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| With author of Doing Life with Mandela Christo Brand at Nelson Mandela's cell in Robben Island |
HELLO everybody and welcome to our new book slot, THE TUESDAY BOOK CORNER, Yhea!!!!.
Every Tuesday’s we will do a scrutiny on some of the books
that are available to the public to indulge.
These are not necessary brand new books.
Some we will be borrowing from our local government libraries,
others purchased from the second hand booksellers.
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| Giving a talk about books at Savoy Library |
While we are still trying to get national book stores to
partner with us on book reviews, we will be
looking at some of the books that I also have on my personal
home Library bookshelves.
Yes, over the years, I have collected a number of books that
I never had a chance to share the information with them with the masses and
wonderful people like you.
Thanks to this blog, today as a budding writer, I am able to do just that.
So, this is not necessary a book review column, but rather us reflecting on the lessons that we can take from each book we read.
The aim is to promote the culture of reading amongst us Africans.
Since this week is the most remarkable week in the history
of South Africa.
Just yesterday, we commemorated
the 60th anniversary of the death of journalist and short story
writer, Nat Nakasa.
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| Nat Nakasa Picture from the Heritage Portal website |
Like his family, I still do not believe that he committed
suicide in New York on the 14 th of July 1965.
After reading the 25th anniversary commemorative
tribute by Drum Magazine Journalist, Mr Theo
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| A book gift from Theo Zindela's son Kwanda from Kwa Magxaki Port Elizabeth |
Zindela NDAZANA the early years of Nat Nakasa- I am now more
convinced that Nat, who had a thing
For white girls was forced out of the 7th floor building
while on all expenses paid trip tour of
the USA.
Forgive me for playing detective and letting my security
investigative instinct kicked in.
But it does not make sense that a man who grew up under the
influence of Rev Nicholus Bengu and
Taught at the Sunday School of Assemblies of God could commit
suicide.
The South African National Editor’s Forum (SANEF) and the organizers
of the Nat Nakasa Awards should help bhuti Thami Nakasa (see the You Tube
insert) to get proper answers and lay the matter to rest. I wonder if the family does get royalties from these awards. They are named after their late relative.
In fact, these awards and any event held in commemoration of any victim of apartheid should also help the families with answers and get some sort of upliftment.
It is really pointless to have such events but no progress on the upkeeping of the legacy of that particular person.
It also does not sit well to have annual events such as the
annual Nat Nakasa Journalism Awards which
Commemorating your late relative and give out thousands to
the growth of the industry. Boast the confidence of upcoming journalists who documents the history of the country but yet as a family,
you are not benefitting from the legacy of your own blood.
Nor are you given resources that will help you preserve and keep the legacy alive at home in your community, not just faraway in the media … That is sick!
That is so Un African and needs to be rectified by SANEF.
Coming from the background of attending some of these journalism awards, I hope the family is included in almost everything and not just to come have a meal on the day of the event. They are not poor and short of food.
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| Book Cover of Christo Brand's book from the internet |
The second book is Doing Life with Mandela….. My prisoner,
my friend by Christo Brand with Barbara Jones.
I remember, interviewing Christo. He even took me on a trip
to Robben Island. Please excuse the picture quality of the phone. I was still
using a black berry then.
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| Entrance of Robben Island in Cape Town to interview Christo Brand and take a tour |
But enough about me, but the book details an extra ordinary
relationship formed by the late state man and someone who was supposed to further
oppress him.
One of the many things that we can learn from Christo is
that, we are all humans and deserve to be treated with dignity.
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| On the Boat to Robben Island with the view of table Mountain and Cape Town behind me |
Some of the things that he did for Nelson Mandela and other
prisoners at Robben Island were a demonstration of a human spirit.
I like the foreword written by Ahmed Kathrada who was
alongside with Nelson Mandela. Both men were sentenced to life in prison in
1964 at the Rivonia Trial and sent to Robben Island in Cape Town.
To quote Mr Kathrada :
“ It was the 1980s and the time of the State of Emergency,
when thousands of anti-apartheid activists were detained throughout the
country.
Many of the Western Cape and even some of the Eastern Cape
activists were detained at Pollsmoor.
Their own families did
not know where they were or how they were faring, but Christo let me see
them.
One day he took me to see Trevor Manuel who was not allowed
any visitors at all.
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| On the boat to Robben Island from Cape Town Museum |
Trevor, who later became Finance Minister under Madiba and
other presidents, had already been in solitary confinement for two years when
Christo took me to his prison cell.
It was a big thing for Trevor to have me there speaking with
him.
In prison, we had been hidden from the world for two
decades. Only old photos of us, much younger, were available and even then it
was a criminal offence to posses them.
One Can imagine the impact of our visit to him during which
I passed on the greetings from Madiba and Walter Sisulu, amongst others, it
really boosted his spirits.
On another Occasion, he took me to see Matthew Goniwe, an Eastern
Cape activist who was killed by the security police after his release.
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| Former South African Finance minister, Trevor Manuel Pic from Polity.org |
On weekends when sergeant James Gregory, another warder, was
not on duty, Christo would call me to show me letters that Gregory had refused
to pass on me. They had them for year, along with a whole bundle of indicator
newspapers.
So with that said folks, this week. Let us promote the human
spirit and stop the lies. We are hungry for the truth and our real African
stories. See you next week, chow now!
