Celebrating 20 years of freedom in 20 years with Nelson Mandela – 2010 ( second from left seated) is (back row left to right), famous photographer, Alf Khumalo, Stalwart Ahmed Kathrada, Farida Omar. Front row from left to right: Mrs Graca Mandela, Mr Nelson Mandela, daughter, Zindzi Mandela and former wife, Mrs Winnie Mandela. This photo by Kevin Joseph is from “Mandela in Focus”, a coffee table book which is due to be released in July and will be authored by Farook Khan. Kevin Joseph served as Nelson Mandela’s private photographer for 23 years. The book will highlight 23 years of Mandela’s freedom and feature photographs which haven’t been published before.
The year 2018, marks the 60th anniversary when Professor Fatima Meer and Nomzama Winnie Madikezela met for the first time at the Railway Station, Durban. The Meers had received a telegram from Nelson Mandela while he was on the run, asking them to meet and take care of Miss Madikezela until he visited Durban. “The sketchy details were acceptable, considering the situation at the time and with the authorities cracking down on the leadership of the struggle. He would be a prize catch.”
“I was staggered when I saw the young lady. She was fascinatingly beautiful and there was something very special about her. Once the introductions were done, we drove back home. Winnie as we called her then lived with us while we waited for Mr Mandela to arrive. At this stage he was underground and had to be careful about his movements because the Security Police were looking for him,” said Professor Meer.
As the days went on, they spent many hours talking to each other and developed a mutual trust . “The young woman became more forthcoming with information, which was obviously secret. When we spoke about Mr Mandela, it was obvious that she was smitten by him and that she was very much in love with him.
Miss Madikizela spent the nights on the sofa downstairs in the lounge as she waited for Mr Mandela. It was after about 10 days that Mr Mandela arrived at the Meer house and the couple were reunited. “These were no doubt that the couple were very much in love. I did not know what to make of it. Obviously he was a man of the world and a dedicated political activist who was on the run. If they were planning to get married, the future was fraught with danger,” said Professor Meer.
Here was the Commander in Chief of Mkonto we Sizwe who was due to take on the greatest fighting machine in Africa was taking time off from the struggle to indulge in a romance. “It was in fact a meaningful and lasting relationship which was subjected to some of the toughest tests for any human being to bear. The journey which they undertook to travel across the country and still keep ahead of the government forces, must be one of the greatest feats in South African history,” said Professor Meer.
Mr Mandela looked like a heavyweight boxing champion and Miss Madikizela every bit the princess. “The couple looked the part of being President and First Lady of a country. Will it ever happen. I wondered and often thought about it. But for the present here were two people who seemed to have no cares about the world. They were totally engrossed in each other,” said Professor Meer.
After a short stay the couple left and off they went and melted into the shadows. Where they went and what happened, only the two of them know. But eventually when they emerged, they were married and the world for the first time saw the new Mrs Mandela, the couple had two daughters.
The National Party Government cracked down, banned all liberation movements, arrested top leaders, many were jailed and others fled into exile. By 1965, the people’s popular leadership had been wiped out, but there new firm of Mandela and Meer emerged as the voices of protest. They remained close throughout the preceding seven years and were a united front to such an extent, that they were seen to be the voices of protest, defiance and liberation leadership. Emergent black leaders from the West who visited South Africa, came looking for Mrs Mandela and Professor Meer. Locals took the cue and before long were responding in large numbers to their respective rallying calls.
During May 1969, the Security Branch swooped on Mrs Mandela and held her in solitary confinement for 491 days. They tortured her, tampered with her medication and subjected her to gross indignity. But she emerged even more defiant and a plan to mobilise the youth of the country. Professor Meer was also banned and house arrested further and police harassment.
In 1972 when Congressman Charles Diggs, chairman of the Committee on Apartheid came to South Africa to investigate the plight of sugar cane workers, among the leaders he sought out Mrs Mandela and Professor Meer.
First they began organising women and the blueprint was put into place to launch the South African Black Women’s Federation, which was eventually launched in 1975 in Durban. After the launch, Professor Meer now elected president went to leave Mrs Mandela at the Louis Botha Airport (now an executive committee member) when they spotted the then Minister of Justice, Mr Jimmy Kruger. Mrs Mandela could not resist, she confronted Mr Kruger and demanded, “When are you going to release my husband? The apartheid strongman was so flummoxed, that he babbled before his security detail hurried him into a side office.
It was also at a time when Mrs Mandela was elected chairman of the Soweto Committee of 10 and was addressing the ills of apartheid education, especially the poor matric results. She was the defacto leader of the youth and she marshalled them into a powerful resistance movement, which led to the 1976 Soweto uprising. South Africa was rocked and the government banned Fatima Meer and restricted her to the magisterial district of Durban. Mrs Mandela was banished to Brandfort in the Free State. But by this time, the fate of the apartheid regime was sealed, never again where they going to have an easy ride.
Mrs Mandela was sending out special envoys to brief youth leaders and followed the progress made by Black Consciousness activists like Steve Bhiko, Saths Cooper, StriniMoodley and Barney Pityane. By the time 1980 came around, Mrs Mandela was confident that liberation was nearby.
The old firm of Mandela and Meer stepped up their campaigns in a double pronged attack, calling for economic sanctions against apartheid South Africa, discoursed dis-investment and called on the masses, especially labour unions to make themselves felt.
The final run-up to liberation saw Mrs Mandela being estranged from the main liberation groups but Professor Meer, dismissed stood steadfast and pledged support for her longtime friend and ally.
This week, Mrs Mandela died in a Johannesburg Hospital on Easter Monday 2 April 2018. She was 81.
This brings to an end the old firm of Mandela and Meer which was a special feature of the liberation struggle.
The Islamic Forum sends its condolences to her family.