| CINDI ,
Zithulele Nyangana Absalom
1950: The story of my life on this earth began on the 18th August
1950 when I
was born in a place called Alexandra Township to the north of
Johannesburg that has never been regarded as part of “the
northern
suburbs ” because of its squalid , slum and run-down nature.
1957 – 1965
Started schooling in 1957 in Alexandra Township at a primary school,
run
by the Seventh Day Adventists(SDA) Church after a spell at the local
Entokozweni Nursery School and finished primary school at another
SDA
School in Orlando West (Soweto). This was as a result of the forced
removals [euphemistically called “resettlement”] from
Alexandra
Township in 1963 to Diepkloof in Soweto.
1966 –1967
Went back to Alexandra Township where I did my Junior Certificate(JC)
education at the Alexandra Secondary School in 1967.
1968 – 1970
Matriculated from the Orlando West High School in 1970 after taking
an extra year to complete my matriculation studies following my
being arrested and sentenced to fourteen(14) days hard labour for
failing to produce a “dompass” on the eve of my examinations
in October
1968. It was also during this period that we got introduced to SASO
teachings through an organisation for high school students called
:the
African Students Movement(ASM) which was later to be renamed the
South African Students Movement(SASM).
1971–1972
After failing to raise money to go to university I then joined the
ranks of the
unemployed and did odd jobs starting as a clerk earning a princely
wage of
R12 per week at a civil engineering firm and later as a Laboratory
Assistant.
It was during this time that I reconnected with the Late Mthuli
ka Shezi
who was my senior at the Alexandra Secondary School. He recruited
me
into the Black People’s Convention(BPC) and I attended its
first congress in
December 1972 which he ,tragically, missed.
1973 - 1974
Appointed the Administrative Secretary to the BPC’s Secretary
General,
Sipho Buthelezi and this was shortly after the massive bannings
of
leaders of the Black Consciousness Movement(BCM) on the 3rd of March
1973. Later in the same year I assumed responsibility of running
the national
office after Sipho Buthelezi was also banned to Madadeni. And at
its congress in December 1973 I was elected the secretary general
of the BPC –the youngest office bearer of a political party
then. On 25th September 1974 the BPC and SASO organised “Viva
Frelimo ” Rallies countrywide to celebrate with the people
of Mozambique on the ending of colonial rule by Portugal and the
ascendance into power by the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique(Frelimo).
The Vorster/Kruger regime banned these rallies and hundreds of us
were detained as a result.
1974 – 1976
After evading police arrest for a month and operating from a “mobile”
office
I was detained on October 25th 1974. Released from detention in
March 1975
and put on trial together with other comrades from the Black People’s
Convention(BPC) and the South African Students Organisation(SASO)
under
the Terrorism Act for daring to challenge the illegal regime and
conscientising
Black people. The late Steve Bantubonke Biko was the key witness
for the
defence in this Black Consciousness trial that was to be dubbed
“the
BPC/SASO 9 TRIAL” that ended in December 1976. The 1976 youth
uprisings against the imposition of Apartheid rule on education,
amongst other
things, provided the backdrop to the testimony by Steve Biko at
our trial.
Sentenced in December 1976 to five(5) years and driven to Robben
Island the
next day at the back of a police van.
1976 -1981
Served sentence on the island and continued with the struggle by,
amongst
other things, embarking on a hunger strike to oppose having to work
purposelessly at the lime quarry. This practice was stopped in 1977.
Was
denied further tertiary education studies in 1978(the same year
my maternal
grandmother passed away) till 1981 for having boycotted exams in
1977 in
solidarity with student boycotts on the mainland. Released in December
1981.
1982 to date
1982 : Joined the Azanian People’s Organisation(AZAPO) where
I served first
as the vice-Chairman of its Soweto branch for two terms; Projects
Co-ordinator;
Secretary for Labour; Acting National Treasurer and currently National
Chairman.
Other employment-related engagements:
1986-1999 : Trade Unionist. Served as General Secretary and National
Education Officer of a NACTU-affiliate.
1999 - Trade Union Investment Company(Unity Incorporation)that
focuses mainly on socially responsible investments(SRI) and
served as its Secretary, Public Officer, Educator(involved with
Trustee Training).
Holding directorships in various companies involved with Asset Management,
Telecommunications, Productivity–enhancement and Corporate
Governance
Currently the Chief Executive Officer of Unity Incorporation.
Father of six(6) and married to Nomonde Jafta.
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