by Madikizela-Mandela, Winnie; Kathrada, Ahmed; Kathrada, Ahmed
One afternoon without any prior arrangement with Mrs Costa59 I asked Sikosana to drive me and the children to Mrs Costa’s house which was unknown to me. When we got to the house we used the back entrance. Sikosana knocked at the kitchen door which was wide open. An African woman appeared and Sikosana said in Zulu, ‘Hello, Grace how are you – meet Mrs Mandela.’ Grace who was smiling at first quickly froze and appeared shocked. She called Sikosana aside whilst my children and I remained standing outside. After a minute or so Sikosana came over to me and whispered that ‘Grace says she will give you anything if you say nothing about her father’s affairs and if you are asked anything by Mrs Costa please, for Grace’s sake confirm that her father is banned.’ I laughed and told him that was not what I had come for and that Grace had her own conscience to worry about, that that was none of my business. Grace relaxed again after Sikosana had spoken to her.
She entered the house, within a short while she came back followed by Mrs Costa. Grace introduced me to her, Sikosana was standing next to me. Mrs Costa said, ‘Good Lord! Are you really Winnie Mandela, yes you look like your photographs but I expected a much older person, well I never.’ We shook hands and followed her inside the house. She shouted to Grace to give the children cakes and cold drink and we went into the lounge.
She was packing, there were suitcases all over, the curtains were pulled down and there were books all over. We sat talking for a while, she told me how distressing the whole business of packing was. Sikosana had remained in the kitchen with Grace. I told her how grateful I was for what her husband had done for my people and that I thought it was the best thing for him to do i.e. to leave the country since he could only do so little in this country. She was very pleased by this and said her husband will be very happy to learn I did not think he had run away, leaving the ship to sink.
She told me her husband had sent her a recording of his flight to amuse the children who were devoted and attached to him. She said she thought I would enjoy some parts of the recording so she played the tape for me. Some parts sounded as though he had recorded portions of a BBC programme, then somewhere there was an interview of an African head of state, it sounded like Nyerere who expressed his views on the situation in Southern Africa. President Kaunda also spoke, at this stage Sikosana walked in. I was looking at the books in the big bookshelf. Mrs Costa had interrupted the programme and told me to select some books for myself since she was giving away a large number of books.
I recall President Kaunda saying, ‘We shall not rest until our thirst for freedom had been quenched in the whole of Africa . . . the western powers must choose between Africa and South Africa.’ Then there was the Zambian slogan repeated twice: ‘One Zambia one nation’. Mrs Costa switched the tape off when some Congolese music was playing. In between the recordings Mrs Costa interrupted and told me when it was her husband’s voice . . . he announced, ‘we are now flying over so many miles . . . over Rome . . . the scene is too beautiful boys . . . what are you doing back home, darling?’ (This is the terrorist recording Sikosana is supposed to have listened to.)60 This fabrication is so shockingly absurd.
After this the agents who were selling the house for Mrs Costa arrived so I had to leave. I chose six books. Mrs Costa said she would also give me a lot of clothes to give to the poor. Both the books and the clothes were collected the following day by Sikosana who brought them to my house. My children played with Mrs Costa’s children in the swimming pool. This was the first and last contact I ever had with Mrs Costa Gazides. For two days and two nights I was interrogated continuously on this.
LEGAL CONSULTATION OVER DR BRAUN
In the meeting held at Mrs Tsimo’s place to discuss dissolution and No. 7’s affair I made a report of the meeting with Dr Braun.61 The general opinion was that it was a police trap but it was decided I should seek legal opinion as to how we could establish our suspicions and also to seek advice on the matter raised in our earlier meetings.
THE LAST TWO MEETINGS WITH DR BRAUN
Dr Braun called again at the office to make a second appointment. I told him for his own safety and mine I suggested he should meet my lawyer and produce his credentials to him (a suggestion made by my lawyer who assumed if Braun was a trap he would not have enough courage to meet him). Dr Braun said he would think about this. The following day he called, told me he was in touch with his superiors and they agreed that he should meet my attorney whose name and address I gave him. Dr Braun had to contact my lawyer direct.
I went to tell my lawyer of the developments. Dr B subsequently made an appointment with Mr Carlson. They arranged to meet in a certain hotel, this arrangement was made over the phone. Mr [crossed out] did not turn up. Dr Braun phoned me a day later, he was furious over his wasted time. He told me he would contact me again for another appointment. A few days later a German girl who looked like a student walked into my office, like Dr Braun she said, ‘You must be Mrs Mandela – I have a note for you from your Dr friend.’ I offered her a seat opposite my desk. Mxakeki Ntlantsi was sitting on the couch. He had visited me about the pass problems of his fellow men from the Transkei. I was typing letters to the Umtata Chief Magistrate for Mxakeki’s friends.
This girl produced a letter from her handbag – it was in a sealed white envelope. She broke the envelope, took out the letter and held it for me to read and before I finished reading it for the second time to absorb the contents, she folded it. I told her I was not a fast reader, could she give me the letter to read again. She opened it once more for a few seconds and closed it again. She held it in one hand whilst she took a blank paper from her handbag. I grabbed the letter from her hand. There was a brief struggle as she tried to retain it and I pushed her onto the chair with one hand. She cried and begged me to return the letter. I told her it was mine and if she tried to get it once more she would have herself to blame. She asked what would she tell the doctor – I said to tell him I have received the letter thank you. She ran out. I took the letter to my attorney. The letter writer wanted an appointment at 12 midnight.
Two days later Dr Braun walked into the office full of smiles and said, ‘I noticed we shall do very little physical training with you, congratulations for such caution, I hope you destroyed the letter.’ I said the letter was destroyed. We made an appointment for the same evening at the USIS.62 I picked up No. 163 who was to keep observation outside Shakespeare House and follow Dr Braun and take the car number plates. Although the appointment was for 8pm I learnt from Mohale he turned up at 7pm. On all occasions he wore dark glasses, at night as well.
We went to the storeroom again. He took off his glasses on this occasion because he wanted me to trust him. On the previous occasions he was struggling with English but this day he was very fluent although he spoke with a German accent. He produced his identity card which bore his name – and I noticed SA citizen – he quickly explained, ‘You know why it bears SA citizen – it’s easy to have things for this country.’
This day he said his government does not support violence at this stage but believes that the Africans should start training within the country on espionage, counter espionage, intelligence and some other training he could not mention at that stage. He personally felt I was the right person to undergo this training and thereafter made suggestions as to how this would be imparted to the people gradually. He said his major task was to train me on the formation of a real underground movement and not another silly Rivonia. He again gave me two weeks to go and think it over. No. 1 followed him when he left but soon lost his trail amongst the pedestrians.
Our last meeting in 1968 was at the entrance of Shakespeare House where he picked me up at 8pm with No. 1 whom I introduced as an illiterate tribesman from the Transkei who does my garden sometimes. I had just brought him along so that I would have company when I drove back to Orlando. No. 1 played his part exceptionally well – he did not hear a word of English and spoke with signs with him. I had also enlisted Desmond Blow’s64 assistance in tracing Dr Braun. Des follow
ed us to the venue arranged by Dr Braun. The venue was a dilapidated flat in De la Rey St, Newlands, but we drove to Bryanston, Randburg, Parktown North [where] Braun shook off Des near Zoo Lake but Des had managed to take the number plates.
The discussion was similar as before except that on this occasion he said I should name any figure of money I wanted. If I had an account it would be transferred to my account, if I wanted it cash I would get it in cash. He said his superiors are a bit concerned about his slow progress with me as they wanted results. He wanted me to commit myself about training. I told him he should give me time to find a job first because I had just lost a job. I claimed it would be easier to meet him in town. He was very sorry to learn of my plight, offered to get me a very good job on condition I kept quiet about it as he would be taking a serious risk by doing so. He gave me R20 pocket money and said I would hear from him. No. 1 sat right through this discussion as quiet as ever. We were then driven back to town where I picked up the car.
The meeting which was held in Makhene’s house in Dec 1968 was to report the above affair. I remember this because the meeting took place before the leaflet distributed on the 16th of Dec and this money given to me by Dr Braun is the money I use[d] for buying my sister the ticket to Umtata. Our money was finished, we each financed our own trips to the areas of distribution. As I was unemployed I kept that money from Dr Braun. There was no discussion about blowing up a power station in Makhene’s house.
The last time I saw Dr Braun was when he called at 10pm one January night in my house. He was dressed as an African clergy with the long black and white robes. He came to make an appointment with me to start training. He was carrying a Bible and a hymn book. When he walked out he forgot the Bible, we both turned to fetch it. When he was picking it up the Bible fell and as he was bending down to pick it up I saw a revolver on the left side under the robes which opened up in that process and I said to him, ‘I notice God is not enough protection in Mandela’s house’, he laughed and said, ‘This is my baby brother’. All this was reported to Paul Joseph.65
Dr Braun gave me the name of a person in Lesotho with whom I could check his credentials. Later No. 666 brought to me a [crossed out] who desperately wanted to see me. He gave No. 6 some names of contacts. This student was in the West German group of students on an exchange programme. I did not use these contacts. I was interrogated on this German Dr Braun for three days and three nights continuously although the SBs had all this information from No. 1 who was interrogated before me plus Sikosana and the others.
Maud was already waiting for me and she gave me a letter which she told me she had received some time back but because she was busy with the Florida Supermarket she kept postponing telephoning. We drove back home.
This was the letter from No. 20 in which he was giving a report of the distribution in Umtata. In the same letter he also said he wanted to see someone from our end soon to pass on certain valuable information he claimed to be in possession of. He mentioned that the SBs were very busy on the Port St John’s coast and they were said to be looking for one Makiwane whom they were just about to find. No. 20 believed this Makiwane to be vitally linked with our freedom fighters.
INFORMAL DISCUSSION ON NO. 20’S LETTER
A day after receiving No. 20’s letter I sent Sikosana to pick up 1, 2 and 4.67 I met them in my house – the front room. I read to them the letter from No. 20. I complimented No. 20 for being conscientious and I remarked about the fact that we had not heard from PE.68 I also said we should raise fare for someone to go down to visit our contact – meaning No. 20.
On this day the subject of positive action cropped up again. I do not remember how it started but someone said, ‘What is the use of having such militant people like our contact as he will also soon tell he wants positive action and we discourage him?’ I knew this was directed at my attitude towards single acts of violence. I said, ‘Gentlemen, go and read Rivonia Unmasked69 again, no one who had read that book can make comments such as these.’ Swanepoel recited my words just as I have reproduced them. He maintained this statement was a communist bluff, that I was functioning with another group and did not want these men to take the glory or positive action!
In this discussion I again repeated that acts of sabotage would have to be committed nationally by trained people. I even said even if it means something like setting fire to the Afrikaner farmer’s mealie fields all over the country we would achieve something better than blowing up telephone booths which would take five minutes to repair and went on to say this means trained manpower.
In the end they saw my point of view. They stood up to leave. When Sikosana was at the door, the other three were behind, No. 2 laughingly said, ‘Well then, get me five hundred men, you’ll see. I do not care whether I’ll be killed in the process and I’ll go to this man who is going to teach me bombs.’ We all laughed. No. 1 said, ‘And I’ll also burn all the cars in Joburg.’ No. 2 said, ‘I would never support such nonsense.’ They left, Sikosana still roaring with laughter.
INFORMAL DISCUSSION BETWEEN 1, 2 AND 3
Almost a week after this informal discussion on No. 20’s letter at my house I spoke to No. 2 about a trip Charlotte Masinga intended undertaking during the long Easter weekend. Charlotte Masinga has been described already in these notes. She was more or less a member of my family. She had all her meals in my house, bathed her children and herself in my house. She only went home to sleep and on most occasions she slept in my house. Whenever I went out to meetings at night I left her in my house with my niece Olive. She had to wait until I returned. She did not know where I used to go to. I used to just tell her when to expect me. She was known to my parents because I was nursed by her and my sister-in-law whenever I was ill. They often spoke to her over the phone and they were desirous to meet her.
She asked me to organise a car for her to go to my home. She was prepared to finance the trip. She had met my father once as our so-called Minister of Agriculture in Umtata and my father invited her home.
I suggest to 2 and 1 that the person who had to visit 20 could go along [in] the same car. We decided to collect fare. Father Rakale came as we were still talking, I left the two for a while and spoke to Father. He left soon. I joined them again.
I told No. 2 that I had been wanting to ask him for a long time who this expert on bomb making was but that I had not wanted to discuss this in the presence of many people. He was hesitant for a long time then he gave the name Gasago. I then asked him if this was not the same man who had given evidence against some of our people who are serving long terms of imprisonment on Robben Island. He said yes.
Both No. 1 and I were shocked by this. I asked him how he could possibly approach a man who was a state witness knowing full well that most of them end up as the SB informers. He said it did not matter because this man would ‘sell’ only him. I told him he forgot that anything he did affected all the activists who were actively involved with him. He said he had not realised the danger then. I told him to go and withdraw the request for assistance from this man and to try and find a way of pretending it was a joke. He said he would definitely do so.
WHAT I LEARNED UNDER INTERROGATION IN RELATION TO THE ABOVE
A statement was brought to me but was held at a distance. It was a statement made by No. 2 either in 1963 or 1964 in connection with explosives in his garage – these were dug out of the floor of the garage and the man Gasago was involved.
Under interrogation the police were trying to connect No. 2, 3, Mxakeki and Gasago with No. 2’s trip and Mxakeki to Carletonville to find explosives. It is possible that Gasago may be a surprise witness to collaborate Mxakeki’s false evidence.
The notes on Mxakeki already submitted were fully detailed – there is nothing to be added. (I find No. 2 very confused and incapable of recalling these things.)
On more than one occasion Major Swanepoel indicated to me that they were most annoyed about that nonsense of a right English gentleman who was supposed to have finance
d the SWA case.70
He also said to me that I must remember that contrary to what I think about my friends in SA I have been quite a nuisance to certain people and certain organisations abroad because of my frank criticism and my being too outspoken towards certain leaders who are leading wonderful lives in this most lavish hotels abroad, so it was in their interests too that I should be silenced.
He said the freedom fighters who were used in the first two incursions in August 1962 were trouble-makers in the training camp who had to be got rid of by the leadership.
He also suggested that if I could broadcast a statement against the communists there would be [no] trial, we would all be freed. He asked me why many banned people were working and not hindered in any way by the police. He said I must watch out and see who will be right, that he was convinced no funds would be forthcoming for Winnie Mandela because there are certain people who are convinced that I am not worth wasting money on, in the same way my husband was better behind bars.
He and Major Coetzee told me they would like to show goodwill to the African people but releasing the women for instance who are involved in this trial would hardly be expected of them if the case is conducted as a form of political propaganda as had been done in the past by English speaking attorneys who have no particular interest in us but mostly use us for as long as this perpetuates racial hatred.
Major Swanepoel said for as long as there are trials and incursions they would never recommend such release but if they only kept quiet like Mrs Sobukwe71 we would have our husbands back if only my husband would promise to be neutral. One thing I should know however is that it is the end of me in the urban area of Johannesburg. They will recommend that I should be repatriated if and when I leave prison.72