"A simple freedom"

Sunday 13th June was the anniversary of the day when the Rivonia trials concluded with the sentencing of 8 men to life imprisonment. Since these men were political prisoners, the term ‘life’ was to mean life. Nelson Mandela was one of these men and Robben Island was where they were to start their sentence.

Another of these men was Ahmed Kathrada. On this anniversary day a small group of us were to be part of a special audience and tour of Robben Island with Mr Kathrada. This was in fact my first visit to the former prison and having a tour of it with one of Mandela’s oldest and closest colleagues was a real privilege.

Mr Kathrada spent 27 years on Robben Island. Calm, collected and yet full of life, you could tell that his principles are still as strong as ever. He has returned to the island many times now since his release in order to tell the story of their struggle, to educate others and spread their message. Aside from other stories, recollecting how himself and Mandela worked together to smuggle out Mandela’s writings, it was fascinating to hear.

This trip coincided with the release of a new book by Mr Kathrada. ‘A Simple Freedom’ is a compilation of various quotes and writings that he collected and drew upon to help maintain his courage and optimism during his captivity. One quote in particular caught my attention:
“Without the power to sacrifice self, great ideas will never bear fruit”, Louis Michel at the burial of Blanqui, 1881.

As one can imagine, the emotions invoked by making return visits to the prison were very present in Mr Kathrada. And yet he continues to go there, time and again, to educate and to inspire others, still sacrificing his own comfort to promote freedom and how so few can ‘make a difference’. He sets an example for us all.

Jim Bacon
GVI Southern Africa Regional coordinator

"A simple freedom"