South Africa - History, Political Prisoners - Biography, South African Politics & Government, Political Activists & Social Reformers - Biography

Memoirs

Name: Memoirs
Author: Ahmed Kathrada
ISBN: 9781868729180

by Ahmed Kathrada

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Overview

Ahmed Kathrada's autobiography is a moving read about a man who not only observed, but also actively participated in the shaping of a country's history. Born a shopkeeper's son in a small rural town, he became the trusted confidante of some of the most prominent political figures in South Africa's struggle history, among them Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu. Politically active at the age of 10, Kathrada devoted his life to the freedom struggle in South Africa. Persecuted, driven underground and sentenced to life imprisonment at the Rivonia Trial, Kathrada spent 18 years on Robben Island, where he grew close to both Mandela and Sisulu, whom he regarded as a second father. On the island, in his tiny garden patch, Kathrada buried the original draft of Mandela's autobiography, until such time it could be smuggled to London.

In this book, truly a collection of memoirs, he affords us rare glimpses into his and other activists' lives during the struggle and imprisonment, and sketches poignant cameos of those who would become South Africa's post-apartheid leaders. This is a fascinating book about a modest man who experienced a momentous life.

About the Author, Ahmed Kathrada

South Africa's first democratically elected President, Nelson Mandela is known throughout the world as a dedicated statesman, an inspired leader and the image of hope for the anti-Apartheid movement. He was imprisoned on Robben Island for many years, and yet his devotion to freedom and justice allowed him to be the focus and heart of the ANC.