Learning African History – Freedom Fighters Series 3

Contents

“I, Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma…”
A herd boy from Nkandla
The story of Bambatha
Education is a weapon
Joining a trade union
When the settlers came
The ANC is born
From talk to mass action
Arrest and imprisonment
Robben Island’s early history
Ten years on Robben Island
From Verwoerd to Vorster
Released
Meeting Mbeki
Kicked out of Swaziland
Chief of Intelligence
Rebuilding South Africa
Working with the president
Another kind of exile
Peacemaker
Trouble at home
The arms deal
Friendship with the Shaiks
A year of shocks and surprises
Accused again
The struggle continues
Moment of truth in Polokwane
“Zuma! Zuma!”
Fighting in court
What the judge said
Mbeki is told to go
A split in the ANC
A temporary president
A new surprise from the NPA
“A place filled with the laughter of children”
Zuma’s wives
The best president in Africa
Uniting to fight against AIDS
Important dates in the life of Jacob Zuma
Glossary
Index

Harry Gwala

ISBN 978-1-77008-381-3

A biography of Harry Gwala, describing his childhood and education, how he joined the Communist Party of South Africa and the ANC, his imprisonment on Robben Island, and his life and work as a freedom fighter, especially in KwaZulu-Natal.

[76pp]

Contents

Early in the morning
The people of heaven
The murder of Shaka
The Battle of Blood River
White people unite
Black people unite
Son of a poor farmer
Adams College
The Guardian and the People’s Hall
Communism
The Communist Party in South Africa
Teaching
Organising the workers
Joining the ANC and the Youth League
Apartheid
Listed and banned
Working for the ANC
A union for all workers
The 1950s - a decade of action
Sharpeville
Caught
The early history of Robben Island
Island of hardship and cruelty
Back on the island
The United Democratic Front
A new apartheid
The townships burn
Inkatha and the UDF
The Lion of the Midlands
“His spirit lives on among us”
Important dates in the life of Harry Gwala
Glossary
Index

Peter Mokaba

ISBN 978-1-77008-382-0

A biography of Peter Mokaba, describing his childhood, his education, his activities as a student leader, his training as an MK soldier, his imprisonment on Robben Island, his eventual appointment as Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, and his early death.

[76pp]

Contents

A land of legends
New Look
A black spot
Squatters in Mankweng
Rough and tough
Black belt
Six Mabone!
Turfloop and the community
Poetry and freedom
A hero called Tiro
Spreading the message
Freedom spreads
A quiet fighter for freedom
The students ask questions
The day the bullets flew
Two letters
Trying to further his education
Cosas and Azaso
Taking up the spear
Sneaking into Swaziland
Meeting Oliver Tambo
A spy in Matola
Guns and books
Caught
Keeping a promise to Tambo
Free and back in the battle
Making contact with the ANC
Mandela is released
Freedom at last
“Militant, dynamic and vibrant”
Important dates in the life of Peter Mokaba
Glossary
Index

Fezile Dabi

ISBN 978-1-77008-383-7

A biography of Fezile Dabi, describing his childhood and education, his township activism, his membership of the United Democratic Front and the ANC, and his early death.

[76pp]

Contents

Born in a well-known place
The Dutch and the British at the Cape
Four states for two nations
The ANC is formed
Apartheid
The Youth League is born
A defiant ANC
The people shall govern
Two treason trials
Life in Tumahole
A clever learner
Mr Ref
Famous Fort Hare
Saying “no” to homelands
“Sons of Kente”
The TSO - words and action
Apartheid gets a facelift
Sell-outs
“Pay - whether you like it or not!”
The people decide to take action
“This burden is too heavy”
The UDF – a new fight for freedom
Release Mandela
A new name: Madlebe
A state of emergency
Tselane
Visiting Mandela
1994 - Victory for the ANC
A hero dies young
Important dates in the life of Fezile Dabi
Glossary
Index

Albert Nzula

ISBN 978-1-77008-384-4

A biography of Albert Nzula, describing his childhood and education, how he became a trade unionist and joined the CPSA and the ANC, and his work in Moscow, in Russia, where he died suddenly at the age of 29.

[60pp]

Contents

A young fighter for people’s rights
Getting an education
The rights of workers
Nzula joins the fight for workers’ rights
An important meeting on a rainy day
Learning about communism
The spread of communism
Trouble at work
Learning new skills in the CPSA
JBM Hertzog
Hertzog’s hated laws
Serious trouble
Becoming a leader of the Party
A busy time
The short life of the LAR
The beginning of the ANC
Conflict at the 1930 ANC meeting
Protest against the 1923 pass laws
A short history of 16 December
The death of a comrade
Goodbye to South Africa
Living in Moscow
Death in Moscow
Important dates in the life of Albert Nzula
Glossary
Index

Thabo Mofutsanyana

ISBN 978-1-77008-385-1

A biography of Thabo Mofutsanyana, describing his childhood and education, his membership of the SACP and the ANC, his training in Moscow in Russia, his struggle for the freedom of workers and African people, as well as his exile to Lesotho and his eventual return to South Africa.

[84pp]

Contents

Phuthaditjhaba
A new mountain home for the Basotho
The Basotho lose their land
No rights for black people
Working for an education
Back to work
Fighting the new system
Joining the Congress
An ugly incident at Jeppe Station
Joining the Communist Party
What is communism?
Communism comes to South Africa
The Comintern’s plan
Night school
Suffering in the rural areas
Potchefstroom’s fight against unjust laws
Fighting the town council
Love and marriage
A meeting in a cinema
Leadership training in Russia
A long and daring journey
Learning to fight for freedom
The dangerous journey home
A split in the CPSA
Hands off Ethiopia!
The All African Convention
A shocking decision
The Native Representative Council
Mofutsanyana stands in the NRC election
Reviving the ANC
The next two decades
Hiding in the mountains
Down from the mountain and into freedom
Important dates in the life of Thabo Mofutsanyana
Glossary
Index

Ruth Mompati

ISBN 978-1-77008-386-8

A biography of Ruth Mompati, describing her childhood and education, her membership of the ANC and the Federation of South African Women, her life as an activist and training in exile as an MK soldier, her work as a member of the ANC National Executive Committee, and her role in the struggle for freedom in South Africa.

[72pp]

Contents

A proud family
Wanting to learn
Becoming a teacher
Teaching the very poor
Vryburg, a racist town
Four “states” unite
The ANC - born to fight for freedom
Newspapers from Johannesburg
Living in Johannesburg
Fedsaw joins the Congress Alliance
The Freedom Charter
Organising the big march
Pretoria, here we come
More than just a secretary
Death in Sharpeville
A state of emergency
Keeping the ANC alive
A lucky escape
Arrested
“Choose your police station”
Leaving South Africa
Into exile
A new name - Mompati
Meeting Tambo again
Family reunion
A leader in the ANC
When fear turned to hope
Home again
Important dates in the life of Ruth Mompati
Glossary
Index

Moses Kotane

ISBN 978-1-77008-387-5

A biography of Moses Kotane, describing his childhood and education, how he became a trade unionist and joined the ANC and the SACP, his years in Moscow in Russia, his trade union activities, and his involvement in the 1956 Treason Trial.

[72pp]

Contents

Tamposstad, Rustenburg
A rural life
At the cattlepost
Changes in the world
Two cows and two schools
The Land Act
Johannesburg
Working on the mine
Joining a union
The Book of Life
How communism began
The Communist Party in South Africa
A new way of life
New words, new ideas
Working for the CPSA
To Russia
Lots of books at the Lenin School
A Party falling apart
Reviving the ANC in Cape Town
Fighting the pass law
Working together
The miners’ strike
All working together
The Bandung Conference
On trial for treason
The ANC is banned
Rebuilding the ANC
Fifty fighting years
Important dates in the life of Moses
Kotane
Glossary
Index

Moses Mabhida

ISBN 978-1-77008-376-9

A biography of Moses Mabhida, describing his childhood and education in KwaZulu-Natal, his activities as a trade unionist, his membership of the SACP, the educational training work he did in Umkhonto we Sizwe camps, and his death in exile in Mozambique.

[76pp]

The road to democracy – 1652 to 1994

Contents

Son of a washerwoman
amaZulu
Settlers from Europe
The Battle of Blood River
The British and Dutch unite
The beginning of the ANC
A love of history
Discussing the Second World War
Learning to organise the workers
Communism
The Communist Party of South Africa
Going to work
The Youth League - an exciting moment
Apartheid - a new name for racism
Mass defiance
Banning the communists
Organising Sactu
A close alliance
The hated pass laws
Sharpeville - the end of peaceful protest
MK - a new way to fight for freedom
Into exile
Military training
In the Revolutionary Council
General secretary
A fighter who never gave up
The struggle continues
De Klerk makes peace
Democracy arrives in South Africa
A hero comes home
Important dates in the life of Moses Mabhida
Glossary
Index

ISBN 978-1-77008-389-9

A timeline of events in South Africa’s history from 1652, when white settlers first arrived, to 1994, when South Africa became a democracy. This timeline covers the battles fought between British and Dutch settlers, the battles that both groups fought against local people for land and resources, as well as the anti-apartheid freedom struggle.

[76pp]

Albertina Sisulu

ISBN 978-1-77008-390-5

A biography of Albertina Sisulu, describing her childhood and education in the Eastern Cape, her marriage to Walter, her nursing career and work in the ANC and various women’s organisations, and her role in the United Democratic Front.

[76pp]