Staffrider Vol.6 No.2 1985 - DISA
Staffrider Vol.6 No.2 1985 - DISA Staffrider Vol.6 No.2 1985 - DISA
'You have two minutes.' The silencedragged. I noticed for the first time thatI could hear the dim sound of trafficfrom the highway below. My toes wereitchy but I could not scratch thembecause my arms were linked. And thenall I could hear was the dog's panting,the sounds of their rough tonguesrubbing against their teeth. I shivered,the tingling feeling flowing along myupper arms and up the back of my head.'You have one minute. Get ready,men.'Time longer than rope, the thoughtrepeated itself over and over in mymind, seeming to speed up as theseconds passed. Hazily I heard, 'Clearthese steps.' As if in slow motion Isaw the first line move forward, roughlythrowing the brave band of three behindthem. 'John was right,' I thought. Thenslow motion speeded up accompaniedby the most terrible sounds, viciousbarking, screams, the dull thuds ofwood on flesh, tearing flesh. Everythingin front of me looked like fast actioncaptured on slow speed film, a blur ofmovement, hands feet dogs clubs. Theyprogressed up the stairs. People in frontof us tried to get up and run backwards,falling like dominoes, adding to thecrush. I bowed my head freeing myarms to protect my body as best Icould. It was like a fight in a turkeycoop with feathers flying everywhere.The line of police was drawing closerand closer. Slow but steady progressup the steps. Madness seemed to haveovertaken our world.Suddenly I was aware amidst thechaos, of strange movements from John.He sat up straight and then his bodystarted shaking, like a witchdoctor intrance. His face contorted uncontrollably.I tried to shake him, his eyesrolled back and I realised what washappening. He was having a fit. Wordsechoed in my mind, 'The most importantthing is to ensure that the person havinga fit is not in any physical danger.' Thepolice were upon us. I screamed, 'He'shaving an epileptic fit, for Christ sakegive him room!' I felt the blow of abaton on my back. The pain. I struggleddesperately to protect John with mybody. I was ripped off and thrownbackwards. He lay convulsing on theground with batons and dogs all overhim. I seemed to be the only personwho knew what was happening. Hismovements seemed to incense the dogsand the batons flew into his body withrepeated thuds. I tried desperately toget to him, no longer feeling my ownpain. As I was flung backwards again Isaw that the people on the roof of thelibrary were standing up now, handsraised over the scene below, dead still,in a Hitler salute. #With EndlessLoveto Victor JaraThough his songsare strong and powerfuland bitter and determinedand angry and violentand revolutionary and uncompromising,they have at their very base,at their very foundationa certain happiness.A happinesswhich is like a star to a child:though it appears little and close by,it is in fact large, very large,large enough for all to see,to feel,to experience,(for some to embrace — heroic and visionary,for others to fear — irritating and defiant)a happiness which stubbornly rejoicesat a victory certain to be won.But yet so deep,so deep within him,so farthat no bullet could ever reach it.Victor Jara is dead.His hands were brokenhis body was smashed.But the defiant happinesswhich they seeked to killwas not only in Victor,not only in the stadium,not only in the songs,or Santiago, or Chile, or Latin America . . .but embedded in the bosomsof the rising oppressedSo must we remainWe, who rise before the sunand rest only after it has gone.We, even though we harden ourselves like steelto fight,even though our armouryincludes the bitterest of bitterthe angriest of angerthe most violent of violence,we must nurture and cherishwithin ourselves,within our furthermost recessthat which makes us human.For otherwisewe will bethemFarouk StemmetFarouk Stemmet28 STAFFRIDER, VOL. 6 NO. 2, 1985
Staf frider Popular HistoryMacoma, Siyolo and Xoxo after their release from Robben Island.'Esiqithini' is a Xhosa word meaningquite simply 'on the Island'. Noparticular island is named, but it wouldbe difficult to find a Xhosa person whodid not know exactly which Island ismeant. Even in English, the phrase 'theIsland' has only one meaning for mostSouth Africans. Robben Island, thatpleasantly named home of seals, hasattached itself ineradicably to thecollective consciousness of us all. Weknow it as a place of banishment,loneliness and misery, but we also recallthe bravery of those who suffered — andare still suffering — the agonies of exileon its shores. The holy of holies,Mtutuzeli Matshoba called it,consecrated by the self-sacrifice of itsvictims.The best-known of Robben Island'searly prisoners was the giant prophetand wardoctor Nxele (Makana), whoattacked Grahamstown in 1819, wasbanished to the Island, and drownedtrying to escape. But there were otherexiles too, now sadly forgotten. This isthe story of the Xhosa chiefs imprisonedon the Island in the 1850s and of thelepers and lunatics who shared theirfate.G iovernor Sir George Greyand Commissioner Macleanwanted to dispossess the Xhosaof all the territory they thenstill occupied in what isnow the 'white corridor'between East Londonand Queenstown.The PrisonersSiyolo, son of Mdushane, was the firstXhosa political prisoner to be detainedon Robben Island after the death ofNxele in 1820. He was the only chief onthe Ndlambe side to fight in the War ofMlanjeni (1850-3). T have no cattle,'he said. 'I have no home. But I amdetermined to live like a wild beast anddo all the damage that I can.' Isolatedfrom the other Xhosa leaders, Siyolorode to Fort Murray to open negotiationswith the local Commissioner, ColonelJohn Maclean. Maclean called him into aprivate room 'to hear his statement readover,' and there treacherously tookhim captive. Siyolo was condemned as arebel, and sentenced to life imprisonment.The other Xhosa prisoners werevictims of the Nongqawuse cattle-killingDisaster of 1856-7. Governor Sir GeorgeGrey and Commissioner Macleanwanted to dispossess the Xhosa of allthe territory they then still occupied inwhat is now the 'white corridor'between East London and Queenstown.The Nongqawuse starvation forced mostof the people into labour on the whitefarms of the Karroo, but the chiefsremained behind to safeguard the Xhosanational lands until their men returned.Grey and Maclean were determined toget rid of them.They established military tribunalsto convict as many Xhosa chiefs aspossible under martial law. The accusedchiefs were allowed to call witnessesbut they were not permitted defencelawyers, and, as they were unaware ofBritish legal procedures, they wereeasily convicted.STAFFRIDER, VOL. 6 NO. 2, 1985 29
- Page 2 and 3: NEW BOOKSFROM RAVANHis second autob
- Page 4 and 5: hoseby Bheki MasekoIllustrations by
- Page 6 and 7: Ihe teacher hadhardly dismissed us
- Page 8 and 9: That I had to run away from home wa
- Page 10 and 11: screaming his head off in his own s
- Page 12 and 13: Nikitinsky. He was sitting in a roo
- Page 14 and 15: Damian Garsidec9lukTo surpass the g
- Page 16 and 17: meeting we — the LiteMaster worke
- Page 18 and 19: or thirteenth of July we were all d
- Page 20 and 21: 'What do you want Johnny,' I saidin
- Page 22 and 23: I shrugged an embarrassed smile but
- Page 24 and 25: Andries W. OliphantT he Eye of the
- Page 26 and 27: orkingomenMabel was a garment worke
- Page 28 and 29: He was dedicated to his medicine,ye
- Page 32 and 33: Staf frider Popular HistoryMhala, t
- Page 34 and 35: Dombo RatshilumelaIn secret lepers
- Page 36 and 37: R regnancyf A poem should be palpab
- Page 38 and 39: one night in Meadowlands, another i
- Page 40 and 41: Hugh Lew intJ/ ACK*The manwho died
- Page 42 and 43: esources of living should constitut
- Page 44 and 45: SOUTH AFRICA: PASSPORT REFUSED TOSO
- Page 46 and 47: y Walt OyisiphoKaMtetwalood'What! I
- Page 48 and 49: TALKING STORYWhat this delayed reco
- Page 50 and 51: Andries W. Oliphant Lancelot Maseko
- Page 52: IN OUR NEXT ISSUEThami Mnyele, Dona
Staf frider Popular HistoryMacoma, Siyolo and Xoxo after their release from Robben Island.'Esiqithini' is a Xhosa word meaningquite simply 'on the Island'. Noparticular island is named, but it wouldbe difficult to find a Xhosa person whodid not know exactly which Island ismeant. Even in English, the phrase 'theIsland' has only one meaning for mostSouth Africans. Robben Island, thatpleasantly named home of seals, hasattached itself ineradicably to thecollective consciousness of us all. Weknow it as a place of banishment,loneliness and misery, but we also recallthe bravery of those who suffered — andare still suffering — the agonies of exileon its shores. The holy of holies,Mtutuzeli Matshoba called it,consecrated by the self-sacrifice of itsvictims.The best-known of Robben Island'searly prisoners was the giant prophetand wardoctor Nxele (Makana), whoattacked Grahamstown in 1819, wasbanished to the Island, and drownedtrying to escape. But there were otherexiles too, now sadly forgotten. This isthe story of the Xhosa chiefs imprisonedon the Island in the 1850s and of thelepers and lunatics who shared theirfate.G iovernor Sir George Greyand Commissioner Macleanwanted to dispossess the Xhosaof all the territory they thenstill occupied in what isnow the 'white corridor'between East Londonand Queenstown.The PrisonersSiyolo, son of Mdushane, was the firstXhosa political prisoner to be detainedon Robben Island after the death ofNxele in 1820. He was the only chief onthe Ndlambe side to fight in the War ofMlanjeni (1850-3). T have no cattle,'he said. 'I have no home. But I amdetermined to live like a wild beast anddo all the damage that I can.' Isolatedfrom the other Xhosa leaders, Siyolorode to Fort Murray to open negotiationswith the local Commissioner, ColonelJohn Maclean. Maclean called him into aprivate room 'to hear his statement readover,' and there treacherously tookhim captive. Siyolo was condemned as arebel, and sentenced to life imprisonment.The other Xhosa prisoners werevictims of the Nongqawuse cattle-killingDisaster of 1856-7. Governor Sir GeorgeGrey and Commissioner Macleanwanted to dispossess the Xhosa of allthe territory they then still occupied inwhat is now the 'white corridor'between East London and Queenstown.The Nongqawuse starvation forced mostof the people into labour on the whitefarms of the Karroo, but the chiefsremained behind to safeguard the Xhosanational lands until their men returned.Grey and Maclean were determined toget rid of them.They established military tribunalsto convict as many Xhosa chiefs aspossible under martial law. The accusedchiefs were allowed to call witnessesbut they were not permitted defencelawyers, and, as they were unaware ofBritish legal procedures, they wereeasily convicted.STAFFRIDER, VOL. 6 NO. 2, <strong>1985</strong> 29
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