Stay in school, says Mlangeni

RIVONIA trialist, political activist and former Robben Island prisoner Andrew Mlangeni urged the pupils of Westerford High School in Rondebosch to “stay in school” and “not end up in prison” in his address at the school yesterday. The Struggle stalwart said he supported people standing up for their rights, but he believed burning buildings and cars was not a solution.

“Being a good citizen does not mean that you should not complain when things are going wrong, raise them up, speak up in a peaceful manner. “When you say university fees must fall it doesn’t mean you must start destroying people’s properties or burning people’s cars in the street.

“They destroy everything then the following day they say ‘we want our lecture rooms built again’, yet you destroyed them yesterday.

“Protests must be done within the law of the country,” he said.

He said people should demand services but “in a peaceful manner. Demand the services that are due to the people of South Africa, services such as housing, quality education, hospitals, electricity, etc,” he said.

In a bid to help the pupils steer clear of prison, Mlangeni spoke of his 26 years and four months in prison. “Prison makes you miss... your family, your friends, you miss a lot of things, so be a good citizen.

“I was arrested in 1963 at Rivonia and sentenced to life imprisonment along with Sisulu, Mandela and Mbeki.

“We spent a quarter of a century in prison before they started to talk to us to see how best to solve the problems of this country, they divided us, they took Mbeki, Sisulu and myself away from Rob- ben Island and brought us to Pollsmoor Prison. But we had always had hope that we would be released soon.

“The pressure the country had put on the government back then made us realise that we would not die in prison.” When asked by Weekend Argus if he thought the ANC could win the 2019 election, Mlangeni said he was hopeful as he believed the party had heard and seen the people’s dissatisfaction.

“They are now going out there and talking to the people, ... but there is a lot of work to be done,” he said.

asanda.sokanyile@inl.co.za