Letters from Robben Island: A Selection of Ahmed Kathrada's Prison Correspondence, 1964-1989
edited by Robert D. Vassen
Michigan State University Press, 1999 eISBN: 978-0-87013-931-4 | Paper: 978-0-87013-527-9 Library of Congress Classification DT1949.K38A4 1999 Dewey Decimal Classification 323.092
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ABOUT THIS 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.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Ahmed M. Kathrada, with Nelson Mandela, is long-serving political prisoner on Robben Island and Pollsmoor Maximum Prison. Kathrada was appointed political advisor to President Mandela. Vassen is Associate Director of the English Language Center at Michigan State University.
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
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Letters from Robben Island: A Selection of Ahmed Kathrada's Prison Correspondence, 1964-1989
edited by Robert D. Vassen
Michigan State University Press, 1999 eISBN: 978-0-87013-931-4 Paper: 978-0-87013-527-9
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.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Ahmed M. Kathrada, with Nelson Mandela, is long-serving political prisoner on Robben Island and Pollsmoor Maximum Prison. Kathrada was appointed political advisor to President Mandela. Vassen is Associate Director of the English Language Center at Michigan State University.
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
REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you
with an electronic file for alternative access.
Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.
It can take 2-3 weeks for requests to be filled.
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE