'ord fro, Pretoria abo+t the e>it per,it9* *No, no 'ord yet.* *& a, leavin this Ariday, 'ith or 'itho+t that e>it per,it, -r 6horpe.* *B+t yo+ cannot do that,* he protested. *-r 6horpe, & a, leavin this Ariday. & cannot let Nandi o alone. 7he 'ill not kno' ho' to handle this e>it per,it thin 'hen she ets to =n land.* *3,4 Chip off the old block9* he said. *)es, chip off the old block, -r 6horpe,* & ret+rned. -r 6horpe had 'orked in the &d+ty'a -a istrate*s office 'ith 6ata 'hen ,y father 'as a clerk there. 3e kne' hi, very 'ell. 6ho+ h 'e had applied for British passports, at this point 'e did not kno' 'hether 'e 'o+ld et the,. 6hey 'ere a'are of o+r sit+ation, b+t 'ere 'aitin to see ho' the 7o+th .frican overn,ent 'as oin to handle the ,atter. Nandi had already spread the 'ord aro+nd that 'e 'ere leavin that Ariday. En ;ednesday, the nei hbo+rhood kids, 'ho had for,ed a band, thre' a party at o+r ho+se and invited another band fro, 5+ +leth+, 'hose or aniser 'as ,y co+sin .llen. 3e bro+ ht cro'ds fro, both 5+ +leth+ and (an a. E+r nei hbo+rs and friends 'ere there in f+ll force, and 'e all had a ood ti,e. 6hat ;ednesday 'as ,y last day at 'ork. & called the British Cons+late and told the, & 'as leavin on

Ariday, and that the e>it per,it had not co,e yet. 6hey advised ,e to call back the follo'in afternoon. ;hen & called, it 'as to be told that the passports 'o+ld be ready on Ariday ,ornin B & co+ld pick the, +p any ti,e after ten o*clock. 7o 'e picked the, +p on o+r 'ay to the boat on Ariday afternoon. & 'as sorry thin s had happened this 'ay. & had not been able to see ,y ,any friends in the to'nships and s+b+rbsB & had not been able to see ,y NinFi in 8ohannesb+r . 6his really h+rt ,e. ;e had already boarded the boat 'hen lookin at the cro'ds on the 0+ayside, & sa' 7is* .nnie 7ilin a, Linah -apille, and 7is* 7anase Cali. & ran do'n the an 'ay to ,eet the,. ;e h+ ed and kissed. *&t 'as only at ,id2 ,ornin 'e heard yo+ 'ere leavin today,* 7is* .nnie 7ilin a said. *;e tho+ ht that yo+, at least, 'e ,+st co,e and see off. ;e ,issed 6itshala ?..C.@ 'hen he left, as yo+ kno'.* -y dear < 191 < sisters in the str+ le4 & 'as sorry they had co,e after visitors 'ere no lon er allo'ed for & 'o+ld have one on board 'ith the, into *this thin , 'hose insides they had never seen*, as 7is* .nnie told ,e. -any other friends 'ere there. & still carry in ,y ,e,ory the si ht of those three solid .frican 'o,en, standin there, co,e to say fare'ell to ,e. Nothin co,forts ,e ,ore than to kno' that & a, loved. & have al'ays basked in love, 'ar,th and acceptance. 6hat boat :o+rney4 7o borin and tedio+s. =ven tho+ h there are lots of thin s to do, :+st the tho+ ht of bein confined is eno+ h to drive one craFy. .t last 'e ot to 7o+tha,pton. & do not kno' 'hy b+t & e>pected the boys to be there to ,eet +s. Aro, (ondon 'e took the train to 3+ll. ;hat a lon , tireso,e :o+rney. 6he =n lish never speak to each other on trains or b+ses. =veryone is lookin at his or her paper or book. & 'as tired of all this silenceB so ettin +p to o to the 'ashroo,, & started sin in one of the pop+lar son s of the to'nships in those days, ,ovin and s'ayin to it: 'Nal' iNyasa libho)ile. selisithi lingu$>hosa"' & then la+ hed and ran off to the 'ashroo,. ;hen they heard the ,+sic, everyone*s eyes popped open, thinkin , & s+ppose, that the *Colo+red* 'o,an 'as oin craFy. Nandi 'as in stitches, la+ hin . 7he told her brothers as soon as 'e ,et and 'e all la+ hed. ;hen ..C. ca,e that Lece,ber and Nandi told hi,, he co+ld not believe it. Nandi then 'o+ld say: *B+t yo+ kno' -a,a. 7he is capable of doin s+ch a thin .* No' and a ain ..C. 'o+ld call Nandi aside and ask her: *Nandi, did -a,a really do that9* 6hro+ ho+t the boat :o+rney & had not been happy at all, thinkin of ,y child, NinFi. 3o' lonely and lost she 'o+ld be 'itho+t +s. =ven tho+ h her older sister, Ndileka, 'as in 8ohannesb+r , she did not kno' her as fa,ily. & 'rote her as soon as & had arrived, apolo isin for o+r fail+re to co,e +p to 8ohannesb+r , e>plainin that 'e had had to ,ake on2the2spot decisions to'ards the end. & pro,ised that as soon as & 'as settled, & 'o+ld look aro+nd for ood trainin schools for n+rses and 'o+ld send her all the available ,aterial. 6his & did. & sent letters to 6ata and Ntan ashe, too, apolo isin for not lettin the, kno' before & left. & told both that ,y short trip ho,e 'as, in fact, a oodbye trip, b+t fearin to +pset the,, & had said nothin abo+t that. 6ata 'rote back to tell ,e he 'as lad & had :oined ,y h+sband. ;hen he heard that ..C. had left, leavin ,e and the children behind, he did not kno' 'hat to ,ake of it. 3e < 192 < had never s+spected or heard of any tro+ble bet'een +s *b+t, Phyllie, one never kno's these days*. Ntan ashe also 'rote to tell ,e that 5ranny had infor,ed her after 'e left. 7he +nderstood and accepted ,y e>planation. & kne' she 'o+ld. -y first fe' ,onths in =n land 'ere spent settlin in and providin co,fort for ,y children, and

pickin +p the threads of o+r life. & fo+nd (indi very +pti ht and bitter. 3e had 'ithdra'n into hi,self, so,ethin that 'as not like hi, at all. ;hen he did open his ,o+th, it 'as to say so,ethin cr+el and h+rtin , especially abo+t his father and those connected 'ith hi,. & kne' that ,y child had been scarred and & had to heal those scars. ;e had a very happy re+nion in 3+ll that Christ,as. ;hen ..C. left a ain for California, Nandi decided to try (ondon for her theatre 'ork. 6here 'as :+st nothin for her in 3+ll. & re,ained 'ith the boysB Pallo 'as at the 3+ll Colle e of Co,,erce and (indi at school. 3+ll4 ;hat a holeB nothin to do and nothin oin onB nobody any'here near that 'e kne'B :+st o+rselves. 6he boys co+ld not 'ait to o do'n to (ondon at =aster, leavin ,e alone. & did not ,ind thatB & did not be r+d e the, thatB they had to o and ,eet people 'ho, they co+ld co,,+nicate 'ith, and (ondon 'as 'here their friends 'ere. Ene 'eekend, & 'ent do'n to (ondon to see Nandi and other 7o+th .fricans 'ho 'ere there. Nandi had told Professors ;estphal and 6+cker at the 7chool of Eriental and .frican 7t+dies H7E.7I that & 'as co,in , and by the ti,e & arrived there, there 'as already a l+nch invitation at 7E.7. Nandi ca,e 'ith ,e, and 'e had l+nch 'ith the staff. ;hat a st+ffy cro'd they 'ere. & 'as thinkin , as & sat there 'ith the,: &s this 'hat is oin to happen to ..C. 'hen he ets here9 .nd 'hen he is here, 'here 'ill & be9 8+st a ho+se'ife at ho,e9 6here*s nothin & fear as ,+ch as bein a ho+se'ife. &f & a, oin to be one, & ,+st be one by choice. .nd then the other 7o+th .fricans, blacks4 ;hat a terrible pli ht they 'ere in. No 'orkB no places to stay. E+r people co+ld not et 'ork even in those or anisations that hired blacks, and in Britain there 'ere not ,any of the, in those days. .nd 'hat of the 7o+th .frican 'hites 'ho 'ere there too as ref+ ees9 -ost of the, had :obs, in Lefence and .id, .nti2.partheid -ove,ent and other positions for 'hich they 0+alified :+st on the basis of their skin colo+r. &t 'as then that & +nderstood the racis, of 'hites, incl+din those 'ho ca,e fro, 7o+th .frica and posed as anti2racists. 6hose in < 19! < or anisations like Lefence and .id and .nti2.partheid had their :obs lined +p for the, by their friends in Britain even before they left 7o+th .frica. 6o ,y kno'led e there 'ere only t'o blacks 'orkin in those or anisations at that ti,e. ;hen & 'ent back to =n land in the ,id2seventies, there 'as one black 'o,an. & do not kno' if the n+,ber of blacks has ever increased. & hope it has. < 19# <

The U i!e* S!a!es of A2e#ica

=arly in -ay, ..C. 'rote fro, (os .n eles to tell +s he 'as oin to ive a talk at the University of ;isconsin, in -adison, at the end of the ,onth. &n 8+ne he 'rote a ain to say he had been offered a post at the sa,e +niversity, to help the, str+ct+re their .frican 7t+dies Pro ra,, d+e to be la+nched the follo'in year. 3e had accepted the offer. 3e added: *-+ch as & like =n lish instit+tions and their ed+cation syste,, & think the +niversities are too conservative and not fle>ible eno+ h. & like the fle>ibility of .,erican instit+tions. 6hey ive scope for creativity.* 3e had had an offer fro, the 7chool of Eriental and .frican 7t+dies at (ondon University and another fro, the University of Copenha en in Len,ark. En 'hy he had t+rned do'n this too, he had this to say: *& 'as very ,+ch attracted to'ards this offer. B+t & tho+ ht of yo+, Phyllie, on the lan +a e 0+estion. & feared yo+ 'o+ld be isolated and 'o+ld not be involved even in a r+,,a e sale. &n .,erica, this 'o+ld not be the case,

especially no'. 6here is a lot of interest in 7o+th .frica and yo+ 'ill be able to ,i> 'ith other political activists.* ;e decided to ,ove to ether to the United 7tates, to start afresh there and then spread o+t to 'hatever place the children 'anted to o to. Nandi did not 'ant to co,e. B+t after her dad convinced her that there ,i ht be reater opport+nities in theatre for her in the United 7tates than in =n land, she 'as pers+aded to co,e. (ittle did 'e kno' then that .,erican theatre 'anted blacks 'ith a black .,erican accent, not 'ith an E>ford accent. Blacks 'ere still playin as blacks in theatre, and not as h+,an bein s, artists. =ven broadcastin and television did not have blacks, least of all black 'o,en. ;hen Nandi 'ent to do a co+rse in co,,+nications in 19J#, she hoped to et into broadcastin and 6G. B+t she 'as ahead < 19$ < of her ti,e. =ven the 19J# affir,ative action pro:ect did not help her, beca+se she 'as not an .,erican black for 'ho, these token pro ra,,es 'ere set +p in the first place. 6his 'as to be ,y Nandi*s fr+stration in the United 7tates. ;e left =n land at the end of 7epte,ber. 6he boys had one ahead of +s, to be in ti,e for the start of the ter,. 6hey liked that. ;e had hoped that they 'o+ld find roo, in the +niversity dor,s, b+t there 'ere no vacancies. 7o they stayed at the )-C. +ntil 'e ca,e. &t 'as :+st as 'ell, for their ,oney 'as r+nnin o+t. Under the circ+,stances, 'e decided to rent a ho+se or perhaps b+y one. .ll this 'as on the +nderstandin that those of the children 'ho 'anted to o and live in an apart,ent or dor, 'o+ld do so, as soon as so,ethin convenient 'as available. ..C. 'as the only black on the fac+lty of the +niversity. 6he other black ,e,ber 'ho had been there left :+st as ..C. arrived. ;e 'ere the second black fa,ily to live in the area 'here 'e ,oved to. 6here 'as so,e concern on the part of the +niversity abo+t o+r safety. & re,e,ber Lr Philip C+rtin, director of the .frican 7t+dies Pro ra,, 'ho had recr+ited ..C., 'ent ro+nd o+r i,,ediate nei hbo+rs to find o+t if they ,inded blacks as nei hbo+rs. .ll had said no. *Possibly the fa,ily i,,ediately behind the, ,i ht,* -r -arlett, o+r nei hbo+r, had told Lr C+rtin. =ven this fa,ily did not ,ind as soon as they kne' 'e 'ere not .,erican blacksB 'e ca,e fro, .frica. B+t even 'ith this ass+rance, the +niversity posted its sec+rity cars in the parkin lot at the shop :+st across o+r ho+se every ni ht to ,ake s+re no har, ca,e to +s. ;e ,oved in. En o+r third day a black ,an, -r -arshall Colston, then chair,an of the -adison chapter of the N..CP HNational .ssociation for the .dvance,ent of Colored PeopleI, arrived at o+r door. .fter introd+cin hi,self and askin a fe' 0+estions abo+t 'here 'e ca,e fro,, he told +s that he had not kno'n 'e 'ere there +ntil only that ,ornin , 'hen so,e 'hite person called hi, at his office. *7o yo+ have bro+ ht other ni ers into o+r nei hbo+rhood9 )o+ have a nerve.* *;hat do yo+ ,ean9* he had asked. *.ren*t yo+ responsible for those ni *5et lost4* he told the caller. *6hen it da'ned +pon ,e that there ,i ht be a ne' ,e,ber of < 19J < ers 'ho have :+st ,oved into -idvale9*

fac+lty at the +niversity,* he said. *& called the +niversity, and 'as told a Lr 8ordan had :+st :oined the +niversity staff and had ,oved into this ho+se in -idvale 3ei hts. 6his is ho' & ot to kno' yo+ 'ere here. 6hat is .,erica for yo+.* 3e la+ hed. *-y ho+se is :+st abo+t ei ht ,in+tes fro, yo+, in the hollo' in ;est ate. ;e 'ere the first blacks to ,ove there and yo+ are the second.* &t 'as -r Colston, in fact, 'ho told +s that the +niversity had posted its sec+rity to 'atch o+r ho+se every ni ht. 6hose sec+rity re,ained there for the first three ,onths of o+r stay in that nei hbo+rhood. .fter that they ca,e past occasionally. 6he Colstons beca,e o+r best friends in -adison, ri ht +p to the ti,e they left for 7acra,ento, California. 6'o days after the Colston visit, a 'o,an ran ,y bell. .s soon as & opened the door her face lit +p in a s,ile and her eyes sparkled. *& a, 1oFah -eyerB & live do'n the roadB & tho+ ht yo+ ,i ht like this,* handin ,e a plate she had in her hand. &t 'as a p+,pkin pie. & invited her in and 'e sat talkin . 7he 'as a ho+se'ife 'ith fo+r children, a irl and three boys. 3er h+sband, =arl, 'as in ato,ic research in the Physics Lepart,ent of the +niversity. 7he had seen ..C. on the b+s one ,ornin and 'as told he 'as a ne' professor at the +niversity. 7he asked ,e 'here 'e ca,e fro,. & fo+nd she had so,e idea abo+t 7o+th .frica and abo+t 'hat 'as oin on there. 1oFah -eyer and her fa,ily beca,e o+r friends fro, that day +ntil they left for (os .la,os, Ne' -e>ico. .nne C+rtin, 'ife of Lr C+rtin, director of the .frican 7t+dies Pro ra,, 'ent all o+t to ,ake o+r entry into -adison, especially the +niversity co,,+nity, s,ooth and easy. 7he not only sent +s titbits of this and that, and helped find the ho+se 'e 'ere livin inB she also took ,e o+t to the vario+s shops in -adison for roceries and clothin . 7he and her h+sband had been to 7o+th .frica in 19J!, so she 'as not alto ether +na'are 'hat type of person an ed+cated black 'o,an fro, 7o+th .frica, and 'ife of a professor, 'o+ld be. Unlike other .,ericans, especially .,erican 'o,en, .nne C+rtin 'as not s+rprised to discover a ,odern .frican 'o,an in ,e. 7he had seen 0+ite a fe' 'hen in 7o+th .frica, tho+ h she ,ay not have spoken to or ,et any of the,. 6he .frican 7t+dies Pro ra, of those days had a s,all, ti htly knit staff, all ,e,bers of one fa,ily, 'ho kne' each other and beca,e friends. 6he st+dents, too, 'ere fe'. &t 'as still possible to kno' each other. & think thin s have chan ed no' after so ,any years. < 19K < ;e 'ere very 'ell received in -adison, by the +niversity co,,+nity, by o+r nei hbo+rs, professional and s,all b+siness people, and by the -adison co,,+nity at lar e. 8+st before 6hanks ivin , in Nove,ber, there 'as a reception for all ne' fac+lty at the +niversity in 7o+thside -adison, 'here the fe' blacks in -adison lived. 6his 'as sponsored by the -adison chapter of the N..CP. -ost of the 'hite enth+siasts of the N..CP and Civil 1i hts -ove,ent 'ere there. En that day 'e had an opport+nity to ,eet the leaders of the black co,,+nity in -adison. 6here 'ere not ,any, for this is a s,all co,,+nity. 7o+th .frica 'as still very ,+ch in the ne's / the 1ivonia arrests, Neville .le>ander*s arrest, and the eneral co+nter2attack by the state. People in ;isconsin, partic+larly in -il'a+kee, 'ere keen to hear first2hand fro, 7o+th .fricans. ..C. and & 'ere often invited to ho+se2,eetin s, 'here 'e 'o+ld ,eet ro+ps of people / pro ressives / 'ho 'anted to kno' ,ore, and 'hat they, as ordinary citiFens of .,erica, co+ld do. &t 'as at these atherin s that & first 'on reco nition as so,eone 'ho co+ld also speak on iss+es pertainin to 7o+th .frica and the 'orld. 6he boys 'ere en:oyin their classes at the +niversity. Both 'ere pop+lar in the circles they ,oved in. .s at ho,e, they tended to have friends in co,,on b+t this ti,e the circles 'ere 'ider. Pallo, bein ,ore ,at+re politically than (indi, 'as in reat de,and a,on the pro ressive st+dent ro+ps, all of

the, interested to kno' ,ore abo+t the 7o+th .frican sit+ation. 3e also beca,e a contrib+tor to the st+dents* paper, The 5ardinal on aspects relatin to .frica. .s a st+dent of history, there 'as not a thin he did not kno'. 6he boys 'ere l+cky not to have co,e on .,erican scholarships or rants. ;e soon fo+nd that .,erican +niversities, even those like the University of ;isconsin 'hich prided the,selves on bein pro ressive, 'ere in a ree,ent in disco+ra in forei n st+dents fro, dabblin in 'hat they dee,ed *politics*, even politics of their o'n ho,e co+ntries. 6here 'as al'ays the threat of the scholarship bein 'ithdra'n and the st+dent thro'n o+t of the co+ntry. ;hen forei n st+dents arrived, the Aorei n 7t+dents* Effice 'arned the, a ainst *politics* and also a ainst .,erican blacks. B+t the +niversity co+ld not han this s'ord over ,y boys* heads. ;e 'ere payin for their ed+cation. &n the s+,,er of 19J#, Pallo had ,oved o+t to an apart,ent in < 19% < -ifflin 7treet, the street 'here the +niversity radicals lived. &t 'as then that 'e ot to kno' ,ost of his friends 'ho, he bro+ ht to the ho+se 'ith hi,. ;hat a b+nch of lovely kids, lively, deter,ined and 'ith hi h oals in life. ;e en:oyed the,. (indi 'as the only one at ho,e. 3e, too, bro+ ht his o'n friends, ,+ch yo+n er than Pallo*s, ,ostly st+dents interested in :aFF, 'hich 'as no' his love. -any people in the United 7tates have re,arked to ,e: *)o+ ,+st be lad yo+ are in this co+ntry and not in 7o+th .frica.* 6his is especially so 'hen there has been so,e +pheaval there. 6hey are s+rprised 'hen & tell the, *no* and & o on to e>plain that in 7o+th .frica & lived as a black person, and in the United 7tates of .,erica & a, also a black person. 7o & look at thin s fro, a black person*s perspective. 6he racis, and discri,ination & enco+ntered in 7o+th .frica, & find in the 7tates too. &t ,ay not be as blatant b+t it is there nevertheless. &n so+th .frica, in the Cape Province, & en:oyed so,e ,eas+re of freedo, and respect a,on those & ,et and lived 'ith, and it is the sa,e here. B+t in both co+ntries, the potential for a black person to be harassed is al'ays present. .nd, 'hile as an individ+al & 'as perhaps privile ed, there 'ere all those others, ,y people, 'ho are at the botto, of the pile. 6he difference bet'een the t'o co+ntries is that here in the United 7tates there is a constit+tion that +arantees e0+ality, liberty, and the p+rs+it of happiness to all her citiFensB and those in po'er, ,indf+l of this, are often a'are that 'hat is happenin is 'ron and try their best to ri ht it. &n 7o+th .frica, there is no s+ch idea, and the vario+s overn,ents of that co+ntry have al'ays tho+ ht that they, and the 'hites 'ho elected the, to overn the co+ntry, are the only Chosen People. < 199 <

The USA i !he Si9!ies

6he si>ties 'as a period of revolt and protest in the United 7tates of .,erica. 6he air 'as char ed and there 'as a feelin that so,ethin really bi 'as abo+t to happen. 6his 'as an era of pro,ise. ;hat started it all 'as an individ+al act of defiance by one 1osa Parks, a sea,stress in -ont o,ery, .laba,a, 'ho, tired at the end of her day*s 'ork, ref+sed to ive +p her seat on the Cleveland .ven+e b+s to a 'hite ,an, after the b+s cond+ctor ordered her to do so. 1osa Parks 'as arrested. Ne's of her arrest inf+riated the other 'o,en in -ont o,ery and they called for a boycott of the b+ses. Aearin the boycott ,i ht not s+cceed, the people ave the,selves +ntil -onday, $ Lece,ber 19$$ to la+nch it, and also called +pon all the pastors to alvanise their con re ations. En 7+nday, the people / three

tho+sand of the, / athered at a ch+rch to plan for the boycott the ne>t day. 3ere t'enty2seven2year2 old -artin (+ther Din , 8r., a pastor ne'ly arrived in -ont o,ery and one of the speakers at the ,eetin , anno+nced: *6here co,es a ti,e 'hen people et tired,* and the people responded 'ith: *)es, (ord4* *;e are here toni ht to say to those 'ho have ,istreated +s for so lon , that 'e are tired.* *3elp hi,, 8es+s4* *;e are tired of bein se re ated and h+,iliated.* *.,en4* *6ired4 Lid yo+ hear ,e 'hen & said PtiredP9* *)es, (ord4* -artin (+ther Din 'as e>pressin the feelin s and the ,ood, not only of those athered there that evenin , b+t of ,any others thro+ ho+t the 7o+th. ;hen the b+ses rolled by on -onday ,ornin , $ Lece,ber 19$$, there 'ere no people to ride the,. 6he < 2"" < -ont o,ery B+s Boycott had be +n. 6his spark that lit the fires of protest and revolt in the si>ties also thre' +p the yo+n -artin (+ther Din , 8r., as leader of the forces that 'o+ld challen e and confront se re ation in .,erica, 7o+th and North. 6he Ne ro 1evolt 'as on4 &n 19J", black st+dents in 5reensboro, North Carolina, be an sit2ins at l+nch co+nters, settin a pattern that 'as to spread thro+ ho+t the 7o+th. &n 19J!, st+dents la+nched the 7t+dent Non2Giolent Coordinatin Co,,ittee, to 'ork on voter re istration and also to challen e the le iti,acy of overn,ents in the 7o+th. 6his re istration drive dre' tho+sands of yo+n people, ,ostly 'hite, fro, the North, 'ho 'ent to the 7o+th to help blacks re ister as voters. .s the protest re' and spread, so did hate ro+ps / the D.D.D., the ;hite CitiFens Co+ncil, the 8ohn Birch 7ociety. 6hey attacked and killed blacks and all others associated 'ith the protestB they fired and bo,bed black ch+rches in the 7o+th, in one instance killin fo+r children attendin 7+nday 7chool. ;hen the 7t+dent Non2Giolent Coordinatin Co,,ittee ,oved into 7el,a to re ister blacks, the local sheriff recr+ited civilians and ar,ed the, 'ith billy cl+bs and cattle prods, to increase his force. 6hree yo+n 7NCC vol+nteers, t'o 'hites and a black, 'ere ,+rdered and their bodies 'ere b+ried in a da,. 6he local and federal overn,ents see,ed +nable to protect the de,onstrators. &n the 7o+th, in fact, there 'as a lot of collaboration by local overn,ent 'ith these hate ro+ps. .nd 'here they did not collaborate, they t+rned a blind eye and a deaf ear to 'hat 'as happenin . =ven the federal overn,ent see,ed paralysed and in ,any instances dra ed its feet. 6his 'as 'hy 8ohn (e'is, chair,an of 7NCC, asked in an er: *En 'hose side is the federal overn,ent9* President Dennedy, for all his election ca,pai n pro,ises and his rhetoric, al'ays acted after the fact. &t 'as (yndon 8ohnson 'ho passed the Civil 1i hts .ct in 19J# and the Gotin 1i hts .ct in 19J$. .nd not only that, 8ohnson shored +p the Civil 1i hts .ct 'ith affir,ative action, 'hich opened so,e doors to a fe' blacks. 6he tr+th of the ,atter is that no .,erican president is ever likely to sacrifice 'hite 7o+thern votes for black votes. 6his 'as 0+ite evident at the Le,ocratic Convention in .tlantic City in 19J#, 'hen the Convention ref+sed to seat the Areedo, Le,ocratic Party fro, -ississippi that ca,e to challen e the

seatin of the all2'hite dele2 < 2"1 < ation fro, that state. -oreover, those in the centres of po'er are never likely to brook any challen e fro, people callin for a chan e to the status quo . By 19J%, the de,ands, especially on the Northern ca,p+ses, had one beyond civil ri hts for the Ne roes, to the 0+estion of the poor, black and 'hite. 7t+dents had adopted the slo an *;e don*t 'ant it4 6ear it do'n4* &n 19JJ, Lr -artin (+ther Din ,oved his forces north to lead a ca,pai n for open ho+sin . 3e started in Cicero, an &rish s+b+rb of Chica o. &t 'as racial incidents and death threats that 'ere to e>pose the hypocrisy of the North. 6he Din forces 'ere not only pelted 'ith rotten e s and to,atoes, not only :eered at and their cars overt+rned and b+rnt, they 'ere faced 'ith certain death if they did not et o+t of Cicero. Aederal ,arshals had to co,e in to escort the, safely o+t of the s+b+rb. Near to -adison, in -il'a+kee, a city that boasts of havin had a socialist ,ayor for over t'enty years, in a state that is one of the ,ost liberal in the Union, Aather 5roppi led an *open ho+sin * ca,pai n in the Polish nei hbo+rhood. 3ere, too, 'ere + ly racial confrontations and Aather 5roppi had to 'ithdra'. &t 'as at the hei ht of these de,onstrations in -il'a+kee that t'o -olotov bo,bs 'ere thro'n at o+r ho+se. 6he first ca,e early in the evenin and fell on the drive'ay, :+st short of the ara e. Aort+nately the car 'as inside and the door 'as closed. 6he second, a 'eek after, ca,e before ,idni ht, as ..C. 'as leavin the st+dy to retire. 6his fell on the la'n, abo+t five feet a'ay fro, the st+dy 'indo'. 6hen t'o 'eeks after, a s'astika 'as b+rnt on o+r la'n in front. & a, certain these ,+st have been the 'ork of so,e racists in sy,pathy 'ith the anti2Epen 3o+sin de,onstrations in -il'a+kee. 6hey co+ld not have co,e fro, any of o+r nei hbo+rs. ;hen the incidents beca,e 'idely kno'n in the co,,+nity, & received a letter of sy,pathy and solidarity fro, the 'ife of one of the +niversity deans, ass+rin ,e that they ,+st have been the 'ork of so,e na+ hty kids +p to pranks. -y 0+estion to her and all others 'ho tho+ ht so 'as: *;hat kind of society is this that breeds children 'ho kno' that it is ho+ses of blacks that -olotov bo,bs ,ay be thro'n at, and la'ns of blacks 'here they can b+rn s'astikas, that sy,bol of hatred9 &f these 'ere acts of Pna+ htyP children, they are all the ,ore dist+rbin to ,e.* Lr -artin (+ther Din , 'ho, the liberal press had b+ilt +p into a < 2"2 < folk hero, by no' realised that it 'as not only the blacks 'ho 'ere deprived in .,erica, b+t all the poor, black and 'hite. &n 19JK, he :oined the .nti2Gietna, -obiliFation Protest in Ne' )ork and spoke a ainst the 'ar. 3e 'as preparin to lead a -arch of the Poor to ;ashin ton L.C. in the s+,,er of 19J%. &n .pril he 'ent to -e,phis, 6ennessee, to :oin the protest of the arba e 'orkers there 'ho 'ere on strike. 3e 'as *beco,in too dan ero+s*, and for that they killed hi,. 6here 'ere other voices of protest in the U7. in the si>ties, voices ,+ch older than those of the Civil 1i hts -ove,ent. &n the early t'enties, there had been -arc+s 5arvey, 'ho ta+ ht black .,ericans to be pro+d of the,selves, to hold their heads hi h, for they had a reat herita e, the .frican herita e. 6his ,essa e 'as to be repeated by the Black -+sli,s, follo'ers of =li:ah -oha,,ed. 6he voice of the Black -+sli,s beca,e ,ore strident d+rin the period of the Civil 1i hts -ove,ent. 6heir ,ost artic+late advocate 'as -alcol, N, an e>2convict, 'ho had e,braced the -+sli, faith 'hile in prison.

. re,arkable ,an -alcol, N 'as, 'ith a sharp ,ind and reat elo0+ence, 'ho tho+ ht on his feet. 3e 'o+ld ,ake ,ince,eat of reporters, intervie'ers and opponents, all of the, hostile. -alcol, N 'as perhaps the only black .,erican 'ho had his fin er on the p+lse of the black co,,+nity, the only one 'ho +nderstood their an er and fr+stration, co+ld artic+late their hopes and aspirations. -alcol, N sa' capitalist .,erica for 'hat it is, that 'hatever refor,s 'ere bro+ ht abo+t 'ere only cos,etic, to co2opt the vocal ele,ents, the better to e>ploit the rest. Beca+se of this stance he 'as feared by the =stablish,ent and hated by the ,iddle2class blacks, 'ho 'ere the foc+s of this co2option and 'ho, he e>posed as the sell2o+ts and collaborators that they 'ere. -alcol, N 'as a,on the first to deno+nce the 'ar in Gietna,, 0+estionin the involve,ent of blacks in defendin a *de,ocracy* in Gietna, 'hich they did not en:oy at ho,e. Beca+se he spoke to the hearts of the ,asses, tellin the, 'hy they 'ere catchin hell and 'hat to do to et the *,an* off their backs, -alcol, N fo+nd a real place a,on the oppressed blacks of .,erica. 6hey loved hi,. 3e 'as their folk hero. .fter his break 'ith =li:ah -oha,,ed, he be an to speak o+t a ainst U7 i,perialis, at ho,e and abroad and sa' clearly that the fate of black .,ericans 'as bo+nd +p 'ith the fate of the .frican nations, s+fferin +nder the stran lehold of the for,er colonial < 2"! < po'ers. 3e 'as :+st startin to or anise an .,erican version of the E.U, to be called the Er aniFation of .fro2.,erican Unity, 'hen he 'as killed in Ne' )ork in Aebr+ary 19J$. Enly after his death did ,iddle2class black .,ericans ad,it that -alcol, N had been one of the leaders in the black co,,+nity and that it 'o+ld take so,e ti,e before another like hi, 'o+ld e,er e. 6he si>ties 'as the decade of the lon hot s+,,ers / Ne' )ork and Philadelphia in 19J#, (os .n eles H;attsI in Aebr+ary 19J$, and then Letroit in s+,,er of 19JK. 6he blacks t+rned their an er and f+ry on all those they felt or tho+ ht 'ere responsible for their pli ht and deprivation. 6hey torched and looted b+siness places in their hettos, b+rned do'n the rat2 and cockroach2infested tene,ent b+ildin s they lived in and for 'hich they 'ere payin s+ch hi h rents. None belon ed to the, b+t to the *,an* do'nto'n or o+t in the s+b+rbs. ;atts, the (os .n eles black hetto, 'as al,ost raFed to the ro+nd. *B+t 'hat & can*t +nderstand is 'hy they b+rned do'n even the places they lived in,* said one 'hite social 'orker friend of ,ine in (os .n eles. *Beca+se those places do not belon to the, and never 'ill,* 'as ,y response. &n Letroit, the protest forces +sed a ch+rch in the riot2belt 'hose con re ation 'as e>cl+sively *3i h2 )ello' Ni ers*. &ts head0+arters 'ere in Ne' )ork. 6hese respectable 3i h2)ello' Ni ers did not like the idea of the *riff2raff* +sin their ch+rch for strate y ,eetin s. 6hey appealed to head0+arters to do so,ethin abo+t this and abo+t the ,inister 'ho had allo'ed it to happen. 3ead0+arters ca+tioned * o slo'*. 6hese *respectables* 'ithdre' fro, the ch+rch and left the ,inister 'ith the blacks 'ho had led the protest. (ittle did they kno' that these 'o+ld for, the n+cle+s of Letroit*s fa,o+s 7hrine of the Black -adonna. Liscontented yo+n blacks fo+nd a haven in the 7hrine of the Black -adonna. 3ere dr+ addicts, alcoholics, people 'ho had reached rock2botto, and sa' no p+rpose in life, fo+nd that they 'ere accepted and their lives co+ld be t+rned ro+nd. (ike the Black -+sli,s, the 7hrine of the Black -adonna has done a tre,endo+s :ob in rehabilitatin people 'ho tho+ ht there 'as no p+rpose in their lives. &t has ,ade the, +sef+l, decent people, pro+d of the,selves as h+,an bein s and pro+d of their .frican herita e. < 2"# <

The U i"e#si!$ of 6isco si

Aro, 19J# thro+ h the seventies, the ca,p+s at -adison, ;isconsin, 'as alive 'ith political activity. &t 'as here that the anti2Gietna, ca,pai n athered ,o,ent+,. &t 'as here that, even after the ca,pai n had been d+bbed co,,+nist2controlled and ,any liberals 'ithdre' fro, it, the fires 'ere kept alive. ;hen thin s 'ere in the doldr+,s, it 'as the University of ;isconsin, -adison ca,p+s, and University of California, Berkeley ca,p+s, that sa' to it that the protest did not die o+t. =arly in 19J#, the .nti2Gietna, Co,,ittee 'as ina+ +rated in -adison. Pallo, tho+ h not +p front in it, 'as very ,+ch involved behind the scenes. .t the very first ,eetin of hand2picked people / st+dents and fac+lty / Pallo had 'ritten a note to the chairperson of the ,eetin , advisin hi, that *no notes 'ere to be taken at the ,eetin *. 6his note*s contents 'ere to be 0+oted to hi, 'hen he 'ent to the &,,i ration Effices in -il'a+kee for an intervie'. 6he intervie'in &,,i ration Efficer kne' the day, the date, the roo, 'here the ,eetin 'as held, and he 0+oted Pallo the contents of his note to the chair. 6o this day, the kids do not kno' 'ho co+ld have been there planted by the C&. a,on the,. 19J# and 19J$ 'ere the years of the 8ohnson teach2ins, 'hen tea,s of e>perts 'ere sent to the vario+s ca,p+ses to tell the *tr+th* abo+t Gietna,. ;henever these tea,s ca,e to the -adison ca,p+s, the st+dents drove the, a'ay and 'o+ld not even hold the ,eetin s sched+led for the, by the +niversity. Ene s+ch ,eetin 'as in the lect+re hall in the 7ocial 7cience b+ildin . 6he ,e,bers of the tea, 'ere already on the sta e, b+t the st+dents ref+sed to hear the, and told the, to leave. ;hen they left, the ,eetin 'as t+rned into a people*s ,eetin , an anti2Gietna, ,eetin . .ll this < 2"$ < activity on ca,p+s reached o+t to the people in and aro+nd the +niversity, and they rallied to the call and the ,o,ent+, re' a ain. &n Aebr+ary 19J$, after the ,inin of the North Gietna, harbo+r, the -adison .nti2Gietna, Co,,ittee, 'ith co,,ittees in the nei hbo+rhood, called for an all2ni ht vi il ro+nd the 7tate Capitol. &t 'as one of those very cold Aebr+ary ni hts / and all 'ho have lived in the -id'est kno' :+st ho' cold Aebr+ary can be in this part of the United 7tates. & kne' Pallo 'o+ld be there, and that there 'as also the possibility of the police co,in to break +p the vi il. & 'as oin to be there, to be there if and 'hen the police ca,e, to rab ,y child by the 'rist and r+n a'ay 'ith hi,. &t is stran e that & sho+ld have felt this 'ay. ;hen & took ,y fo+r children to the political rallies in Cape 6o'n, 'here there 'as also al'ays the possibility of police raids, & 'as never afraid for ,yself and ,y fo+r kidsB it never occ+rred to ,e to ask ,yself: ;hat 'ill & do 'ith fo+r kids, the oldest of 'ho, 'as ei ht years old and the yo+n est fo+r9 B+t here & 'as afraid for Pallo, a ro'n2+p ,an4 ;hen ..C. t+rned in to o to bed at half past t'elve he fo+nd ,e dressin 'ar,ly in the roo,, 'rappin ,yself +p. *)o+ see, to be oin o+t. ;here are yo+ oin to9* he asked. *6o the vi il aro+nd the Capitol,* & said. *Phyllie, in this cold9 ;hy not o in the ,ornin 9* *&f it is cold for ,e, it is cold for the other people too. .nd they 'ill be there,* & replied. *&*d o in the ,ornin if & 'ere yo+,* he said, and ot into bed. & took the last b+s :+st across the street at half past one and by t'o o*clock had :oined the cro'ds ro+nd the Capitol. &t 'as cold4 =ven the coffees and so+ps, set +p at strate ic points 'here 'e co+ld help

o+rselves, did not see, to help. & kept ,ovin aro+nd, tryin to et to a point 'here & co+ld spot Pallo. & 'o+ld stay at a ood distance fro, 'here he 'o+ld be, keepin an eye on hi, all the ti,e. &t 'as not +ntil abo+t half past t'o that 'e spotted each other. *P, yo+ are here in this cold4* he e>clai,ed. *;ell, if it*s cold for ,e, it is cold for these others too and for yo+.* *& tho+ ht yo+ 'o+ld co,e in the ,ornin ,* he said. *No, yo+ are here no' and & a, here.* Pallo 0+ietly la+ hed at ,e, +nderstandin 'hy & 'as there. 6he police never ca,e. & 'as there +ntil ,idday the ne>t day 'hen & 'ent ho,e, soaked ,yself in a 'ar, bath and 'ent to sleep. < 2"J < &n the fall of 19J$, t'o 'eeks after the start of ter,, 8ohn 7hin ler, another 7o+th .frican in the Lepart,ent of Political 7cience at -adison, called one afternoon, 'antin to talk to ..C. .s ..C. 'as not there, he said, *& ,i ht as 'ell tell yo+, Phyllis, 'hat & 'as oin to tell ..C. Ene of the fac+lty in o+r depart,ent had :+st told ,e that the C&. is here investi atin one of yo+r boys.* *;hich one9* & asked. *3e did not say,* 'as 7hin ler*s reply. *Co+ld yo+ please find o+t9* *& 'ill and 'ill et back to yo+ to,orro'.* ;hen ..C. ca,e & told hi,. .t least 'e kne' that one of the, 'as bein investi ated by the C&.. ;e both felt it ,+st be Pallo, 'ho 'as ,ore active in political ro+ps on ca,p+s than (indi. ;hen 7hin ler called the ne>t day, he said that it 'as (indi. & tho+ ht s+rely he 'as ,akin a ,istake. &t ,+st be Pallo. *&t is easier for a forei ner to re,e,ber a na,e like (indi than a na,e like Pallo, 'hich is not that co,,on even a,on .fricans.* &n Nove,ber of the sa,e year, both Pallo and & received letters of invitation fro, &,,i ration in -il'a+kee / he in connection 'ith his re0+est for an e>tension to his st+dent visa, and & in connection 'ith ,y application for alien residence. ;hen the boys had co,e to the 7tates they 'ere on st+dent visas. Pallo*s had e>pired so,eti,e in .+ +st of that year. 3e had sent in his application and his passport, re0+estin an e>tension to his visa. No reply had co,e fro, &,,i ration. 6his letter, re0+estin an intervie', 'as the first response to his application. & had been paroled into the co+ntry, as the University of ;isconsin 'as keen to have ..C. co,e to the, and they kne' that he 'o+ld not co,e 'itho+t his 'ife and fa,ily. En the appointed day, & 'ent do'n to -il'a+kee in the ,ornin aloneB Pallo 'as to co,e do'n in the afternoon for his appoint,ent. &t 'as a very interestin intervie' 'ith a entle,an 'ho see,ed to kno' al,ost everythin & had been involved in back in Cape 6o'n, partic+larly ,y activities in C.6. and o+r ca,pai n a ainst Bant+ =d+cation. 3e 'as interested in o+r opposition to Bant+ =d+cation and the Gan 1iebeeck celebrations / in the reasons for this opposition. 6hen he asked ,e abo+t ,y vie's on .,erican involve,ent in Gietna,. ;hat did & think of it9 ;hen & told hi, that as a non2.,erican & 'as not prepared to e>press ,y vie's, he replied: *)o+ ,+st have so,e opinionB yo+ have been involved in

< 2"K < protests in 7o+th .frica.* *)es, & have been. B+t here as a non2.,erican, 'hatever vie's & have do not co+nt. & do not see 'hy & sho+ld even e>press the,.* 6hen he 'ent on to ask ,e abo+t Pallo and his friends / if & kne' his friendsB if they ca,e to the ho+se. & told hi, & kne' the, and that they ca,e to the ho+se. 3e then asked 'hy Pallo 'as not stayin at ho,e 'ith +s. & told hi, that o+r plan fro, the first 'as that the children 'o+ld stay in a +niversity dor,. B+t 'hen they arrived in -adison, there 'ere no vacancies open. ;e rented a ho+se on the +nderstandin that as soon as there 'as so,ethin s+itable, any one of the, 'ho 'anted to ,ove o+t 'o+ld do so. 6hen & 'ent on to re,ind hi, that & 'as a,aFed that in .,erica, 'here children leave ho,e and are o+t on their o'n at the a e of si>teen, he sho+ld ask ,e abo+t ,y son, over t'enty, not livin 'ith his parents at ho,e. *& tho+ ht this 'as so,ethin accepted in the United 7tates / that children live on their o'n.* 6hen he 'anted to kno' 'hy Pallo had spent his s+,,er holiday in Ne' )ork. *;hy not, if he 'anted to o there and co+ld afford it9* & asked. *Lidn*t he o to C+ba9* *No' look, if he did, &,,i ration 'o+ld be the first to kno' abo+t that, for the si,ple reason that he 'o+ld have to o thro+ h yo+r checkpoints in and o+t of the co+ntry.* *.re yo+ s+re he didn*t9* *;hy didn*t yo+r people catch hi, 'hen he ca,e in9 )o+ kno' he did not.* & 'as ettin fed +p. *;ell, -rs 8ordan, yo+ 'ill hear fro, +s soon. 6hank yo+ for co,in in.* .s & 'as leavin , Pallo arrived. & told hi, so,e of the thin s they 'ere likely to ask hi, and 'hat they had asked ,e abo+t hi, and 'hat & had said. 3e 'ent in. Aor fo+r f+ll ho+rs they kept hi, in that intervie', d+rin 'hich the officer 0+estioned hi, abo+t the contents of the note he had 'ritten to the chairperson at the ina+ +ration of the .nti2Gietna, Co,,ittee, abo+t t'o articles he had 'ritten for The 5ardinal the st+dents* paper in -adison and abo+t the )7. and the L+ Bois cl+bs 'hose ,eetin s he had addressed on 7o+th .frica. ;hen he asked Pallo for the na,es of the ,e,bers of the )7. and the L+ Bois cl+bs, Pallo told hi, he 'as there to ans'er 0+estions abo+t hi,self and not abo+t other people. 6hen the officer said to hi,, *7eein that yo+ 'ant +s to e>tend < 2"% < yo+r visa, don*t yo+ think yo+ co+ld help +s 'ith these na,es9* Pallo said *no*. 6he intervie' ca,e to an end. & 'as f+rio+s 'hen & heard his last 0+estion to Pallo. ;ho did he think ,y child 'as9 . traitor, a sell2 o+t9 &t 'as :+st as 'ell & sa' hi, before & kne' that. ;aitin o+t there, & 'as i,a inin all sorts of thin s they 'ere doin to ,y Pallo. & called after three ho+rs to find o+t if he 'as still there and ho' lon they 'o+ld keep hi,. *;e are al,ost thro+ h, -rs 8ordan. 3e 'ill soon be o+t,* they had told ,e. 3alf an ho+r after that & called a ain, and a ain :+st a fe' ,in+tes before he ca,e o+t. By then & 'as

'aitin o+tside the roo, 'here the intervie' 'as takin place. 6hey had to kno' that & 'as there. Neither of +s heard anythin fro, &,,i ration after those intervie's, +ntil Nove,ber 19JJ for Pallo, and -arch 19JK for ,e. 7elective 7ervices had been sendin letters to (indi. & had never asked (indi 'hat they 'anted fro, hi,. B+t 'hen one ca,e 'ith *Ainal Notice* on it, & tho+ ht & sho+ld ask. 3e sho'ed ,e the letter. 6hey had been re0+estin hi, to report to their office in -onroe 7treet. & called Professor Price, a retired la' professor, askin hi, if the U7 had any ri ht to draft a non2citiFen. 3e told ,e that as an alien resident, (indi co+ld be drafted. & told Professor Price: *Ever ,y dead body.* 6hen one afternoon & took the letter 'ith ,e to the 7elective 7ervices offices in -onroe 7treet. 5ettin there, & presented their notice to the ,an at the desk, 'antin to kno' 'hat it ,eant. 3e told ,e that (indi 'as liable for the draft. *Ever ,y dead body. 3e is not a U7 citiFen. 7end yo+r U7 citiFens first to o die in Gietna, for a 'ar that is not theirs. Not ,y child. 3e 'ill not o there.* *;ell, lady, that is the la'.* *(a' or no la', he is not oin . (et the -cNa,aras, 8ohnsons and the rest of the, send their children first before they send ,ine. 3e is not oin .* 7o sayin , & p+t that notice on his desk and left. ;hen & ot ho,e, & asked ..C. if he kne' anythin abo+t the notices that (indi had been ettin . 3e 'as not a'are of the,. & told hi, & had :+st been to 7elective 7ervices, to tell the, not to send (indi any ,ore notices as he 'o+ld never o to Gietna,. *B+t, Phyllie, yo+ cannot do that.* *8oe, & a, fro, there already and have told the, to send their sons to Gietna, before they send ,ine. &f it ,eans 'alkin to < 2"9 < ;ashin ton L.C. to tell 8ohnson that, & a, prepared to do it. No Gietna, for (indi.* ..C. kne' there 'as no ettin past that. 3e left ,e alone. 6hat s+,,er, (indi ,arried Casey, a irl he had been datin since he arrived in -adison. 7o that ,arria e saved hi, fro, Gietna, and saved ,e a 'alk to ;ashin ton L.C., & +ess. &n 19JJ the University of ;isconsin e,barked on an all2o+t ca,pai n to recr+it blacks. 6hey bro+ ht in -r -arshall Colston to head the drive. 3e did a ood :ob. -ost of the blacks on the fac+lty no' ca,e in +nder that drive and so did the st+dents, especially st+dents fro, the 7o+th. Beca+se it 'as kno'n that ,ost of the st+dents fro, the 7o+th 'o+ld co,e in 'ith very poor acade,ic skills and 'o+ld never be able to co,pete 'ith others on the colle e level, -rs Loyle, an ad,inistrator in the -adison school syste,, established 'ith her o'n ,oney a pro ra,,e to +p rade the skills of these st+dents and any others 'ho needed the service. 6his in2bet'een pro ra,,e has no' beco,e a per,anent feat+re not only of the University of ;isconsin b+t at ,ost +niversities thro+ ho+t the co+ntry. By 19JK black st+dents in the Northern +niversities 'ere cla,o+rin for Black 7t+dies pro ra,,es, co,plainin that 'hat they 'ere bein ta+ ht 'as irrelevant to their livesB they co+ld not relate to it. 6o so,e e>tent, perhaps, they 'ere ri ht. 6hey co+ld find no folk heroes or heroines in the characters in (iterat+re, 3istory, .rt or -+sic. B+t for all that, the st+dents 'ere not certain 'hat they ,eant by

Black 7t+dies. .ll they kne' 'as that they 'anted a bit abo+t the,selves too in 'hat 'as bein ta+ ht. 6his de,and coincided 'ith an era of prolific 'ritin , partic+larly poetry, by blacks, poe,s 'ritten in the lan +a e they speak in the black hettos. 6his 'as 'hat they co+ld relate to, the st+dents said. 6his 'as ho' they 'anted to 'rite and sa' no reason 'hy they sho+ld not be allo'ed to 'rite that 'ay. 7y,pathetic tho+ h one 'as to these vie's, the lan +a e they insisted on co+ld not be allo'ed beca+se it 'as not =n lish. 6he de,and for Black 7t+dies reached a cli,a> in the late si>ties and early seventies. &n -adison, the black st+dents dre' their s+pport fro, radical 'hite st+dents. 6o brin attention to their de,ands, in 19J9, for five days in a ro', the st+dents ra,pa ed thro+ h the ca,p+s and 7tate 7treet, s,ashin and destroyin pro2 < 21" < perty. 6hey s,ashed al,ost to r+bble the all2 lass -ath b+ildin on ca,p+s. .t a fac+lty ,eetin in the ,idst of this destr+ction, the University of ;isconsin fac+lty decided to accept the st+dents* de,and for a Black 7t+dies pro ra,,e, even tho+ h none of the, had any idea 'hat it 'as oin to be like and ho' and 'here it 'as oin to fit into the 'hole str+ct+re. &n 19K" the University of ;isconsin opened its Black 7t+dies Pro ra,, creatin the fac+lty fro, the blacks already there and brin in in ne' recr+its. &t see,ed *blackness* 'as the ,a:or 0+alification, irrespective of area of e>pertise. . black doctor 'ith a private practice in -adison and a black n+rse on the staff of the +niversity hospital 'ere bro+ ht onto the staff. &t is not clear 'hat these t'o ,edics ta+ ht on the pro ra,,e. 6he +niversity also opened +p a Black 7t+dents* Center, 'ith a director and staff. 6he st+dents had de,anded this for, as they co,plained, they 'ere not co,fortable in the 7t+dents* Union 'ith all *the, honkies* aro+nd. 6his 'as oin to be their centre and no honkies 'o+ld be allo'ed in. 6he black st+dents de,onstrated their resolve 'hen Con ress,an Charles Li s, fro, Letroit, ca,e to -adison at their invitation and bro+ ht his *honky* secretary 'ith hi,. 6he st+dents 'ho had one to the airport to ,eet the Con ress,an 'ere shocked to find he had a *honky* secretary. 6hey called the others at the centre to alert the, to this travesty. En recoverin fro, the shock, the 'o,en resolved that no *honky* 'o+ld be allo'ed to cross the threshold of their centre. 6hey 'o+ld block her entrance. 6hey tried, b+t the Con ress,an told the, he 'o+ld not o in 'itho+t his secretaryB he 'o+ld o back ho,e to Letroit. 6he University of ;isconsin had set +p all this +nder d+ress and ironically +nder the na,e of inte ration. 6he 'hite radicals 'ho had s+pported the blacks in their de,and 'ere alienated. 6hey co+ld not o to the centre they had helped brin abo+t. 6ry as the director ,i ht to tell the, the +niversity 'o+ld never allo' this se re ated facility on ca,p+s, his fello' blacks 'o+ld not listen. -y children and & / (indi and Nandi / tried to convince those of the, 'ho 'ere close to +s that the director 'as ri ht, the +niversity 'o+ld not allo' that facility on ca,p+s if they insisted on se re atin it, and if they insisted, the 'hole facility 'o+ld be closed do'n. 6hat 'as e>actly 'hat happened. =arly in 19K2 the +niversity notified the, that the centre 'as oin to close. 6he +niversity did not dare, the st+dents < 211 < said. 6hey 'o+ld picket and keep their centre open. 6hen, one ,ornin in Aebr+ary, they fo+nd they 'ere locked o+t. .fter a fe' days of picketin in Aebr+ary, even the die2hards ave +p.

Ef these Black 7t+dies pro ra,,es thro+ ho+t the co+ntry, one does not hear ,+ch any ,ore. -any died a nat+ral death, their co+rses havin beco,e part of a depart,ent 'ithin the +niversity str+ct+re / (iterat+re, .rt, -+sic, 3istory or Philosophy / as sho+ld have happened in the first place. 6hro+ h these Black 7t+dies pro ra,,es, a n+,ber of blacks obtained positions in the +niversities beca+se they 'ere black, positions they never 'o+ld have had other'ise. < 212 <

Pa%%o Is E *o#se* O'!

&n s+,,er 19JJ, Pallo ,oved to Ne' )ork to the Ne' 7chool for 7ocial 1esearch, 'here he hoped to do his -asters in =cono,ics, 3istory and Philosophy. 3e liked it at the 7chool and had so,e e>cellent professors 'ho in t+rn liked his approach to his co+rses. 6hen abo+t the ,iddle of Nove,ber, he received a letter fro, &,,i ration tellin hi, to be o+t of the co+ntry by the end of the ,onth, as the p+rpose for 'hich he had entered the United 7tates had been acco,plished and he 'as prolon in his stay +nnecessarily. .nd yet the 7chool had s+b,itted all the relevant infor,ation on Pallo as a re istered forei n st+dent. .t once Pallo took this letter to the Effice of Aorei n 7t+dents, 'ho contacted &,,i ration. .t first &,,i ration denied havin had any infor,ation on Pallo*s stat+s as a st+dent, 'here+pon the 7chool sent the, a re istered letter 'ith the relevant papers. .fter that all 'as 0+iet, and 'e tho+ ht ,atters 'ere settled. Pallo called ,e on ,y birthday in 8an+ary and told ,e he 'as to o to &,,i ration on 21 8an+ary abo+t his visa application. 6hey had asked hi, to co,e for an intervie'. &t 'as :+st as 'ell he had the presence of ,ind to take a la'yer 'ith hi,, for 'hen he ot there he 'as p+t +nder arrest for havin i nored the notice orderin hi, to leave. 3e called +s fro, behind bars, tellin +s he 'as to appear in co+rt the ne>t day. ;hen he appeared in co+rt, the la'yer pleaded contest and he 'as allo'ed o+t on T1 """ bail, to appear in co+rt so,eti,e in -arch. =ven at this sta e, 'e all tho+ ht that &,,i ration had no case. 6hey 'anted Pallo o+t of the co+ntry for the 'ron reasons. 3e 'as a re istered st+dent and they kne' it. .t the co+rt hearin in -arch, his la'yer bro+ ht alon all the < 21! < evidence that Pallo 'as a st+dent at the Ne' 7chool, and t'o of his professors testified on his behalf. =verybody tho+ ht he had a ti ht case. 8+st the previo+s Ariday he had called +s, e>cited abo+t the draft proposal for his thesis, 'hich his professor 'as reatly pleased 'ith. B+t the co+rt he appeared before that 6+esday in -arch 'as not the co+rt that had re,anded his case. &t 'as a different co+rt, an &n0+iry Co+rt, and fro, the be innin the presidin :+d e e>plained that he had no :+risdiction over the 0+estion of 'hy or 'hy not Pallo had not left the co+ntry. .ll that his co+rt 'as oin to look into 'as 'hether an order had been iven and 'hether the order had been obeyed. 7o the 'hole case they hoped to ar +e fell by the 'ayside. 3e 'as ordered to leave the co+ntry forth'ith. *& 'ill ive yo+ a choice, -r 8ordan. )o+ can either leave vol+ntarily and pay for yo+r depart+re, in 'hich case there 'ill be no record of yo+r havin been deported, or yo+ can leave by deportation and this 'ill o on yo+r record. ;hich do yo+ choose9* Pallo chose to take *vol+ntary depart+re*. *)o+ 'ere 'ise, -r 8ordan, for if yo+ had chosen deportation, yo+ 'o+ld fro, henceforth be +nder the

care of the &,,i ration a+thorities. &n that case yo+ 'o+ld have to ive ,e a+thority to appoint so,ebody to 'ind +p yo+r affairs in this co+ntry, 'hile yo+ 'o+ld be 'aitin in detention +ntil s+ch ti,e as &,,i ration 'o+ld send yo+ off. 3o' lon do yo+ think it is oin to take yo+ to 'ind +p yo+r affairs9* *.bo+t t'o 'eeks. & 'o+ld like to visit ,y fa,ily in -adison, ;isconsin.* *No, & a, afraid & cannot ive yo+ t'o 'eeks. ;e*ll ,ake it ne>t -onday. )o+ are to report to this co+rt by t'elve ne>t -onday, 'ith yo+r ticket and date of depart+re. Enly then 'ill yo+ have yo+r bail bond released and yo+r passport iven back. 7ho+ld yo+ fail, &*ll iss+e a 'arrant for yo+r arrest.* ;hen Pallo called +s that evenin , neither his father nor & co+ld believe it. 3e ca,e ho,e on ;ednesday and to ether 'e disc+ssed the 'hole case, all feelin there 'as so,ethin 'ron so,e'here. ;e decided to seek le al advice. 6he ne>t day 'e 'ent to 1oy .nderson, o+r la'yer. 3e kne' very little abo+t i,,i ration la's / this 'as 'hat & fo+nd 'ith ,ost la' fir,s in this co+ntry of specialisation. ;e then contacted Pallo*s friend Lon Bl+estone, no' teachin at 1oosevelt University in Chica o, to find +s an i,,i ration la'yer. &t 'as not +ntil 7at+rday that Lon landed one, -r Erlekoff, < 21# < 'ho 'as +nfort+nately o+t of to'n and e>pected back on 7at+rday ni ht. 3e 'as kind eno+ h to set +p an appoint,ent 'ith +s for 7+nday ,ornin in Chica o. ;e drove to Chica o that 7+nday ,ornin to see hi,. Aro, Chica o, Pallo 'as to fly to Ne' )ork. 3e 'as +pti ht, as one can i,a ine. ;hatever happened, he 'as to report 'ith his ticket on -onday to avoid arrest. Before 'e left -adison, he had asked his irlfriend in Ne' )ork to book a seat for hi, on any plane o+t and b+y his ticket so that it 'o+ld be ready 'hen he reached Ne' )ork. -r Erlekoff accepted the case and 'as to et in to+ch 'ith Pallo*s la'yer in Ne' )ork the ne>t day. Pallo 'as not interested in all this. 3is ,ind 'as on the order to report, 'ith the ticket, by noon the ne>t day. ;e p+t hi, on the plane to Ne' )ork at five o*clock and ca,e back to -adison. ;hen 'e ot there, & called a friend, Philip 3art. *)o+ so+nd very tired,* he said. *)es, & a,. & sho+ld say 'e both are. ;hat 'ith the a+thorities thro'in o+r child o+t of the co+ntry :+st as he is startin his -... in Ne' )ork4* *;hat4 (et ,e co,e over to hear it.* ;hen he ca,e, ..C. told hi, the 'hole story ri ht +p to o+r visit to Chica o that sa,e day. *& ,+st et it o+t in the papers to,orro',* Philip said. 6r+e eno+ h, the first iss+e of the local ne'spaper carried the story as headline the ne>t day. 6hen people thro+ ho+t ;isconsin and beyond started callin +s, 'antin details and pled in s+pport, tellin +s they 'ere askin their Con ress,an, Dasten,eir, and their 7enator, 5aylord Nelson, to take +p the ,atter. Both 7enator 5aylord Nelson and Con ress,an Dasten,eir called ..C. for ,ore details and to ass+re hi, that the ,atter 'o+ld be taken to the hi hest co+rt in the land. *;e have been del+ ed by calls fro, ;isconsin,* Dasten,eir told ..C. ;e 'ere to learn later that as the calls ca,e po+rin in, Dasten,eir asked one of his staff: *;ho is this Pallo 8ordan9* No' the ,atter 'as in the hands of the Con ress,an, the 7enator and the la'yers in Chica o and Ne' )ork, and all 'ere advisin that Pallo sho+ld not leave. 7+ch ,assive s+pport enco+ra ed ..C. and ,e, and 'e too felt he sho+ld not o. Up to that ;ednesday it see,ed that he 'as not for leavin . 6hen on 6h+rsday he called and spoke to his

dad, tellin hi, he had decided to leave on Ariday. *;hy, Pallo, 'hen everybody is so s+pportive and thinks that this < 21$ < order can be reversed9* ..C. asked. *&*ll forever ,ove in the shado' of the C&. and & 'ill not be safe,* Pallo had told hi,. Pallo left that Ariday for =n land. Both ..C. and & still tho+ ht he sho+ld not have one. B+t events of the follo'in ,onth proved that he 'as ri ht in leavin 'hen he did. 3is roo,2,ate 'as shot by an +nkno'n +n,an :+st as he 'as steppin o+t of the stairs in the b+ildin 'here they lived. ;ho kno's if the +n,an did not think he 'as killin Pallo9 & sh+dder to think of it. ;e 'ere to learn later that, in fact, &,,i ration had 'anted to thro' Pallo o+t of the co+ntry in 19J$ or 19JJ 'hile he 'as still in ;isconsin. B+t they had been advised a ainst it as Pallo 'as so very pop+lar a,on the st+dents. &f they ,oved a ainst hi,, they 'ere advised, the 'hole place 'o+ld o +p in fla,es. 7o they 'aited +ntil he ,oved to Ne' )ork and str+ck before he had established a base there. &t ,ay have been coincidence, & do not kno', b+t the sa,e 6+esday that Pallo 'as bein endorsed o+t of the United 7tates of .,erica, the 1e ional &,,i ration Effice in Chica o 'rote to ,e re:ectin ,y application for residence. 6he reason9 & had ref+sed to ans'er so,e of the 0+estions p+t to ,e. -y application had been lyin in their offices since the sprin of 19J#. 6his 'as -arch 19JK. &f there 'as anythin that hit ..C. hard it 'as the e>p+lsion of his son on the eve of his startin his -asters pro ra,,e. -any thin s had disill+sioned hi, abo+t the United 7tates since first seein it at close 0+arters, b+t & think this drastic action a ainst Pallo 'as the last stra'. &f he had had an offer of a :ob any'here else at that ,o,ent, he 'o+ld have left there and then. Unfort+nately for hi,, he co+ld not handle a crisisB it i,,obilised hi,. &t took ..C. a lon ti,e to ird hi,self and p+ll o+t of this crisis. &n fact, 'hen the cancer that hit hi, ca,e, he had not co,pletely overco,e the pain he s+ffered 'hen Pallo 'as e>pelled fro, the U7.. &n the sprin , & 'ent to Ne' )ork to pack and send a'ay so,e of Pallo*s belon in s 'hich he co+ld not take 'ith hi, on the plane. -y visit to Ne' )ork coincided 'ith the 7prin -obiliFation, the bi protest a ainst the 'ar in Gietna,. 6ho+sands of people fro, all over the United 7tates 'ere there, ,others 'ith their yo+n children, carryin banners, protestin and conde,nin the killin of innocent .,erican boys and Gietna,ese people. &t 'as at this atherin of tho+sands of people that Lr -artin (+ther Din :oined < 21J < the anti2Gietna, forces for the first ti,e and spoke on the the,e *;hy & oppose the 'ar in Gietna,*, a the,e he later f+lly developed as his last ser,on at his o'n ch+rch, the =beneFer Baptist ch+rch in .tlanta, 5eor ia. &t 'as a ood and i,pressive de,onstration and re,inded ,e very ,+ch of o+r de,onstrations back ho,e, e>cept that & find .,erican de,onstrations lack the serio+sness 'hich characterised o+rsB there is ,ore of a picnic at,osphere. & ,+st say, tho+ h, that this 7prin -obiliFation 'as very different fro, the ,arch on ;ashin ton of .+ +st 19J!. ;e had seen this ,arch on British television and 'e 'ondered 'hy so ,any people 'o+ld co,e all the 'ay to ;ashin ton for a picnic. =ven -artin (+ther Din *s fa,o+s speech *& have a drea,* 'as lost in the at,osphere of picnickin . B+t this ,ass protest of 19JK 'as so,ethin different. &t had to be.

.,erican boys 'ere co,in ho,e by the h+ndreds, in caskets, 'hile ,any ,ore 'ere bein blo'n to bits in the :+n les of Gietna,. 6he eneral pop+lace had 'oken +p to the fact that this 'ar 'as one the United 7tates co+ld never 'in, and that it 'as +n:+st and had never been their 'ar in the first place. 6he anti2'ar feelin 'as very hi h in the co+ntry by 19JK. & 'as lad to have been there to e>perience the i,pact of the people*s feelin s on ,e. & ca,e back to -adison very ,+ch refreshed. No' that 'e 'ere all by o+rselves, ..C. often took ,e 'ith hi, 'hen he 'ent on lect+re to+rs. & did not 0+ite en:oy these visits as ,+ch as & did the ho+se ,eetin s 'here both of +s 'o+ld be invited to speak. .t acade,ic lect+res, the professor*s 'ife is re arded as an orna,ent, a bea+tif+l flo'er the professor is 'earin in his b+ttonhole. .nd if anythin is referred to her, it is a 0+estion abo+t e>otic .frican c+isine / if she co,es fro, .frica / or ho' does she like her .,erican ho+se, .,erican foods and shops / if she is a forei ner. & have never been able to +nderstand this attit+de, especially co,in fro, .,erican +niversity people 'hose 'ives are 'ell travelled and 'ell ed+cated. Ene 'o+ld have tho+ ht that in their travels, they had ,et other +niversity professors and their 'ives. Er do they not9 6ired of this condescendin attit+de, to a 0+estion: *;here did yo+ learn =n lish, -rs 8ordan9 )o+ speak it so 'ell*, & replied: *En the plane bet'een (ondon and Ne' )ork.* 6he lady felt 0+ite a fool for havin asked ,e the 0+estion. .nd & 'as lad. & hope she never asked any forei n 'o,an that 0+estion a ain. < 21K <

I%% ess a * &ea!h

=ven as & 'alked in thro+ h the front door that Ariday evenin , & kne' there 'as so,ethin very 'ron . ..C. 'as at his type'riter on the dinin 2roo, table 'ith his back to ,e. 3e t+rned ro+nd, sayin : *7o yo+ are here already4 ;here are the others9*, and ca,e to'ards ,e in the livin 2roo,. *6hey are :+st openin the ara e. & a, co,in to open the door to the base,ent fro, this end, for & think it is locked.* 3e ca,e 'ith ,e to the kitchen and to the door fro, the ara e. *3i, Nandi4 3o' 'as yo+r trip9* and he 'ent back in. & had one to Chica o to fetch Nandi*s belon in s. 7he had decided to co,e ho,e, feelin that her ,arria e 'as not oin to 'ork +nless her h+sband ass+,ed so,e responsibility and fo+nd her a decent place to live in Chica o. ..C. had not acco,panied +s to Chica o as he had to o to the doctor for booster shots. 3e 'as preparin to attend an .fricanist conference in 7ene al and 'as d+e to leave by the ,iddle of the follo'in 'eek. 6his 'as Ariday after 6hanks ivin . ;hen he sa' that & 'as ready for bed, he said: *By the 'ay, & did see the doctor today. 3e 'ants ,e back on -onday for f+rther tests. 3e said ,y N2 rays this ti,e sho' a spot on ,y ri ht l+n 'hich 'as not there 'hen 'e took N2rays in Ectober. 6his co+ld ,ean ,y oin to hospital.* *3o' bi is this spot9* & asked. *Gery s,all. &n fact, the doctor said if he hadn*t had that Ectober N2ray he 'o+ld not have spotted it. &t 'as only 'hen he co,pared the t'o plates that he co+ld spot it.* *;ell, let*s 'ait till -onday, it is only then 'e 'ill kno'.* & crossed ,y fin ers and 'ent to bed.

< 21% < En -onday & took hi, to -adison 5eneral 3ospital 'here he 'as oin to have the f+rther e>a,ination. .s soon as & ot to 'ork, & called Lr 5iles and asked hi, 'hat he tho+ ht this spot 'as. *&t co+ld be cancer, -rs 8ordan,* he said. *6hat*s 'hy 'e are oin to do a biopsy today to deter,ine 'hat it is e>actly. Call ,e a ain in the afternoon.* ;hen & called in the afternoon, it 'as to be told that ..C. had a cancero+s spot on his ri ht l+n , no bi er than the point of a pencil. 6he doctor asked ,e to ,eet hi, at the hospital abo+t seven o*clock and to brin other ,e,bers of the fa,ily. ..C., he told ,e, 'as already ad,itted as a patient. 3e ave ,e his roo, n+,ber and telephone n+,ber. ;hen & called the hospital, he did not so+nd too depressed / so,ethin that & had very ,+ch feared. *;ell, it looks as if there 'ill be no 7ene al for ,e. 6hese fello's 'ant ,e to o into treat,ent strai hta'ay. ;hen yo+ co,e, please brin ,e this book and that book,* reco+ntin 'hat he 'anted. & called (indi at 'ork and told hi,, and asked hi, to pick Nandi and ,e +p fro, the ho+se on his 'ay fro, 'ork. (indi fo+nd +s 'aitin for hi, at ho,e 'hen he ca,e and 'e all drove to the hospital. ;e fo+nd ..C. 0+ite cheerf+l and resi ned to his bein a'ay fro, ho,e for so,e ti,e. & 'as really relieved abo+t that, for if there 'as anythin he co+ld not stand, it 'as to be a'ay fro, ho,e. & re,e,ber he 'o+ld o a'ay on research, intendin to spend si> ,onths in the field, b+t after fo+r or five ,onths he 'o+ld send a tele ra, sayin he 'as co,in ho,e. 3e 'as tired of sleepin in stran e places a'ay fro, ho,e. B+t he took his stay in hospital 'ell and never co,plained. .t seven o*clock 'e three / Nandi, (indi and ,yself / ,et Lr 5iles in his office at -adison 5eneral 3ospital. 3e told +s 'hat & had already heard over the phone and the co+rse of treat,ent they 'ere prescribin for ..C. *6here is a ood chance. &t is seldo, that cancer is spotted at so early a sta e. ;e are l+cky,* he said. *Can*t yo+ operate on it9* (indi asked. *& a, afraid not. &t is too near the bi vein. B+t 'ith the therapy and the radiation, 'e sho+ld be able to kill it before it spreads.* 6hen Lr 5iles s+ ested that a senior ,e,ber of staff in ..C.*s depart,ent sho+ld be told. ;e all s+ ested Lr C+rtin, director of the pro ra,,e. 1eachin ho,e that ni ht, & 'rote five letters before & 'ent to < 219 < bed. 6hese 'ere to Pallo in (ondon, to Lan D+nene, ..C.*s +nderst+dy at the University of Cape 6o'n, no' at the University of California in (os .n eles, to 6ata and ,y sister 5ranny back ho,e in 7o+th .frica, askin ,y sister to break the ne's ently to Ntan ashe, and to 6sh+tsha 3onono, ..C.*s best friend fro, the sa,e ho,e area and no' an e>ile in Lar es 7alaa,. & let all of the, kno' that the doctors 'ere hopef+l that they co+ld arrest the cancer before it spread. ..C. responded very 'ell to the treat,ent / che,otherapy and radiation / and in a ,onth there 'as no trace of the cancer in his l+n s. 3e ca,e ho,e on Christ,as Lay, and it 'as a ood Christ,as for all of +s. 3e co+ld o back to 'ork, the doctor told hi,, b+t he had to take thin s slo'ly and not over'ork hi,self. 6his he did. 3e 'as fort+nate in havin 5ideon -an oaela as his 6eachin .ssistant. 5ideon 'as a 7o+th .frican fro, the University of Natal, 'ho, ..C. had recr+ited 'hen he ot to ;isconsin. 6hen in -arch, ..C. 'ent do'n 'ith pne+,onia on the sa,e l+n . 6his ti,e he 'as very sick. Aor

three days it 'as to+ch and o. B+t he p+lled thro+ h. .s it 'as still cold in -adison, & tho+ ht a 'ar, cli,ate ,i ht do ..C. so,e ood. & s+ ested to Lr 5iles that & 'o+ld like to take hi, to California to rec+perate there. 6he doctor a reed, and in .pril 'e fle' to California. & stayed 'ith ..C. for t'o 'eeks and then ca,e back to 'ork, leavin hi, in the ood hands of a 'onderf+l 'o,an, 7elina D+nene, Lan D+nene*s 'ife. ..C. i,proved, even the co+ hin that he had 'hen 'e left disappeared, and in 8+ne he ca,e ho,e. &t 'as on a 6+esday, 1! .+ +st, that & received a call fro, Lr 5iles at 'ork, infor,in ,e that ..C. had :+st been 'heeled across to hospital fro, his office 'ith a severe heart attack. & drove +p to -adison 5eneral 3ospital and arrived there :+st as they 'ere p+ttin ..C. +nder o>y en. 3e 'as conscio+s and alert and reco nised ,e 'hen & ca,e in. ;hen & sa' the doctor, he told ,e that ..C. had been bro+ ht in by one of his st+dents in reat pain 'ith a severe attack of an ina pectoris. &t 'as not +ntil the ne>t day that his heart stabilised, and by ni ht2ti,e it 'as back to nor,al. ;e tho+ ht thin s 'ere ettin better 'hen all of a s+dden his chest beca,e con ested and he co+ld not breathe. 6he doctors had to drain fo+r pints of ple+ral fl+id fro, his chest cavity before he co+ld be hi,self a ain. &t 'as the chest con estion and the need to drain this fl+id that kept hi, in hospital all those ,onths. 6he < 22" < attacks ca,e s+ddenly, 'itho+t 'arnin , and ..C. 'o+ld str+ le for breath. ;hen ..C. 'ent do'n 'ith pne+,onia, Nandi insisted that 'e call Pallo fro, =n land to co,e see his dad. Dno'in ho' diffic+lt this co+ld be, & asked the doctor to send a tele ra, to the .,erican =,bassy in (ondon, 'hile & sent one to Pallo, 'hich, & told hi,, he sho+ld take to the =,bassy 'hen he applied for a visa. Pallo did as & told hi,. ;hen he reached the =,bassy, they infor,ed hi, no s+ch tele ra, had been received fro, Lr 5iles. Pallo called and in t+rn & at once contacted Lr 5iles, 'ho not only sent a copy of his tele ra, to the .,erican =,bassy in (ondon, b+t also ot the +niversity to send a si,ilar one: *Lr .. C. 8ordan very ill. 5rant visa to son, Pallo, to co,e at once.* &t 'as only 'hen this copy and the tele ra, fro, the +niversity arrived that the =,bassy ackno'led ed receipt of the ,essa es. 6hey ave Pallo a t'o2'eek visa, and he ca,e at the end of .+ +st. B+t 'hen at the end of t'o 'eeks his father 'as in no position to co,e ho,e, 'e asked the +niversity to s+pport his re0+est for an e>tension. ;e drove to -il'a+kee and he 'as ranted e>tension to stay. .s a heart patient, ..C., tho+ h a,b+latory, had to have the bed railin s +p at ni ht. 3e hated this. 3e 'o+ld cli,b over the rails and o to the bathroo,, and the n+rses 'o+ld hear the fl+sh of his toilet or the tap r+nnin . 5oin to hi, they 'o+ld call o+t: *Lr 8ordan, Lr 8ordan, ho' did yo+ et o+t of bed9 Please do not do it, rin yo+r bell.* 3e never did. 7o they 'o+ld p+t restraints on hi,. 6his ,ade hi, very sick and a itated. & 'as forced to en a e a private n+rse to sit +p 'ith hi, at ni ht. 6his proved very e>pensive. .fter t'o 'eeks & had to dis,iss her and sit +p 'ith hi, ,yself. 3is ho+rs of ettin +p 'ere bet'een one o*clock and three in the ,ornin . & 'o+ld be there 'ith hi, fro, t'elve2thirty to three2thirtyB then & 'o+ld o ho,e, and sleep fro, fo+r2thirty to abo+t seven, 'hen & 'o+ld have to et +p and prepare for 'ork. & 'as doin this 'hen Pallo ca,e. 3e 'as f+rio+s 'ith ,e. *)o+ can*t do this, P. )o+ are oin to et sick yo+rself,* he ar +ed. *B+t 'hat can & do9 & do not have T1!$ every 'eek for the private n+rse. Lo yo+ re,e,ber 'hat happened to -rs 7as,an back ho,e, 'hen she 'as fo+nd dead on the floor at 5roote 7ch++r beca+se there 'as no one there to help her o+t of bed and she tried it herself9 6he hospitals are +nderstaffed and they cannot keep an eye on every patient.*

< 221 < 6hen one ,ornin in 7epte,ber, to'ards the end, ..C. on 'akin +p sa' ,e and asked: *Phyllie, 'hat are 'e doin here9* *)o+ are in hospital and & have co,e to sit +p 'ith yo+.* *Eh4 3arold and Lr 5iles bro+ ht ,e here. -y oodness, it is t'o ,onths then. No, these fello's ,+st et ,e o+t of here.* *&f yo+ i,prove they 'ill et yo+ o+t of here. 6hey 'ant that too, yo+ kno'.* & 'as told that 'hen the doctor ca,e in the ,ornin , ..C. said he 'anted to o ho,e and the doctor had infor,ed hi, that if he ot better, as he see,ed to be doin , he soon 'o+ld. Aro, that Ariday ,ornin ..C.*s condition so i,proved that by ;ednesday the follo'in 'eek Pallo co+ld o back to =n land. 3is visa 'as e>pirin on the 7at+rday, and ..C. 'as dischar ed the follo'in Ariday. .t ho,e he contin+ed to recover. ;as he pleased to be in fa,iliar s+rro+ndin s, playin his ,+sic, sa,plin this book and that at leis+re4 & had resi ned ,y :ob 'hen he ca,e ho,e, :+st to be there 'ith hi,. &n the 'eek prior to the openin of the +niversity in Ectober, ..C. asked for his correspondence so that he co+ld +pdate hi,self on thin s, partic+larly his 'ork. .,on the letters 'as an invitation fro, .tlanta University for the end of Nove,ber. .s they had heard that he had not been 'ell, they left it open to hi, to co,e 'hen he felt 'ell eno+ h to ,ake the trip. 3e 'as lookin for'ard to it: it 'as to be his first trip to the 7o+th. ;akin +p on 7at+rday, he co,plained of a pain in the left sho+lder. & called Lr 5iles, 'ho advised that & brin hi, in on -onday for a check2+p. 3e soon for ot abo+t the pain d+rin the day. (indi and his 'ife, Casey, 'ere there. ;e all had s+pper in the livin 2roo,, and they left a little after nine o*clock. ;hen & s+ ested 'e o to the bedroo,, ..C. said: *&t*s cooler here. (et +s re,ain here.* & ,ade hi, co,fortable on the co+ch and he fell asleep. .t abo+t 12.!" (indi ca,e back to check on +s. *)o+ see, 'e are ca,pin o+t,* said ..C. 3e slept on and off after (indi left. 3is chest 'as ettin con ested and & had to s+ction it every half ho+r. & called Liah H-rs -an oaelaI and she 'as there in no ti,e. ..C. sa' her 'hen she ca,e in. *Liah, so yo+ are here already9* Liah sent ,e soon after'ards to the kitchen for so,ethin . ;hen & ca,e back, ..C. 'as one. 5one, rela>in there on his co+ch in the livin 2roo,. &t 'as three in the ,ornin , 7+nday, 2" Ectober 19J%. Liah 'ent to the roo,, stripped the bed, p+t on clean sheets, and < 222 < bet'een the t'o of +s, 'e carried ..C. to his bed. Liah laid hi, o+t and covered hi, 'ith a sheet. .fter that she called the doctor, 5ideon and (indi. .ll three ca,e 'ithin ,in+tes of each other. 6he doctor 'ent into the roo, and ca,e back to prono+nce ..C. dead. 3e ave ,e so,e tablets 'hich & p+t in ,y pocket and for ot, to discover the, ,onths later. ;hile & 'as standin alone in the roo, lookin at ..C., for the first ti,e & sa' (indi in hi,, 'ith his face no' cal, and peacef+l. People had al'ays said that of his t'o boys (indi looked ,ore like his father than Pallo. Nandi ca,e in 'hile & 'as standin there. 6iptoein , she ently p+t her hand on ,y sho+lder and said: *P, &*ll look after yo+4* . ain the -adison co,,+nity rallied ro+nd +s, ivin +s s+pport. 6he 1ev. Dlyve anno+nced ..C.*s passin at the ,ornin service in his ch+rch. -any of the parishioners ca,e to e>press their sy,pathies 'ith +s. Aor the 'hole 'eek, 'e never had to bother abo+t cookin . En the day of the

f+neral, o+r nei hbo+rs asked that 'e leave the ho+se open. ;hen 'e ret+rned, the tables 'ere laid o+t 'ith food, food eno+ h to feed those people 'ho ca,e. 6his & 'ill never for et. 6hey did the sa,e 'hen Nandi died in 19K1. Back ho,e in 7o+th .frica people 'ere shocked and saddened by the death of ..C. 7o,e had heard he 'as ill, b+t none e>pected hi, to o. 6he ,essa e to Cin o, o+r principal at Droonstad 3i h 7chool, reached hi, at the -ethodist Ch+rch .nn+al Conference in Bloe,fontein. 6he anno+nce,ent 'as ,ade there, and conference s+spended their deliberations for that day and held a ,e,orial service instead. -any of the -ethodist ,inisters, laity and other dele ates, and ordinary people in Bloe,fontein kne' ..C. fro, his days as a teacher there and fro, Aort 3are. -e,orial services 'ere held at Droonstad 3i h 7chool in Nove,ber and dre' tho+sands fro, the s+rro+ndin areas. 3is collea +es and st+dents ave trib+tes. &n 6ranskei, a ,e,orial service, 'hich dre' cro'ds fro, as far afield as Port =liFabeth, =ast (ondon and O+eensto'n, 'as held at 7t 5eor e*s -ission in -t Arere, his randfather*s ch+rch. 6hat 'as the ,ost diffic+lt period in ,y life. & a, lad & had the stren th to p+ll thro+ h. Aro, -arch 19JK, 'hen Pallo 'as e>pelled fro, the United 7tates, 'e 'ent thro+ h one crisis after another. Airst, the death of Nandi*s baby in 8+ly, Nandi 'ho so loved children. 6hen ..C. hit 'ith the cancer that finally led to his death. 6he only bri ht star d+rin the period 'as the birth of (indi*s da+ hter, 7a,antha (ee, at the end of 19JJ. < 22! < .nd yet, the fact that & re,ained stron dre' +pon ,e so,e criticis, fro, certain 0+arters, especially .fricans. & do not p+t this do'n to cr+elty and +nkindness. 6o ,e it 'as d+e to lack of +nderstandin , p+re and si,ple, people failin to +nderstand that & had to be stron for all of +s to ,ake it. 3ere 'as ..C. fi htin for his lifeB for hi, & had to be stron . 3ere 'ere ,y children and ,e, all a'ay fro, fa,ily and friends, friends 'ho had iven +s anchor and stability. & 'as the only anchor that ,y children co+ld have in a sit+ation like that. &f & had fallen apart, all 'o+ld have been lost for the, and they 'o+ld not have kno'n 'hat to do. ;e had friends in the 7tates, tr+e. B+t they 'ere not the sa,e friendships 'e 'o+ld have had 'ere 'e back ho,e. &n this crisis, 'e 'ere all alone. 6o those 'ho tho+ ht & see,ed not to care ,+ch, & can only say: little did they kno' that ,y pillo' 'as drenched 'ith tears every ni ht 'hen & 'ent to bed, d+rin all the ti,e that ..C. 'as in hospital, 'hen he ca,e ho,e, ri ht +p to the end. ;hen he 'as in hospital, & debated every ni ht 'hether to take the phone off the hook or not, for fear of the call fro, the hospital tellin ,e all 'as over. People for et that in so,e cases the sit+ation is so rave and the responsibility so reat that one*s tears dry +p. &t is the only 'ay to s+rvive. < 22# <

S!a$i g o
=ven before ..C. died & had ,ade +p ,y ,ind to re +larise ,y stay in the United 7tates. & had told hi, that & 'o+ld tackle this thro+ h Con ress,an Dasten,eir. & no' 'rote to the Con ress,an abo+t ,y proble,s and asked hi, to assist ,e in ettin ,y stay re +larised. 3e did. 8+st before the end of the year he sent ,e a reply fro, the &,,i ration offices to this effect: *.s -rs 8ordan had been paroled into the co+ntry, the &,,i ration 7ervice had already taken a decision on her, na,ely that she leave the co+ntry, no' that her h+sband is dead.*

& co+ld not believe it / hardly a ,onth after ,y h+sband died. 6r+e to their 'ord the 7ervice sent ,e and Nandi letters, orderin +s to leave the United 7tates by 1J Aebr+ary 19J9. &f there 'as anythin that nearly devastated ,e it 'as this order. & tho+ ht to ,yself: Not even fo+r ,onths after ..C.*s death9 6hey can*t even ive ,e ti,e to raise a to,bstone over his rave. ;here 'o+ld & o9 & nearly fell apart. & started cryin all over a ain and for a ,onth & co+ld not act or think. Con ress,an Dasten,eir had 'ritten that he 'as sendin the letter to the +niversity to let the, kno'. =ven the +niversity 'as shocked and e,barrassed. 6hey resolved in their Co+ncil ,eetin to refer the ,atter to 7enator 5aylord Nelson, askin hi, to introd+ce a Bill in the 7enate to stay the e>ec+tion of the order, so as to ive ,e ti,e to re +larise ,y position, and 'ind +p ,y affairs. &t 'as the 7enator Nelson resol+tion that has ,ade it possible for ,e to be here still. 6hen started ,y lon battle 'ith the &,,i ration 7ervice to obtain residence as an alien. 6he +niversity referred the ,atter to their la'yers in -il'a+kee and paid for the b+lk of the e>pense. 6he fir, assi ned ,y case to a yo+n fello' 'ho 'as very patient and < 22$ < +nderstandin . & had to s+b,it s'orn state,ents to &,,i ration of ,y assets sho'in that & 'o+ld not be a b+rden on the co+ntry, as 'ell as ,y certificates and credentials sho'in & co+ld 'ork and s+pport ,yself, 'ith s+pportin state,ents fro, people 'ho kne' ,e, testifyin to ,y character. .ll this infor,ation 'as to acco,pany an affidavit that the la'yer dre' +p. .fter so,e ,onths of 'aitin the reply ca,e fro, the &,,i ration 7ervice, t+rnin do'n ,y application on the ro+nds that the areas 'here & co+ld find 'ork 'ere already f+ll and & 'as not likely to et the necessary 'ork per,it fro, the Lepart,ent of (abor. 6he la'yer then looked for so,e other loophole in the &,,i ration la's. 6his ti,e he +sed the fact that & a, a freelance 'riter and as s+ch & 'o+ld not need a 'ork per,it fro, the (abor Lepart,ent. =ven this 'as not ood eno+ h and the application 'as t+rned do'n after so,e ,onths of 'aitin . .t this point & told the la'yer that & 'as not oin to send another affidavit. &t 'as ridic+lo+s to allo' ,yself to play a a,e 'ith &,,i ration in their o'n co+rt, 'ith their o'n ,en as referees, and accordin to their r+les. &t 'as for ,e a no2'in sit+ation, and & 'as not oin to play it any ,ore. &f they 'anted to thro' ,e o+t, let the,. ;e had reached an i,passe. -y la'yer tried to et ,e to a ree to dra'in +p another affidavit. & ref+sed. 6hen so,eti,e in 19K1, he called to tell ,e he had :+st fo+nd another loophole in the la', 'hich he tho+ ht he co+ld still +se. *Please, -rs 8ordan, let*s try this one for the last ti,e. (et*s p+t o+rselves in a position 'here 'e can say 'e have tried everythin and the on+s is on the, to respond favo+rably. Please, -rs 8ordan,* he pleaded. & a, not even s+re 'hat this loophole 'as. B+t & think it had so,ethin to do 'ith ,y bein a British citiFen. & told hi, & 'o+ld think abo+t it. & never called. 3e ca,e over to -adison to see ,e in .pril and & told hi, to o ahead. 7o he didB & 'as still not interested. 6hen in -arch the follo'in year, he called to say that he had heard that ,y na,e 'as on the British 0+ota for that year and he hoped this ,eant & 'o+ld be accepted as a resident alien +nder the 0+ota. .nd, lo and behold, in 7epte,ber of 19K2, & received a card fro, the &,,i ration 7ervice 'ith the ,essa e, *;elco,e to the United 7tates of .,erica*. & tho+ ht they ,+st be craFy. & had been in this co+ntry since 19J!B didn*t they kno' that9 & thre' the card a'ay. &t 'as not +ntil the 5reen Card ca,e in Ectober of that < 22J <

year that & realised 'hat the *;elco,e to the United 7tates* 'as for. .t last & 'as accepted as a resident alien. & took ,y first trip o+t of the co+ntry in Nove,ber, oin to 6oronto to visit friends 'ho had been askin ,e to co,e over the years. < 22K <

&ea!h S!#i4es Agai

& 'as havin l+nch do'nto'n 'ith a friend, -rs 6aliafero, one of the ,others in -adison 'ho :+st adored and loved Nandi. 6hat 'hole ho+r 'e talked abo+t her, -rs 6aliafero askin 'here she 'as and 'hat she 'as doin . *7he is in California, (a +na Beach, and likes it there. 7he see,s to be ettin her act to ether, or anisin an artist*s st+dio, 'hich she hopes to open in Ectober,* & told her. *7he is a 'onderf+l and clever irl / very artistic. 7he sho+ld ,ake a s+ccess of anythin she +ndertakes,* -rs 6aliafero said. ;e parted. ;hen & ca,e ho,e & fo+nd a note st+ck in ,y door. *Call Police Lepart,ent and ask for Police,an 7o2and2so.* ;hy sho+ld & call the police9 & 'ondered. & phoned as soon as & ot inside. & 'as told to contact the 7anta .na Police Lepart,ent. & kne' it ,+st be so,ethin abo+t Nandi, b+t nothin serio+s. 7he ,+st have been tryin to reach ,e and, bein +nable to, had called the -adison Police Lepart,ent, thinkin this 'as the fastest 'ay of reachin ,e. Enly Nandi 'o+ld do so,ethin like that, & tho+ ht. & called 7anta .na, to be told to call abo+t seven o*clock, California ti,e. &t 'as only three o*clock in -adison. 6hose fo+r ho+rs see,ed like a year. 7till, & 'as not apprehensive. ;hen & called it 'as to be told that she had been str+ck by a car on the hi h'ay, and 'as dead. *3o' do yo+ kno' it is Nandi9 .re yo+ s+re9* & asked in disbelief. *Aro, her fin erprints,* the ser eant said. & co+ld not believe it. & called (indi, and told hi, that & had :+st received a ,essa e fro, the Police Lepart,ent in 7anta .na, that Nandi 'as dead. *& can*t believe it, (indi, it can*t be tr+e4* & said. < 22% < 6hen & contacted the D+nenes, 'ho 'ere no' in -adison. 7elina ca,e to the phone. *7elina, & have :+st been told that Nandi is dead in California.* & co+ld not say anythin ,ore. & h+n +p. & do not kno' 'hat & 'o+ld have done 'itho+t Lan and 7elina on that occasion. Lan took thin s over and ,ade all the necessary arran e,ents 'ith the local f+neral ho,e to brin the body over to -adisonB and he 'as at the airport 'hen it arrived and sa' it taken to the ,or +e. Bet'een Lan and (indi, they called friends and sent ,essa es to people at ho,e and in =n land. &n fact, all the arran e,ents 'ere in Lan*s hands. Ef all ,y children, Nandi 'as his favo+rite. Nandi had adopted Lan the very first ti,e he ca,e to Cape 6o'n, and there 'as a lot of love bet'een the,. ;hen 7elina ca,e, Nandi took her as a sister. ;e 'ere fort+nate this ti,e that 'e had people very close to +s, the D+nenes. ;e had to o thro+ h the sa,e ,otions a ain to et Pallo to co,e to his sister*s f+neral. 6he death of Nandi 'as one blo' that has been very diffic+lt to et over, partic+larly for her brother (indi. &t i,,obilised hi,. En this

occasion, too, the -adison co,,+nity rallied ro+nd +s, ivin +s all the s+pport 'e needed. Nandi*s friends 'ere :+st reat. &t is on occasions like these that one really sees the lar eness of heart of people in this co+ntry. &n that 'ay they are like .fricans back ho,e. . ain, the 7o+th .frican co,,+nity in this co+ntry / ,ostly st+dents / 'ere very s+pportive. Gel Non a+Fa and ->olisi Ntlabathi bro+ ht the, do'n to -adison to b+ry their sister. Nandi had ,oved to California in Nove,ber 19K", after the death of Br+ce, her h+sband, in Chica o in the previo+s ,onth. Airst she 'orked in the (os .n eles area and then ,oved to (a +na Beach 'here she 'as plannin to open an artist*s st+dio. 6he -onday before she 'as hit by the car, on 19 8+ly, & received a letter fro, her, tellin ,e of her plans. 7he hoped to open her st+dio in Ectober. 7he 'as all enth+sias, abo+t 'hat she 'as doin . 6he Ariday before, & had received a letter fro, Pallo, tellin ,e abo+t Nandi*s plans and +r in ,e to ive her all the s+pport she needed, re,indin ,e: *)o+ kno' Nandi needs and 'ants o+r +n0+alified s+pport in everythin she does.* 6hat fall & re istered as a st+dent at -adison .rea 6echnical Colle e to do a co+rse in Pre2school =d+cation. .s part of the co+rse, & had to be attached to a day2care centre. & obtained place,ent in Children*s Gilla e, a centre on the so+thside of -adison, < 229 < ho+sed in the local (+theran ch+rch. 6his 'as the best thin & co+ld have done for ,yself at this period. &t 'as ood therapy for ,e. 7+rro+nded by those lovely t'o2year2olds, & for ot ,y 'oes. 3o' co+ld & not, 'hen t'o2year2old 6odd Lelane 'o+ld co,e and sit on ,y lap, p+t his 'ar, little ar,s aro+nd ,y neck and say to ,e: *Phyllis, & don*t like yo+, & love yo+.* < 2!" <

Co2i g Th#o'gh
No' that & 'as alone people be an to see ,e for the person that & a,, as a person in ,y o'n ri ht. & 'as no lon er the appenda e of the reat ,an, ..C., the bea+tif+l, s,ilin doll, baskin in his lory. 6his has been ood for ,e, and for people enerally. 6r+e, there are still those 'ho are interested in ,e beca+se & a, his 'ido', people 'ho have never read anythin that & have 'ritten, or havin read it, have never tho+ ht it as i,portant as the fact that & 'as ..C.*s 'ife. ;hat a pity ,any 'o,en are placed in this position, to live vicario+sly thro+ h their h+sbands. .s a res+lt there are ,any 'hose contrib+tions to ,ankind have been st+nted, and the 'orld is the loser. Ene s+ch .frican 'o,an 'as the late Alorence 6handis'a 8abav+, nQe -aki'ane, 'ife of Professor 8abav+ of Aort 3are. 3ere 'as a 'o,an 'hose brilliance 'as far above that of her h+sband, a brave 'o,an 'ho 'as prepared to fi ht for those thin s she believed in. 3o' ,any people kno' abo+t her or have even heard abo+t her9 6here are ,any others & co+ld cite. People be an to re,e,ber that they had read so,e article by ,e in a ,a aFine or paper, or had heard ,e speak at a ,eetin . 6he ho+se2,eetin s that & had addressed and spoken at be an to brin res+lts. 6hose 'ho heard ,e arran ed ,eetin s for ,e to address on 7o+th .frica. -y trips to Chica o 'hen Nandi 'as there, and 'here & had spoken to ro+ps of .fro2.,ericans, either at her ,other2in2la'*s place or at so,e picnic for pro ressive ele,ents, ,ostly 5arveyites, also be an to pay off. ->olisi Ntlabathi and his 'ife, NF'akie, 'ere ea er to et ,e p+blicity too. &n fact, ,y first ,eetin 'as in -arch 19J9, 'hen & 'as invited to speak at a 7harpeville ,e,orial ,eetin +nder the a+spices of the .frican Pro ra, B+rea+. ->olisi had set +p this b+rea+ the previo+s year,

< 2!1 < and ,y talk 'as its first p+blic sponsorship. 6his 'as ,y first visit to the 7o+th and it opened the 'ay there for other ,eetin s. &t 'as on that visit that & ,et -rs Coretta Din , .ndre' )o+n , and so,e of the civil ri hts activists livin in .tlanta. &t 'as a very enrichin e>perience for ,e and the response 'as very ood. &n .pril 19J9, co,in back fro, .tlanta, & fo+nd an invitation fro, (oop Colle e, Chica o, to speak to their staff and st+dents on 7o+th .frica. & chose as ,y s+b:ect *.partheid, a syste, of internal colonialis,*. (oop Colle e 'as an all2black colle e in those days. -y analysis of apartheid str+ck a chord 'ith those black staff and st+dents, as & dre' parallels bet'een the position of blacks in .,erica and those in 7o+th .frica. &n a ood analysis, it is easy for the a+dience to dra' those parallels and to see that the str+ le of the 7o+th .frican people is intricately bo+nd +p 'ith the str+ le of blacks in .,erica and the other e>ploited and oppressed people the 'orld over. 6he response 'as terrific. Ene of the trips & en:oyed 'as a trip to 7pel,an Colle e, .tlanta, at the invitation of Lr Alorence -ahoney of the Lepart,ent of 3istory. Lr -ahoney ca,e fro, the &vory Coast and had read ,y articles in Africa 7outh . 7he 'anted to kno' 'ho Phyllis Ntantala 'as. &n her in0+iries, she traced ,e to -adison, and invited ,e to 7pel,an to r+n a se,inar on *.frican 'o,en, so+th of the 7ahara*. & divided ,y s+b:ect into three: *;o,en in society*, an introd+ctionB and secondly, *.frican 'o,en in traditional society*, stressin that tho+ h in traditional society 'o,en had no political ri hts, they 'ere not totally dependent on ,en for they had property ri hts, and that even in the political sector there 'ere checks and balances to see that 'o,en 'ere not ab+sed. 6he last section 'as *.frican 'o,en +nder colonialis,*, +nder 'hich syste, they are stripped of every ri ht they once had, and ,ade to depend totally on the ,en, 'ho are the,selves e>ploited and oppressed. Under colonialis,, the .frican 'o,an is triply oppressed. 6he disc+ssions after each session 'ere the ,ost sti,+latin . 7t+dents and staff ca,e fro, all the colle es in the Beck'ith co,ple> / si> of the,. 6ravellin thro+ h the United 7tates, & have ,et st+dents 'ho sa' ,e then at 7pel,an, and 'hen & ,eet the, a ain, they still talk abo+t that se,inar. ;hen & 'as in =n land in 19K#, so,e 7o+th .frican 'o,en 'anted ,e to speak to the, on the proble,s of 'o,en in 7o+th .frica. & tho+ ht 'e had had eno+ h of that s+b:ectB 'e kno' o+r < 2!2 < proble,s. 6o ,e there is one ,a:or topic that 'e in the (iberation -ove,ent have to face, and that is the 0+estion of 'o,en 'ithin that ,ove,ent. & took as ,y the,e *;o,en and the (iberation -ove,ent*, a s+b:ect the ,ove,ent has not be +n to address and yet, +nless 'e face this 0+estion and do so honestly, the ,ove,ent 'ill not s+cceedB it 'ill have failed the 'o,en 'ho have iven so ,+ch of their ener y, ti,e and in so,e cases their lives to the str+ le for liberation in their co+ntry. .s this is a topic close to the hearts of 'o,en, it enerated a lot of disc+ssion, 'ith all those there a reein 'ith ,e that, +nless the *'o,an 0+estion* and her place in the ,ove,ent is solved, the ,ove,ent is bo+nd to fail. & p+rs+ed this 0+estion in ,y article in 7echaba Hthe ,a aFine of the .NCI in Lece,ber 19%# 'hich & called *Black 'o,anhood and national liberation*. 6he .NC had declared 19%# *6he )ear of the ;o,an*, and the 0+estions & posed there are the 0+estions & felt 'e sho+ld be askin o+rselves at the end of that year. 7ince & ,oved to -ichi an, & have been b+sy for, al,ost t'ice every year, & have been invited to speak on iss+es that concern ,y people in 7o+th .frica. & have been as far east as .lbany, Ne' )ork, as far

'est as California, as far north as 6oronto, and to al,ost every state in the -id'est as far as -e,phis, 6ennessee. =very'here & have been, & have been received 'ell. & have ,et so,e very ood people, en+ine and interested in the pli ht of o+r people in 7o+th .frica. & a, hopin that in ,y talks & have chan ed so,e ,inds and converted so,e people. .nd yet for all this, there are ti,es 'hen a feelin of +ilt over'hel,s ,e. 7+ch feelin s hit ,e on those occasions 'hen & have had a very ood response to ,y talk on 7o+th .frica, or 'hen & have been standin for ho+rs on the picket line or 'alked for ,iles in a de,onstration a ainst apartheid. . tiny voice 'hispers to ,e: *Aor all yo+r elo0+ence and rhetoric, yo+r bravery and sta,ina, yo+ are a co'ard, a co'ard 'ho ran a'ay 'hen thin s be an to heat +p in 7o+th .frica, ran a'ay, leavin all those people 'ith 'ho, yo+ shared platfor,s, 'alked in de,onstrations, stood on picket lines, to face the ,+sic alone.* & left beca+se the ro+nd in 'hich & co+ld operate 'as shrinkin , ettin s,aller and s,aller. & felt it 'as better to carry on the str+ le o+tside, rather than risk oin to :ail to rot there doin nothin . 6his & have done. B+t the str+ le for liberation cannot be carried on o+tside the co+ntryB it is inside the co+ntry. 6hat is 'here < 2!! < the battle is and 'here it 'ill be 'on. ;hen Aikile Ba, ca,e o+t of 1obben &sland after ten years, in his first letter to ,e he 'rote: *-a,a, 'e have decided to re,ain in the co+ntry. 6he str+ le is here and not o+tside.* 6his 'as in response to ,y efforts tryin to et hi, o+t of the co+ntry. Aikile 'as ri ht. < 2!# <

I )a"e S'#"i"e*
E+r ,ove fro, Cape 6o'n to =n land and then to the United 7tates, all 'ithin a space of three years and all at personal e>pense, 'as a real +pheaval. &t drained o+r reso+rces. B+t 'e al'ays told o+rselves that 'ith health on o+r side 'e 'o+ld reco+p this loss. &t 'as not to be. Beca+se of the 'ay he left the co+ntry, ..C. lost half his pension benefits, and this after si>teen years of 'ork at the University of Cape 6o'n. B+t even 'ith that loss, 'e still 'ere fort+nate in that 'e co+ld 'orkB 'e 'ere not in the sa,e position as ,any of o+r fello' 7o+th .frican e>iles, 'ho fo+nd no 'ork after leavin 7o+th .frica. Aro, 19JK to 19K#, o+r life 'as one crisis after another / Pallo*s e>p+lsion, the break2+p of Nandi*s ,arria e and then ..C.*s illness / all these had drained o+r reso+rces f+rther. .t the ti,e of his death ..C. 'as +nder the care of si> doctors / a heart specialist, oncolo ist, radiolo ist, s+r eon, chest specialist and his personal doctor. 6r+e, he had catastrophic ins+rance 'hich took care of three20+arters of all bills, b+t the one20+arter & had to pay ca,e to 0+ite a ood bit. 3e had not been lon eno+ h at the University of ;isconsin to acc+,+late any lar e pension benefits and his life ins+rance 'as ne'. .nd by the ti,e of his death, there 'as not ,+ch left of the children*s ed+cation ins+rance either. 7o & 'as in pretty bad financial shape 'hen he died. 5oin back to school to f+rther ,y st+dies 'as co,pletely o+t of the 0+estion. Pallo had lost t'o years of his st+dies and & had to see hi, thro+ hB Nandi had to be assisted in re2establishin herself, no' that her ,arria e see,ed not to be 'orkin . Aort+nately, NinFi had a scholarship and (indi 'as 'orkin . & had to o o+t and 'ork. 6his 'as e>actly 'hat & did.

-y friends and relatives 'ere all concerned abo+t ,y pli ht. < 2!$ < ->olisi Ntlabathi 'anted ,e to ,ove to .tlanta 'hen they 'ere there so as to be near the,. ;hen he ,oved to Letroit, he en ineered ,y co,in to Letroit to take +p a :ob 'ith -etro =ast Child Care 7ervices. 6his 'as so,ethin & learnt: he did everythin to introd+ce ,e to the notice of people and instit+tions that co+ld ,ake +se of ,y kno'led e and e>pertise. .ll this has paid 'ell. -y friends and relatives back ho,e 'anted ,e to ret+rn to 7o+th .frica. 6hey 'ere concerned and 'anted ,e near the, 'here they co+ld help ,e. =very ti,e -r Cin o 'rote, he ended his letter 'ith: *NkosaFana, please co,e ho,e. ;e are 'orried abo+t yo+. 3ere yo+ 'ill not be stranded. ;e are still there to assist yo+. Co,e ho,e.* ;hen D. L. -atanFi,a, ,y co+sin, ca,e to see ,e in 19K2 d+rin his visit to the United 7tates, he too advised that & co,e ho,e. *Lad*eth+, co,e ho,e no', 'hile 'e are all still there. 6he tho+ ht of yo+ stranded here alone 'orries +s. Please co,e ho,e.* & had al'ays told the, that e,otionally & 'as not ready to leave this co+ntry, especially -adison. .fter ,y trip to =n land in 19K!/#, the tho+ ht of oin back has been constantly in ,y ,ind. B+t every ti,e & planned to o, so,ethin drastic happened in 7o+th .frica. -ost of the people 'ho are dear to ,e are no' one. Airst, 6ata in 19K2B then Ntan ashe in 19K%. -y dear a+nt Nosithe disappeared in Ni eria in 19K9 and has not been heard of to this very day. -y brother2in2la' 1hodes, ,y sister 5ranny*s h+sband, passed a'ay in 19%"B then in 19%2 it 'as ,y step,other, =d'inaB in 19%# ,y sister 5ranny. No' & ask ,yself: 6o 'ho, a, & oin back, if & o9 & kno' that there are ,any others, fa,ily and friends, 'ho 'ill 'elco,e ,e 'ith both ar,s and ive ,e that love and 'ar,th & need. &n all these painf+l e>periences, & have been blessed in havin friends 'ho have been very s+pportive and 'ere there 'henever & needed help. .ll ,y children*s friends, 'ho have no' beco,e ,y friends, have been 'onderf+l to ,e. & have basked in their love and friendship. 6here are three irls 'ho ca,e into ,y life thro+ h ,arria e. 6hey are Casey, (indi*s e>2'ife, Carolyn, Pallo*s 'ife, and NF'akie, ->olisi*s 'ife. .ll three have adopted ,e as a ,other. & a, no lon er a ,other2in2la'. & a, their ,other. 6hey have been 'onderf+l da+ hters to ,e, and 'ith the, aro+nd & kno' &*ll never be 'itho+t help. 6hro+ h the, & have been blessed 'ith t'o bea+tif+l randda+ hters, 7a,antha (ee and Nandipha =stherB 'ith t'o reat2 < 2!J < nieces, naDaFi Nolisa and U:a,aa (oyisoB and a reat2nephe', brother to the t'o irls, 7ipho Uh+r+. 6hese five kids have been ,y :oy and co,fort. 6hro+ h the, & have e>perienced randparenthood. 6hey have bro+ ht ,e :oy, f+n and love. .t the cere,ony that ,arks the rite of passa e fro, boyhood to ,anhood in ,y part of the 'orld, one of the obli ations stressed +pon the yo+n ,en enterin ad+lthood is: ',)u&e ihlala li)a nyo)o lingo$i )#edini' ?7ee to it that yo+r ,other*s oint,ent :ar is never dry@. -y Pallo has heeded this e>hortation, observin it fro, across the .tlantic Ecean. 3e has al'ays been a considerate person, ,y Pallo. & re,e,ber, even before he left hospital after the in:+ry fro, the bo,b that killed 1+th Airst and nearly killed hi, in -ap+to in .+ +st 19%2, he 'rote: *Dno'in ho' an>io+s yo+ ,+st be, & tho+ ht this letter sho+ld be in ,y o'n hand'ritin , to allay yo+r an>iety abo+t ,y condition.* & cried 'hen & read that, for that 'as Pallo all over.

(indi has been 'ith ,e thro+ ho+t, ivin ,e s+pport. 3e has al'ays been the first to share 'ith ,e any bad ne's 'e had, been there 'hen & needed so,eone to help ,e pack in ,y ,any ,oves in this co+ntry. 3is father ave hi, the na,e *(indikhaya* ?3o,e +ard@ in the hope, & think, that he 'o+ld al'ays be there to +ard the ho,e. 6hen there is Bo:ie, ..C.*s nephe'. Ef all the 8ordans & can say that Bo:ie is the one 'ho accepted ,e f+llyB 'ith hi, there 'ere no *ifs* or *b+ts*. & 'as :+st his *-a*. Bo:ie has a heart of old and has been a 'onderf+l s+pport thro+ ho+t the years. & have been in -ichi an no' for t'elve years. & have not developed any roots here and & do not think & ever 'ill. 6his area is not like any other place 'here & have ever been. & still re ard -adison, ;isconsin, as ho,e, for fro, there & had hoped never to ,ove a'ay a ain. B+t, for all that, people have been ood to ,e in this area. & have ,ade lots of friends, tho+ h perhaps not the kind of friends & ,ade in -adison, and never those that & ,ade in Cape 6o'n. &t is a,aFin :+st ho' ,+ch ood'ill there is o+t there. & kno' this fro, ,y o'n e>perience. ;itho+t that ood'ill, & do not think & 'o+ld have ,ade it. &t has been a lonely life, a str+ le in 'hich so,eti,es & lived off the s,ell of an oil ra . B+t 'ith the s+pport of ,y children, and ,y friends, & have co,e this far and can say: & have s+rvived. < 2!K <

Pe#s(ec!i"es o So'!he# Af#ica

1. The Autobiography of an ,n)no#n 7outh African by Naboth -ok atle H19K1I 2. Moderni&ing ?acial 1o$ination: 7outh Africa's Political 1yna$ics by 3eribert .da, H19K1I !. The ?ise of African Nationalis$ in 7outh Africa: The African National 5ongress @A@B6@ACB by Peter ;alshe H19K1I #. Tales fro$ 7outhern Africa translated and retold by .. C. 8ordan H19K!I $. Lesotho @ADE: An African 5oup under the Microscope by B. -. Dhaketla H19K2I J. To#ards an African Literature: The 9$ergence of Literary <or$ in >hosa by .. C. 8ordan H19K!I K. La# 4rder and Liberty in 7outh Africa by .. 7. -athe's H19K2I %. 7#a&iland: The 1yna$ics of Political Moderni&ation by Christian P. Pothol, H19K2I 9. The 7outh :est AfricaFNa$ibia 1ispute: 1ocu$ents and 7cholarly :ritings on the 5ontroversy bet#een 7outh Africa and the ,nited Nations by 8ohn L+ ard H19K!I 1". 5onfrontation and Acco$$odation in 7outhern Africa: The Li$its of Gndependence by Denneth ;. 5r+ndy H19K!I 11. The ?ise of Afri)anerdo$: Po#er Apartheid and the Afri)aner 5ivil ?eligion by 6. L+nbar -oodie H19K$I 12. ;ustice in 7outh Africa by .lbie 7achs H19K!I 1!. Afri)aner Politics in 7outh Africa @AHI6@AIJ by Ne'ell -. 7t+ltF H19K#I 1#. 5ro#n and 5harter: The 9arly -ears of the +ritish 7outh Africa 5o$pany by 8ohn 7. 5albraith H19K#I 1$. Politics of =a$bia edited by ;illia, 6ordoff H19K#I

1J. 5orporate Po#er in an African 7tate: The Political G$pact of Multinational Mining 5o$panies in =a$bia by 1ichard 7klar H19K$I 1K. 5hange in 5onte$porary 7outh Africa edited by (eonard 6ho,pson and 8effrey B+tler H19K$I 1%. The Tradition of ?esistance in Mo&a$bique: The =a$besi Kalley @JCE6@AB@ by .llen A. &saac,an H19KJI 19. +lac) Po#er in 7outh Africa: The 9volution of an Gdeology by 5ail -. 5erhart H19K%I 2". +lac) Leart: Gore6+ro#n and the Politics of Multiracial =a$bia by 1obert &. 1otber H19KKI 21. The +lac) Lo$elands of 7outh Africa: The Political and 9cono$ic 1evelop$ent of +ophuthats#ana and 0#a=ulu by 8effrey B+tler, 1obert &. 1otber , and 8ohn .da,s H19KKI 22. Afri)aner Political Thought: Analysis and 1ocu$ents Gol+,e &: @DJE6@JCE by .ndrQ d+ 6oit and 3er,ann 5ilio,ee H19%!I 2!. Angola under the Portuguese: The Myth and the ?eality by 5erald 8. Bender H19K%I 2#. Land and ?acial 1o$ination in ?hodesia by 1obin Pal,er H19KKI 2$. The ?oots of ?ural Poverty in 5entral and 7outhern Africa edited by 1obin Pal,er and Neil Parsons H19KKI < 2!% < 2J. The 7oul of Mbira: Music and Traditions of the 7hona People of =i$bab#e by Pa+l A. Berliner H19K%I 2K. The 1ar)er ?eaches of Govern$ent: Access to Gnfor$ation about Public Ad$inistration in the ,nited 7tates +ritain and 7outh Africa by .nthony 7. -athe's H19K9I 2%. The ?ise and <all of the 7outh African Peasantry by Colin B+ndy H19K9I 29. 7outh Africa: Ti$e ?unning 4ut. The ?eport of the 7tudy 5o$$ission on ,.7. Policy To#ard 7outhern Africa H19%1B reprinted 'ith a ne' preface, 19%JI !". The ?evolt of the Lereros by 8ohn -. Brid ,an H19%1I !1. The :hite Tribe of Africa: 7outh Africa in Perspective by Lavid 3arrison H19%2I !2. The Louse of Phalo: A Listory of the >hosa People in the 1ays of Their Gndependence by 8. B. Peires H19%2I !!. 7oldiers #ithout Politics: +lac)s in the 7outh African Ar$ed <orces by Denneth ;. 5r+ndy H19%!I !#. 9ducation ?ace and 7ocial 5hange in 7outh Africa by 8ohn .. -arc+, H19%2I !$. The Land +elongs to ,s: The Pedi Polity the +oers and the +ritish in the Nineteenth65entury Transvaal by Peter Leli+s H19%#I !J. 7ol Plaat!e 7outh African Nationalist @JDM6@AHB by Brian ;illan H19%#I !K. Peasant 5onsciousness and Guerrilla :ar in =i$bab#e: A 5o$parative 7tudy by 6erence 1an er H19%$I !%. Guns and ?ain: Guerrillas and 7pirit Mediu$s in =i$bab#e by Lavid (an H19%$I !9. 7outh Africa #ithout Apartheid: 1is$antling ?acial 1o$ination by 3eribert .da, and Do ila -oodley H19%JI

#". Lidden 7truggles in ?ural 7outh Africa: Politics and Popular Move$ents in the Trans)ei and 9astern 5ape @JAE6@AHE by ;illia, Beinart and Colin B+ndy H19%JI #1. Legiti$ating the Gllegiti$ate: 7tate Mar)ets and ?esistance in 7outh Africa by 7tanley B. 5reenber H19%KI #2. <reedo$ 7tate 7ecurity and the ?ule of La#: 1ile$$as of the Apartheid 7ociety by .nthony 7. -athe's H19%KI #!. The 5reation of Tribalis$ in 7outhern Africa edited by (eroy Gail H19%9I ##. The ?and at :ar @JAA6@AEB: The :it#atersrand and Anglo6+oer :ar by Liana Ca,,ack H199"I #$. 7tate Politics in =i$bab#e by 8effrey 3erbst H199"I #J. A 1e$ocratic 7outh Africa* 5onstitutional 9ngineering in a 1ivided 7ociety by Lonald (. 3oro'itF H1991I #K. A 5o$plicated :ar: The Larro#ing of Mo&a$bique by ;illia, Ainne an H1992I #%. ;. M. 5oet&ee and 7outh Africa: 5onte$porary Listory and the Politics of :riting by Lavid .tt'ell H199!I #9. A Life's Mosaic: The Autobiography of Phyllis Ntantala H199!I
Preferred Citation: Ntantala, Phyllis. A Life's Mosaic: The Autobiography of Phyllis Ntantala. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992. http://ark.cdlib.or /ark:/1!"!"/ft#f$9n9%r/