About the Book
Late one night in July, 1963, a South African police unit surrounded the African National Congress headquarters in Rivonia and arrested a group of Movement leaders gathered inside. Eventually eight of them, including Nelson Mandela, who was already serving a sentence, Walter Sisulu, Dennis Goldberg, Govan Mbeki, Raymond Mhlaba, Elias Motsoledi, Andrew Mangeni, and Ahmed Kathrada, were convicted of sabotage and, on June 12, 1964, sentenced to life in prison. Soon, these men became widely known as the "Rivonia Trialists." Despite their imprisonment, the Trialists played active roles in the struggle against South Africa's racist regime. Instead of being forgotten, as apartheid officials had hoped, they became enduring symbols in a struggle against injustice and racism.
Kathrada and his colleagues were classified as high security prisoners, segregated from others and closely watched. Every activity was regulated and monitored. Among the many indignities visited upon them, the prisoners were prohibited from keeping copies of incoming and outgoing correspondence. Kathrada, or "Kathy" as he is known, successfully hid both.
Letters From Robben Island contains a selection of 86 of the more than 900 pieces of correspondence Ahmed Kathrada wrote during his 26 years on Robben Island and at Pollsmoor Prison. Some were smuggled out by friends; others were written in code to hide meaning and content from prison censors. These are among his most poignant, touching, and eloquent communications. They are testimonies to Kathrada, his colleagues, and to their commitment to obtaining human dignity and freedom for all South Africans.
Table of Contents:
Contents Foreword Mandela Nelson Acknowledgments Introduction Sisulu Walter Editor's Note About Ahmed Kathrada The Letters 1964–1970 Sylvia Neame, February or March 1964 Sylvia Neame, February or March 1964 Sylvia Neame, May 1964 Sylvia Neame, 9 June 1964 Sylvia Neame, 11 June 1964 Ahmed Kola, 30 August 1964 Kathrada Family, 18 October 1964 Kathrada Family, 24 December 1967 Essop Pahad, 3 April 1968 Goolam Hoosenbhai, 29 December 1968 Sylvia Neame, between 11-31 December 1970 1971–1980 Solly Kathrada, 26 March 1972 Zivia Shaban, 12 May 1973 Mrs. Neville Alexander, 16 February 1975 Sonia Bunting, 16 February 1975 Choti and Ismail, 28 March 1975 Ruth and Ilse Fischer, 11 May 1975 Raman Chiba, 20 September 1975 George Peake, 22 November 1975 Tom Vassen, 22 November 1975 Rooki Saloojee, 24 December 1976 Sukhthi Naidoo, 25 January 1976 Sukhthi Naidoo, 28 August 1976 Zohra Kathrada, 25 February 1978 Dasoo Iyer, Easter, 1978 Tom Vassen, 17 June 1978 Zohra Kathrada, 24 June 1978 Tom and Bob Vassen, 25 July 1978 Zohra Kathrada, 25 November 1978 Bob Vassen, 21 April 1979 Poppy Kola, 19 May 1979 Aadil Jassat, 28 July 1979 Dasoo Iyer, 17 November 1979 Head of Robben Island Prison, 24 November 1979 Shamima Kola, 15 December 1979 Zohra Kathrada, 22 December 1979 Bob Vassen, 19 January 1980 Dr. Karim, 14 June and 30 July 1980 Aziz Kathrada, 19 July 1980 Farida and Ahmed Bhoola, 20 September 1980 Shamima and Neelan Poonen, 4 October 1980 Djamilla Cajee, 25 October 1980 1981–1989 Tahera Kola, 14 February 1981 Dasoo Iyer, 28 March 1981 Dr. Karim, 24 October 1981 Zohra Kathrada, 17 July 1982 Zohra Kathrada, 21 October 1982 Bob Vassen, 29 January 1983 Mammie Seedat, 29 May 1983 Roshan Dadoo, 1 October 1983 Zohrabibi Kathrada, 5 November 1983 Shireen Patel, 28 January 1984 Zeenat Cajee, 27 May 1984 Essop Jassat, 15 July 1984 Leila Issel, 1 December 1984 P. W. Botha, 13 February 1985 Helen Joseph, 17 March 1985 Navi Joseph, 23 March 1985 Dullah Omar, 31 May 1985 Essop Jassat, 2 June 1985 Farieda Omar, 1 September 1985 Nazir Kathrada, 26 October 1985 Shireen Patel, 10 November 1985 Khatoon Patel, 18 January 1986 Shehnaaz Meer, 23 February 1986 Ameen Akhalwaya, 9 November 1986 Wilfred Kodesh, 14 November 1986 Helen Joseph, 30 November 1986 Enver Bharoochi, 14 December 1986 Veena and Ramesh Vassen, 2 January 1987 Mukesh Vassen, 6 December 1987 Amien Cajee, 17 January 1988 Oliver Tambo, Sometime in 1988 Sonia Bunting, 13 March 1988 Zohra Kathrada, 12 June 1988 Zuleikha Mayat, 2 July 1988 J. N. and Radhie Singh, 16 September 1988 Zohrabibi Kathrada, 19 September 1988 Ben Shek, 29 October 1988 Yasmin and Nazir Kathrada, 18 December 1988 Fati and Kader, 14 January 1989 Zuleikha Mayat, 25 March 1989 Mohamed, 16 April 1989 Patricia Long, 13 May 1989 Marie Kola, 19 July 1989 Navi Joseph, 3 October 1989
About the Author :
Robert Vassen was born in South Africa. He is Associate Director of the English Language Center at Michigan State University. Prior to coming to MSU in 1990, he lived in London, England, where he was an active member of the African National Congress.
