Southend U3A

Writing for Fun

Captured! - Nelson Mandela - Gwenda Syratt

April 2014

On the outskirts of Howick, a small country town in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, on the 5th of August 1962 Nelson Mandela the terrorist was captured.

Until that date this fundamentally farming area with the beautiful Midmar Dam, nature reserves, and fine collection of art, crafts and antiques being part of the Midland Meander, was known for Howick Falls – a ninety five metre drop of cascading water from the Umgeni River over the cliff on its way to the Indian Ocean.

Mandela the terrorist became actively involved in the South African Communist Party, and President of the African National Congress. As head of the terrorist wing of the ANC he claimed the deaths of many innocent people including women and children, and publicly pleaded guilty to 156 acts of public violence.

He travelled abroad for military training and to raise funds for the ANC. Hand in glove with Dictators, from President Suharto of Indonesia and Colonel Gaddafi of Libya he received a donation of 60 million dollars from Indonesia and 10 million dollars from Libya. Billions of Rands were spent on military hardware.

Mandela the freedom fighter was born to the Thembu royal family he was a devout Christian baptised into the Methodist church and received education at a Methodist school and later University where he qualified in law.

Between 1963 and 2002 he received approximately 300 honours in recognition of his work including, along with President F. W. de Klerk, the Nobel Peace Prize.

The freedom he fought for was against the Apartheid regime. A cruel inhuman law preventing black people any rights in their own country. South Africans were divided into four groups. Black, White, Coloured and Indian.

• No mixed marriage permitted between whites and other races.
• Blacks not allowed to run businesses, they were required to move to homelands to set up business there.
• Buses, trains, hospitals, ambulances, shops, restaurants, beaches, theatre – all public areas were segregated.
• Only in 1980 did trade unions begin to develop.
• Little of the country's wealth was spent on education and housing for the non-white communities.
• Voting rights denied.
• Torture and public humiliation administered by those in power.

Mandela was released from captivity in 1990 when he began negotiations with President F.W. de Klerk to abolish apartheid and establish multiracial elections.

In 1994 the world watched, expecting bloodshed, as Africans walked for days from remote areas and queued for hours to cast their vote for the very first time. There was none.

Credit should also be given to F.W. de Klerk for the part he played in this peaceful transition.

Were Nelson Mandela's dreams of freedom materialized?

Twenty years on we have a country with a growing sizable African middle class with real wages for employment. Freedom to vote, freedom to live anywhere they can afford, as is the case in any country. For those needing help 13% of the countries budget goes on welfare.

Sadly, corruption is extreme. Crime rates rising due to lack of law and order. Reduction of police numbers and investment. The attitude is that crime pays. In the beginning most of the crimes were committed against whites, it is now out of control and the whole nation suffers.

During the past twenty years social, political, financial, and educational changes have forged ahead. Some changes are for the good and some not so.

But what never changes? This rainbow nation is a truly hospitable one. Get away from the cities and enjoy the mountains, nature reserves, wildlife, coast line, 1,500 species of plants on Table Mountain; the beautiful wine growing areas and all year sunshine. This really is a world in one country with a rate of exchange for foreign visitors that make holiday spending very attractive.

What of the future for South Africa? Who knows? Young educated people of all races are speaking out against the corruption and injustices of today, just as Nelson Mandela did yesterday. Mandela's fight was for equality, perhaps today's freedom fighters will be for a stable and prosperous South Africa.

A peaceful memorial on the capture site at Howick, designed by Italian Marco Cianfanelli has 50 metal stakes in the ground with pieces cut away. When standing on a specific spot the 50 stakes transform into the face of Mandela.

Over the hills and far away
A leader, earth shaker, icon lay,
A terrorist, a freedom fighter, opinions divide
With loss of loved ones still felt inside.
Many changes for better, some changes are worse
Standard of living relies on the purse.
Has the 'Father's' vision come to fruition?
As rainbow children receive tuition
A balanced country will eventually evolve
With new generations working to solve.
Over the hills and far away
'A world in one country' awaits that day.