by Madikizela-Mandela, Winnie; Kathrada, Ahmed; Kathrada, Ahmed
1. Prior to October 28, 1969, Mrs Jane Xaba,178 from Johannesburg wrote to me a letter which I have not received.
2. At the beginning of December 1969 Mrs Rebecca Kotane, also from Johannesburg, sent me a Xmas card and a letter in which she advised me of the death of her husband’s uncle. These did not reach me.
3. During the first week of December 1969 I sent six Xmas cards to members of the family and to friends. One of these was addressed to my daughter-in-law Lydia Thoko Mandela who lives in Cape Town. She visited me on December 27 and informed me that she had not received a card from me.
4. On April 4, 1969, I wrote to Mrs Amina Cachalia, Johannesburg, and the letter reached her only during the first week of September. In this connection I should be pleased if you would give me an explanation, if any, for the five months delay.
5. On May 4 I wrote to my mother-in-law, in lieu of [a] visit for April 1969, and my monthly letter went to Sidumo Mandela. These two letters are shown in your records as having been posted on May 7. In this connection I should be pleased if you would advise me whether they were sent by registered post as I had requested?
6. On November 19 I wrote to Mrs Nolusapho Mkwayi and should be pleased to be advised of the date when the letter was posted to her.
Apart from the specific enquiries made above I should be grateful if you would supply me with a record of letters received on my behalf as from January 1, 1969, to January 29, 1970, as well as my outgoing letters as from June 1, 1969 to January 29, 1970.
Finally my next monthly letter will be addressed to Miss Matlala Tshukudu,179 in England and I should be pleased if you would allow me to send it by registered airmail.
[Signed] Nelson Mandela
LETTER FROM NELSON MANDELA
TO MARSHALL XABA
February 3, 1970
Sent 18.2.70
Registered airmail
My dear Uncle Marsh,
Please avoid any arrangement about House no 8115 Orlando West, which would have the effect of depriving Kgatho and sisters of a home during our absence.
Kgatho saw me last Saturday and appeared terribly upset over the fact that someone, who is not a relative and who is not acceptable to him and Tellie should be given charge of the house. He prefers my niece Lulu, who paid me a visit on November 29. I am in favour of Kgatho’s suggestion provided that it is acceptable to Zami, and I should be pleased if you would kindly acquaint her with my views. I must confess that Kgatho’s anxiety over the whole affair has worried me ever since he raised the matter on January 31, and I consider it most undesirable that he should at any time feel wronged and insecure. He told me that the matter might be finalised with the municipal authorities this week, and I hope that this letter will reach you in time and before you commit yourself to a decision which may cause ill-feeling. I should like you to draw this letter to Kgatho and put his mind at rest before he leaves for Fort Hare.
It is not necessary for me, Uncle Marsh, to assure you that I am fully aware that you and Niki have no ulterior motive in this matter and that your sole purpose is to safeguard our interests, and I am sure that now that you are aware of my views on the matter, you will do everything in your power to settle it amicably and satisfactorily.
The time was so short when I saw Kgatho that I forgot to ask about Zeni and Zindzi’s school reports and health. Please give me some information when you reply. In her September letter, Niki indicated that you had applied to come down and I have been hoping that I would see you. I am also anxious to know whether Ma of Bizana received my letter of May last. Let Bantu know that she is free to visit me, and I would indeed be happy to see her. I hope Nali’s letter, which I wrote in July last year, was received. I will write to my dear friends, the Ngakane’s at the earliest opportunity, and add to your explanation.
Fondest regards and much love to you, Niki and family.
Yours very sincerely
Nel
LETTER FROM NELSON MANDELA
TO THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF ROBBEN ISLAND
February 23, 1970
Attention: Lt Nel.
The Commanding Officer
Robben Island
On the 11th of February warder Van der Westhuizen showed me the register of outgoing and incoming post and I must accept that the letters from Jane Xaba and Rebecca Kotane180 and a Christmas card from the latter were not received by the Censor’s Office. I believe that the persons mentioned above would not have given me the assurance if they had not actually written to me.
You will understand how important it is for a prisoner to be in regular contact with his friends and family. However most of the letters I have written in the last eight months did not reach their destination. Even the special and urgent letter that Colonel Van Aarde gave me personal support for and which I gave to the censors on 19 November 1969 had not reached its destination by 31 January.
My normal monthly letter of the same date (19.11.69) to Nolusapho Mkwayi, which was previously refused but which Brigadier Aucamp gave permission for on 16 November, did not appear in the above-mentioned register.
I would like to ask you to give your personal attention [to this matter]. [Before] all contact with family and friends is cut off.
[Signed] Nelson Mandela 466/64
LETTER FROM NELSON MANDELA
TO HIS SISTER-IN-LAW TELLIE MANDELA
March 6, 1970
Sent 17.3.70
My dear Nkosazana,
I received your letter which was posted in Johannesburg on October 22 and in which you reported that Joel had agreed to appear for Nobandla.
I also received your second letter written on October 28 in which you informed me that Joel had actually appeared when the case was remanded the same day. I am very grateful for all the efforts that you are making to straighten out our domestic problems, and more particularly for the important role that you have played in obtaining the services of Joel. Whatever may be the final outcome of the painful episodes in which Nobandla is now engaged, nothing pleases me more than the fact that the case and our affairs are handled by a man in whom I have the fullest confidence; and for this I am greatly indebted to you, Nkosazana.
I was very disturbed to hear that you were unable to see her in the court cells when she and her friends appeared for remand. In my present circumstances, Madiba, problems which I could have otherwise easily solved become extremely difficult to handle. You, Uncle Marsh and Niki, are all very close to Nobandla and me, and all of you are trying your very best to help us in every possible way. I feel sure that if Nobandla and I were free your differences with my in-laws would have been amicably composed. I hope to see Marsh soon and will certainly discuss all your complaints with him. I will advise that the three of you should come together and try to thrash out all issues that have spoilt your relations and that make harmonious co-operation difficult.
As you know, Kgatho saw me on January 31 and mentioned the problem of who should look after the home when he goes to Fort Hare, stressing at the same time that the matter was extremely urgent. I had hoped that the visit would, as usual, last an hour but, unfortunately, we were given only 30 minutes and the interview was terminated before I had given my views. I would have preferred to send a telegram to Kgatho and Marsh setting out my views but these things are not always possible here, and notwithstanding the urgency of the matter, I had to be content with an airmail letter to Marsh only and which I am not even so sure whether it ever reached its destination.
In this letter I asked Marsh to avoid any arrangement about the house which would have the effect of depriving Kgatho and sisters of a home during our absence. I informed him that I considered Lulu to be the most suitable person for this purpose, provided Nobandla approved of the arrangement. I hope this matter has now been satisfactorily settled.
In your letter of October 28 you report that the house was owing R34 and that you made means to have the money paid. Kgatho also told me that you had also bought dresses for Zeni and Zindzi. No words that I may write he
re can adequately give expression to our gratitude to you. Perhaps one day we may be privileged with the opportunity of returning your kindness, however humble our own act of reciprocity may be.
Incidentally, I should like you to know that it gave me much joy to hear that you felt quite different after you had seen me in October last year, that the cloud of depression had cleared, and that you were now looking at the brighter side of things. That is the correct spirit. It has been rightly said that when you laugh the whole world laughs with you, but when you weep you do so alone. Remember that!
On January 1, I wrote to Vulindlela straight to Umtata and to Ntambozenqanawa, care of Kgatho. On November 19 I had written to Nobandla’s uncle, Mr Paul Mzaidume, 7012 Orlando West. I am anxious to establish whether any of my letters do reach their destination and I should be pleased if you would kindly check whether Ntambozenqanawa and Nobandla’s uncle received theirs.
Finally I should like Joel to know that I urgently need R100 for purposes of studies and I should be pleased if he will kindly raise the amount on my behalf. There is nothing else that I can do with Nobandla away.
Once again I thank you for all that you are doing and more especially for having made it possible for Joel to act for Nobandla. Fondest regards to all and with much love to you.
Yours sincerely,
Buti181 Nel
LETTER FROM NELSON MANDELA
TO THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF ROBBEN ISLAND182
Attention: Col Van Aarde.
I am greatly disturbed and shocked by the way the Censor’s office is handling my visits, and I would ask you to investigate the matter personally, at your earliest possible convenience, and put a stop to these unwarranted irregularities.
Molly de Jager,183 my daughter-in-law, ‘Hillbrow’, 7th Avenue, Retreat, Cape Town, has for almost three months been battling to obtain a permit to visit me. She made the first application at the very beginning of February and advised me of this fact in a letter which was received by the Censor’s Office on the 12th of the same month. Last month I was informed by the Censor’s Office that her letter of application had not been ‘received’. She applied again at the beginning of this month and I was warned to expect a visit from her on Saturday 18th April. She did not turn up.
But Beryl Lockman who visited her uncle, Walter Sisulu, last Saturday and who lives at the same address as my daughter-in-law, informed her uncle that she and my daughter-in-law had applied for visiting permits the same day. She received her own permit which did not contain the only essential information a permit should have, namely, the date for which the visit had been arranged. Beryl informed the uncle that my daughter-in-law had not come because her permit had not arrived. I am expecting her to come on the 25th instant and I ask you to ensure that the visit is not obstructed again.
I need hardly give you the assurance that this letter is not intended to be a reflection against Lt. Nel, the officer who is directly in charge of the Censor’s Office and who treats every one of my requests sympathetically.
[Signed]
LETTER FROM NELSON MANDELA
TO THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF ROBBEN ISLAND184
29th May 1970
Attention: Col Van Aarde
Yesterday, I advised you that on the 4th May I wrote you two letters, one relating to matters which are being handled by Brigadier Aucamp, and the second dealt with issues of a local nature, most of which have already received your attention.
There are, however, two matters which were mentioned in the second letter on the 4th May and which are still outstanding.
In June I expect my daughter, Makaziwe, to pay me a visit for the first time in her life since I was arrested, and I am anxious that the visit should be arranged for next month when she will be on vacation.
The second matter that is still outstanding is the special letter to Marshall Xaba which I handed in for posting on 3rd February with a request that it should be sent by ordinary post on February 18th notwithstanding the importance of its contents and urgency. You will recall that during the interview on 24th May, I informed you that by the 10th March the letter had not reached its destination, from which fact I inferred that it had probably gone astray.
[Signed]
LETTER FROM NELSON MANDELA
TO HIS DAUGHTERS ZENANI AND ZINDZI MANDELA
1st June, 1970
My Darlings,
It is now more than 8 years since I last saw you, and just over 12 months since Mummy was suddenly taken away from you.
Last year I wrote two letters – one on the 23rd June and the other on 3rd August. I now know that you never received them. As both of you are still under 18, and as you are not allowed to visit me until that age, writing letters is the only means I have of keeping in touch with you and of hearing something about the state of your health, your schoolwork and your school progress generally. Although these precious letters do not reach, I shall nevertheless keep on trying by writing whenever that is possible. I am particularly worried by the fact that for more than a year I received no clear and first-hand information as to who looks after you during school holidays and where you spend such holidays, who feeds you and buys you clothing, who pays your school fees, board and lodging, and on the progress that you are making at school. To continue writing holds out the possibility that one day luck may be on our side in that you may receive these letters. In the meantime the mere fact of writing down my thoughts and expressing my feelings gives me a measure of pleasure and satisfaction. It is some means of passing on to you my warmest love and good wishes, and tends to calm down the shooting pains that hit me whenever I think of you.
In the first letter I told you that Mummy was a brave woman who is suffering today because she deeply loves her people and her country. She had chosen the life of misery and sorrow in order that you, Zeni and Zindzi, Maki and Kgatho, and many others like you might grow up and live peacefully and happily in a free country where all its people, black and white, would be bound together by a common loyalty to a new South Africa. I gave you a brief account of her family background and career and the many occasions in which she has been sent to jail. I ended the letter by giving you the assurance that one day Mummy and I would return and join you, perhaps at 8115 Orlando West or may be in some other ‘home’. It may well be that she may come back with her poor health worse than it is at present and needing much nursing and care. It will then be your turn to look after her. Your love and affectionate devotion will serve to heal the deep and ugly wounds caused by many years of hardship and may prolong her life indefinitely.
The second letter contained the sad news of the death of Buti Thembi in a car accident near Cape Town and I gave you deepest sympathies on behalf of Mummy and me. I do hope that some good friend was able to tell you of this family tragedy soon after it had happened, and that you have already recovered from the shock.
Kgatho has not gone to the University of Fort Hare this year and does not even appear to be studying at present. In March I wrote and asked him to give me an explanation. I also wrote to Uncle Paul Mzaidume in April requesting him to arrange with Fort Hare for Kgatho to be admitted even though it was somewhat late. It is possible that my letter never reached them, just as you did not receive yours. Maki has passed the Junior Certificate and is now doing Matric. She plans to visit me sometime this month when the schools close. If she does come then I will be seeing her for the first time since 1962. I managed to see her and Kgatho for a few seconds through the gauze wire of a police van outside the entrance to Pretoria Jail during the Rivonia Trial in June 1964. I last saw our brave and beloved Mummy in December 1968. She was arrested on the 12th of May last year about two weeks before she was due to visit me. Her visits brought me joy and inspiration and I always looked forward to them. I must confess that I miss her very badly. I also miss you, darlings, and hope you will be able to write me long and nice letters in which you tell me everything about yourselves: your health condition, the classes in which you are this year, the position you h
eld in your class in the last examination, the place where you spend your holidays.
I have in my cell the lovely photo that you took during the 1965 Christmas with the Orlando West High school in the background. I also have the family photo which Mummy sent in March 1968. They make it somewhat easy for me to endure the loneliness of a prison cell and provide me with something to cheer and inspire me every day. I long for your latest picture but I suppose that will not be possible for some time. Perhaps one day, many years from now, Mummy will return, and maybe it will then be possible for her to arrange for me to have the little things that are precious to my heart. That day will bring moments of joy and song for me, and for you Zindzi and Zeni, for Maki and Kgatho, and for our devoted relatives and faithful friends who will have looked after you for all the years when she was away.
The dream of every family is to live together happily in a quiet peaceful home where parents will have the opportunity of bringing up the children in the best possible way, of guiding and helping them in choosing careers and of giving them the love and care which will develop in them a feeling of serenity and self-confidence. Today our family has been scattered; Mummy and Daddy are in jail and you live like orphans. We should like you to know that these ups and downs have deepened our love for you. We are confident that one day our dreams will come true; we will be able to live together and enjoy all the sweet things that we are missing at present. Tons and tons of love, my darlings.
Daddy
LETTER FROM NELSON MANDELA
TO HIS SISTER LEABIE PILISO
1st June, 1970
My dear Nkosazana,
Your letter of March 9, 1969 duly reached me and I was pleased to hear of the role that Jonguhlanga continues to play in helping to solve the difficulties which my absence would have brought on you and the rest of the family.
I received the news of your marriage with mixed feelings. A happy marriage is the ambition of all human beings, and that you had found your life partner gave me real joy. As I have already expressed my feelings and views in another letter which contained my congratulations to you and Sibali,185 I do not consider it necessary to add here anything on this aspect of the matter. It is sufficient to say that it is a source of real pride to me to have yet another brother-in-law. My only regret is that many years may pass before I see him. Although the news of your marriage pleased me very much, mine was pleasure mingled with worry and concern because I know well how uneasy a girl with national pride could be when the conclusion of the marriage was not accompanied by the usual traditional rites. Accordingly, it was a great relief for me when I heard that Jonguhlanga had bought you the required articles and that he had arranged for you to be formally escorted to your new kraal. Jonguhlanga has a large family and heavy responsibilities, and it is a measure of the deep love and devotion to us all that he was able, in spite of his numerous obligations, to give you the assistance you describe in your letter.
