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Once again many thanks to the Chief for his inspiring message.
Yours sincerely,
Nelson
LETTER FROM NELSON MANDELA
TO BRIGADIER AUCAMP CARE OF THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF ROBBEN ISLAND
August 5, 1969
The Commanding Officer
Robben Island
Attention: Col Van Aarde.
Kindly approve of the enclosed urgent letter to Brig. Aucamp.
[Signed] Nelson Mandela 466/64142
August 5, 1969143
The Commissioner of Prisons EXTREMELY URGENT
Private Bag, Pretoria
Attention: Brig Aucamp
I should be please if you would approve of the attached letter to my wife, which [discusses] the important and urgent question of legal representation. Kindly arrange with the [security police] staff for delivering to her at the earliest possible convenience.
I should further be pleased if you would now grant me the permission I have been seeking since May 20 to communicate with the firm of Messrs Frank, Bernadt and Joffe.144 I should like to remind you that since the arrest of my wife, none of the 12 letters I have written up to last June had reached its destination. Four successive visits which had been arranged for me for [the] past six months failed to materialise. Even letters addressed [to me] were delayed unreasonably, a discriminatory practice which contrasts sharply with the treatment afforded my fellow prisoners. A letter that arrived on the island on Apr 24 was only delivered to me 44 days thereafter on June 7. Another one which was received by the Post Office on June 17 was handed to me 39 days later on July 26. I should add that at the time of writing I have received no authentic information on the death of my son. My younger son telegraphed to me on July 17 – four days after the fateful accident – and advised that he was sending me the full particulars. But in accordance with previous practice, I probably will not be allowed to receive it timeously not withstanding its nature. By way of contrast I refer to a letter that was written to a fellow prisoner on June 16 and which reached him 6 days thereafter. Another one which was [sent to] the same man on July 13 reached him again 6 days after it had been written. In the circumstances it is reasonable for me to urge you to grant my application without further delay. It is undesirable that I should be kept ignorant about [questions] which are so important to me and the family, and I appeal to you to expedite the matter. In this connection, I should like you to know that I deeply appreciate the opportunity you are giving me to communicate with my wife. The approval of the permission sought above will enable me to deal with all domestic problems caused by my wife’s detention, and will be an appropriate and logical complement to the help you have already granted me and my wife.
[Signed] Nelson Mandela 466/64
LETTER FROM NELSON MANDELA
TO WINNIE MANDELA
EXTREMELY URGENT August 5 1969145
My Darling,
I have been thinking about the question of the firm of attorneys that should act for you in the event of you being charged at the end of your period of detention.
I have no information as to how the services of Mr Mendel Levin were engaged in the matter, and have nothing against his firm, but I would strongly advise that we immediately instruct Mr Joel Carlson to represent you and to handle our affairs. I do not have to remind you of the invaluable services Mr Carlson has rendered to us in the past and the personal interest that he takes in our affairs, as well as his wide experience in matters of this nature. All I wish to stress is that it would be most unwise not to avail yourself of his services.
You rightly point out that there are problems about him, and the prison authorities have informed me that he is prohibited from entering any South African prison. The authorities may be acting within their rights in imposing these restrictions and we cannot interfere. But they cannot claim, nor do they have the right to interfere in any way with the exercise of your right to be defended by a firm of your own choice. If Mr Carlson is not allowed to interview you in jail, then the South African Police are obliged to take you to his office or to one of the courtrooms for purposes of consultation . . . Although I was a detainee during the 1960 State of Emergency on several occasions the police took me from prison to my office in Johannesburg to work on the firm’s books with my accountant. Again the accused in the Treason Trial, all of whom were detainees during the period of the Emergency, had numerous consultations with counsel . . . during recess. I suggest you communicate immediately with Mr Carlson by registered post and give him formal instructions to represent you as soon as you are charged. Mr Levin could be informed that you are acting on my advice.
I would not advise you to take this course unless it was absolutely necessary for you to do so. I might mention that since May 20 I have made repeated representations for leave to communicate with Mr Carlson or his Cape Town representatives on the position of your arrest and its implications . . . In the meantime keep well and be strong darling. I think of you all the time. Tons and tons of love and a millions kisses.
Devotedly
LETTER FROM NELSON MANDELA
TO HIS NIECE NOMFUNDO MANDELA
8.9.69
My dear Mtshana,
I was indeed very shocked to hear that you, a little girl in her teens, in a rough and cruel city like Johannesburg, have for the past four months lived all alone, exposed to all kinds of danger, and that those who took away your Auntie146 from home did not even take the simple and reasonable steps of making sure that you will at least be safe by arranging for some elderly person to look after you and the home. How you get your food, buy your clothing and soap, travel to and from school, pay for your school fees and books, and all the many things a child of your age needs, is regarded by them as something which is no concern of theirs. I can well imagine just how hard and difficult things must be for you these days. All domestic work such as cooking, cleaning the house and polishing the stoep must now be done by you alone, leaving you hardly any time to attend to your school work. Add to this the strain caused by many hours of loneliness, uncertainty as to how long Auntie will be away from home, and fear of the unknown. Perhaps some days you wake up in the morning and go to school without having eaten, or drank tea, because there is no money to buy meat, milk, eggs, sugar, bread, butter, mealie meal, coal or paraffin.
It is possible that you have sat for long moments wondering why you are so unfortunate, comparing yourself with the happy and well-fed children you meet at school, and in Soweto, children who live with their parents, who are always full of laughter, who have never suffered in their lives and who have none of the problems that now worry you. May be that at times you doubt whether you will ever see Auntie and myself again, and that it is even difficult to understand why all this human suffering should occur in the Christian world of the 20th century. There have been moments in my life when in spite of my old age I have had these doubts and difficulties too. The little education that I have, enables me to follow with real interest the progress which man has made over the one million years of his history on earth, developing from a backward and superstitious savage to the cultured individual he now is supposed to be. Yet the cruel experiences you and other members of the family have had, and their suffering and misery, make me wonder whether it is correct to talk of any human being as being Christian or cultured. Today you are an orphan living in the greater part of the day in loneliness, sadness and fear, because your Auntie and myself, who are alive and well, and who would have given you the chances in life that you deserve, have been jailed by other human beings, by our countrymen who, like true Christians and civilised beings, should treat us with love and kindness. We were seized and thrown into prison not because we have killed, stolen or committed some other crime, but because we stand for truth, justice, honour and principle and because we will never agree that any human being is superior to us. If my whole life and that of Aunt Nobandla should be spent here and we should never see you again; if we should never have the chance of sendin
g you to university as we had hoped, of giving you a decent wedding when the time comes for you to get married, and of helping you to start your own home, then dear Mtshana, you will at least know the true story about us. It will not be because we did not love you, Kgatho, Maki, Zeni and Zindzi, or that we were not conscious of our duties as parents. That will be due to the fact that we loved you so much that we could never allow that you should be denied in your own country the rights and opportunities which human beings elsewhere have enjoyed for many centuries. This is the real truth that explains why we are prisoners, why we are away from home, and why you now sit alone in 8115 Orlando West.
Whatever difficulties you may be having now, Mtshana, do not be discouraged and leave your studies. Though in jail, we will do everything in our power to keep you in school and send you to varsity. Make sure that you pass at the end of the year. Though you may be living under great difficulties at the present moment, you will not die of starvation or loneliness. Sisi Tellie, Uncle Marsh and Aunt Niki will always be ready to help you. Besides, we have many good and trusted friends, like Aunt Gladys147 on whom you may rely for advice and assistance. One day we will be back home and you, just as the other children at school and [in] Soweto do, will live happily with us. Gone will be your loneliness, miserable life and fear of the unknown, and the dangers to which you are now exposed will be no more. You will struggle less than you do now, eat better food and be able to laugh with joy. In the meantime, we should like you to know that we are very proud to have you as our Mtshana, a brave and clever girl like you, and nothing will please us more than to know that you have passed your examinations.
My love and fondest regards to Kgatho, Maki, Zeni, Zindzi, Matsobiyane,148 and to Sisi Tellie, Uncle Marsh, Aunt Niki and Aunt Gladys.
Good luck!
Tons and tons of love, Mtshana.
Your Malume149
LETTER FROM NELSON MANDELA
TO IRENE MKWAYI150
29.9.69
Our dear Nolusapho,
I was indeed encouraged by the touching message of sympathy you sent me on the occasion of the death of my eldest son, Thembi. Both the printed text of the condolence card, as well as the soothing sentiments you scribbled down next to the text, were singularly appropriate and they did much to inspire me.
I received the tragic news on July 16, and six days thereafter I applied to the Commanding Officer for leave to attend the funeral, at my own cost, and with or without escort. I added that, if Thembi would have been buried by the time my application was received, I should in that event be allowed to visit his grave for the purpose of ‘laying the stone’ (ukubek’ilitye) – the traditional ceremony that is reserved for those who miss the actual burial.
Ten months before this I had made a similar application when my mother passed away, and though the authorities had then adopted a hard line in refusing what I considered in all the circumstances to be a reasonable request, I nonetheless vaguely hoped that this time the death of two members of the family occurring so soon after the other would probably induce the authorities to give me the one opportunity I had in life of paying my last respects to Thembi. In the letter of application I expressly referred to the fact that I had been refused leave to be present at the graveside when my mother was laid to rest, pointing out at the same time, that approval of that application would have been a generous act on their part and one that would have made a deep impression on me. I drew attention to the fact that I had seen Thembi five years ago, and expressed the hope that they would appreciate how anxious I was to attend the funeral.
I was of course aware that 30 years ago the British had imprisoned a famous freedom fighter in one of the colonies, a man who later became Prime Minister when his country gained full independence in 1947.151 He was in jail when his wife’s health worsened, and when it became necessary for him to accompany her to Europe for medical treatment. British imperialism has brought untold misery and suffering to millions of people throughout the world, and when the English withdrew they left behind them countries which had been plundered, and whose people were condemned to many years of poverty, famine, disease and illiteracy.
This period forms the black chapter of British history and many historians have justly censured Britain. On the other hand the English are widely known by friend and foe for their broad outlook and sensible approach to human problems, and for their deep respect for men who are ready to give up their lives for a worthy cause. Often in the course of political conflicts with leaders of national movements in their former colonies, they were able to treat political offenders humanely, and to render them genuine and substantial help whenever necessary. So it was that when the politician referred to above was faced with the problem of the illness of his wife, the English released him to travel abroad, Unfortunately, the wife died after reaching Europe and thereafter the bereaved man returned to his country to serve the balance of his sentence. This is how an enlightened government is expected to treat its citizens, and this is how the British Government responded to an application made on compassionate grounds by political opponents a little more than 30 years ago.
In the case of both my late mother and Thembi I was faced not with the problem of illness but that of death. I asked for permission not to travel abroad, but to another part of my own country which was under the constant surveillance of a strong and experienced Security Force. In Thembi’s case my application was simply ignored and I was not even favoured with the courtesy of an acknowledgement. A further request for permission to obtain copies of press reports on the fatal accident was turned down, and up to now I have no authentic information whatsoever as to how Thembi died. All my efforts to obtain the services of an attorney to investigate the question of legal responsibility for the accident, any claims arising thereout and the estate generally, have been unsuccessful. Not only was I deprived of the opportunity of seeing for the last time my eldest son and friend, and the pride of my heart; I am kept in the dark on everything relating to him and his affairs. On Sept. 6 I received a report on my household affairs which greatly disturbed me. My niece, Nomfundo, who is still in her teens, lives in the house virtually alone, and I believe the lady who stayed there after Zami’s arrest was frightened away. This indifference completely astonished me and kept wide open the painful wounds which the dreadful hands of death had made in my heart.
Your message must be seen in the light of these facts; of the obstacles and frustrations that surround me. Fortunately, my numerous friends here and outside prison have showered me with messages of sympathy and encouragement and the worst is now over. Among these is your own message; you, Nolusapho, the wife of the Amagqunukhwebe, the children of Khwane, Cungwa, Pato and Kama. I should like you to know that I deeply appreciate your wonderful message. Though I have not yet had the privilege of meeting you, I have the picture of one who genuinely loves her people and who always places the welfare and happiness of others above hers. That you were able to send me this message in spite of your own illness and personal problems says a lot more in your favour than language can express. I sincerely wish you a speedy and complete recovery. Many thanks for the lovely Xmas cards you and Nomazotsho sent me. Love and fondest regards to Georgina, Nondyebo, Beauty, Squire, and Vuyo.152
Yours sincerely,
Nelson
LETTER FROM WINNIE MANDELA
TO ATTORNEY MENDEL LEVIN
11.11.69
Dear Sir,
Re: My Affairs
I have today been given your account and note that the letters you wrote on my behalf have been to the value of R500. Since the 28th of October, the date on which it was publicly announced in court that my husband had instructed Mr Carlson to act for me. I wish to inform you that there had been no miraculous change in my financial position since the last three consultations which were arranged for you to meet me by the prison authorities for the specific purpose of discussing funds which I did not have, hence your solemn promise which you repeated time without number in Major Swanepoel�
��s presence to the effect that you were prepared to continue acting for nothing but that advocates required fees.
I have had reason to mention this latter statement even to my present lawyer and have also had to hint to him without giving details that as a result of information given to me in confidence by the same Major I do not think there will be any funds for my case and I mentioned this in my last note to you even before I signed a power of attorney in your favour.
I must however point out that the events of the 28th Oct have raised serious puzzling questions in my mind. You will agree with me as a legal man that it is extremely difficult for a person behind bars in solitary confinement to understand people’s motives. If there was so much confusion within a period of five and half months of my detention, what would not be going through the mind of a woman who has spent seven years in prison? It was because I wanted clarification of this situation that I made a request to see Mrs Kay153 on the 19th of October and have had no reply, and it was also for the same reason of wishing to avoid such situations that I had been battling for the past six months to see my husband. This also did not materialise.
I find even more puzzling the fact that all the people who have visited my husband are in fact closer to you and have had more contact with you than me. I assumed from this that my husband must have surely discussed this matter with them and yet my sister-in-law Telia, my step-son and my sister all took messages to Mr Carlson from my husband who had earlier been even visited by Mr Dinath to whom you are well known. Although this is now irrelevant I fail to understand why this was not drawn to my attention when I could still have tried more to communicate with my husband to clarify this set-up.