A Long Walk Down Memory Lane

I finally got to see Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom on the big screen and it brought back memories of a very hard journey that my country South Africa ("SA") went through and moments of nostalgia when elections came around in 1994. 

Some of the journey I got to experience as a child, a youth and as a young adult in turbulent SA.

1976 brought about the Soweto uprising followed by many boycotts of SA products across the world.  I will never forget one day just after school when I stood with two of my siblings on the stoep (porch) with my grandmother, when some army men drove past and pointed their guns at us in a joking manner.  It was definitely no joke looking at their guns.

 

In the 80s I participated in a school boycott and quickly got to understand what the "fight" was all about in SA.  It did not take me long to get involved in organising and participating in youth rallies.  I was more of a behind-the-scenes person, designing posters and pamphlets which unfortunately went up in flames because one day we got informed that our homes were going to be raided so I got onto the phone (no cellphones then) to my mother to go ahead and burn all my original works before there was a possible raid.

 

Robert Waterwitch (Catholic Southern Cross)

On two occasions I was faced with arrest, but for some reason the police could just not get their heads around the fact that they were there to arrest me.  They asked for me by name and when my mother pointed me out they looked at me and said, they think they have the wrong person.  I can only put it down to the fact that the tiny, childlike person they were looking at was not capable of whatever they were there to arrest me for. If they only knew that dynamite does come in small packages.  I guess my guardian angels were looking out for me.  Who knows what would have become of me.  Okay maybe I would have become a politician if I was not killed like my special friend at the time, Robert ("Robbie") Waterwitch.  We had a special relationship which very few people knew about and it all started in 1987 on our way to a youth conference in Durban.  Along the way our bus was stopped by the SA Defence Force and I remember Robbie taking his ANC coloured pen and hiding it in the back of the seat behind which we were sitting.  That was a stressful moment but we got through it.  On 23 July 1989 (3 days before my birthday) Robbie together with Coline Williams died in a limpet mine incident in Athlone.  I think his death was another reason I avoided relationships - all the people that I got too close to always seemed to end up dead. 

 

On 11 February 1990 SA welcomed the release of Nelson Mandela and in 1994 I had the privilege of  working as a Voting Official at our first Democratic Elections in the Manenberg area.  This was a very exciting and emotional time for millions of South Africans.  Been able to vote for the very first time.  To have been part of this time in SA history is one that I hope never to forget.  The look on the face of the elderly as they cast their vote for the very first time was the most special.  Shaking their hand after they dropped their ballot paper in the box made one feel very special and on some occasions brought tears to my eyes.  No country in the world should ever deny all its citizens their right to a fair and democratic election. 

 

#MandelaLWTF - set out to stir emotions and I would like to confirm indeed it did.  It brought back sad and happy memories of my experiences during South Africa's turbulent years.

 

We all have our own Long Walks to Freedom of a different kind, whether political, religious, emotional or otherwise.  Never forget that the walk we take is one that starts with one step and then another.

 

Enjoy your journey and make sure to greet whoever you meet along the way.  You never know when your paths might cross again.