Long walk to find freedom in Afrikaans
GAVA KASSIEM, an educator for 20 years, and prolific writer, changed careers in 1999 to become a language practitioner at National Parliament. She holds a BA (Hons) Linguistics from the University of South Africa. Her ground-breaking thesis focuses on the translation of the Freedom Charter. The article is based on research completed at the University of the Free State for the degree MA (Language Practice). She is currently pursuing her PhD. I WASN’T born when the Freedom Charter was conceptualised, drafted and accepted in 1955 in Kliptown, Johannesburg. But the intensification of its political setting stifled my adolescent years.
And similarly, inhumane apartheid laws regulated my adulthood, which undoubtedly have left indelible scars. It is therefore not surprising that my endeavour to locate an Afrikaans version of the Freedom Charter also documents an excavation into my core as a human being.
I initiated my research by contacting prominent ANC members and struggle veterans in this regard, but was, however, ignored via e-mail, lambasted over the phone, and referred to the official archives, Mayibuye Centre and Luthuli House. I had success with neither.
Though both expressed interest when I forwarded the relevant questions, neither Minister Trevor Manuel nor Reverend Allan Boesak (both founders and stalwarts of the United Democratic Front) responded to my questions. Reverend Boesak was leaving for a trip to America and Minister Manuel was recovering from an operation.
I then proceeded to contact archives countrywide. The National Language Services in Pretoria, responsible for the translation of all official documents, informed me that the Freedom Charter was never translated into Afrikaans per se.
At a request from Dr Christo van der Rheede (CEO of the Afrikaanse Handelsinstituut), Professor Wannie Carstens (North-west University) pointed out that he had come across an Afrikaans translation of the Freedom Charter in the Beeld newspaper. I was unable to confirm this. Similarly, Afrikaans author Hermann Giliomee, who has written extensively on Afrikaner history and comparative politics, was also unable to assist.
Ensuing and persistent research revealed that Afrikaans versions of the Freedom Charter were published in the Afrikaans press. With the help of the former editor of Die Vaderland, Harald Pakendorf, I located an Afrikaans translation of the Freedom Charter that was published in 1985 in the same newspaper. Subsequently, another translation was published in 1989 in the “verligte” (progressive) newspaper Die Vrye Weekblad with Max du Preez at its helm.
But an invoice, dated September 13, 1955, for printed copies of the Freedom Charter in Xhosa, Zulu, English and Sesotho served as a catalyst to source an earlier Afrikaans translation.
An Afrikaans copy of the Freedom Charter was eventually located in the Wits University archives. Closer scrutiny revealed that the Freedom Charter was translated into Afrikaans at the time of its drafting in 1955.
The painful history associated with the Afrikaans language raised the niggling question as to who was responsible for the translation. Afrikaans was and remains the mother tongue of some people of colour but some were also forced to learn the Afrikaans language in schools during that volatile period.
My research expanded to people who were involved with the drafting of the Freedom Charter. MP Ben Turok (drafter of the economic clauses in the Freedom Charter) responded to my e-mail request and informed me that renowned Afrikaans poet and playwright Uys Krige was responsible. Professor Hein Willemse (University of Pretoria) confirmed it, but was unable to give me any reference.
Though Krige’s biography documents his huge disenchantment with the government at the time, it does not make mention of the Freedom Charter. Professor Kannemeyer, author of Krige’s biography Die Goue
Seun, explained that he had complete access to the Krige collection at Stellenbosch University, as well as personal papers and letters provided to him by the Krige family.
He expressed great doubt as to whether Krige could have been responsible. Instead, Kannemeyer pointed me to a friend of Krige, MP Mangosothu Buthelezi, but added hastily hat he had no knowledge of Krige’s connections with any ANC members. Kannemeyer also referred me to a “swart man” (black man) who was present during a lunch meeting with Krige and Jack Cope. He could not remember the name of the gentleman and referred me to the University of Cape Town. In addition, Krige’s daughter Eulalie was unable to speak to me since she was recovering from an operation.
When Professor Ampie Coetzee (University of the Western Cape) was contacted in this regard, he suggested that a “dominee” (pastor) could have been responsible for the Afrikaans translation. He also mentioned I should research Professor Donald Inskeep and contact Black Sash, a human rights organisation who was in existence since 1955.
My correspondence with prominent Afrikaans writers and poets Adam Small and Breyten Breytenbach, who were all very close friends of Uys Krige, did not yield anything positive. Adam Small suggested I speak to ANC member Advocate Matthews Phosa. Phosa is proficient in many languages and has published a poetry anthology in Afrikaans.
He assured me that he would ask the elders in the ANC and get back to me. However, after leaving numerous messages, he never responded.
My next port of call was acclaimed Afrikaans author, academic and poet, Antjie Krog. Krog was a journalist involved during the TRC hearings. But Krog also translated Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, A Long walk to
Freedom into Afrikaans. When queried, Krog provided an improbable statement. She had translated the Freedom Charter at some time or other, but that she was unable to remember when and why.
The FW de Klerk Foundation suggested I search on Wikipedia as the foundation did not have a copy of the Freedom Charter.
My research took a different direction when I decided to contact lawyers who were involved in the Rivonia/Treason trial. Advocate Bizos pointed me in the direction of the preliminary documents of the Treason trial.
I told him I felt a strong sense of urgency to conclude my research since most of the cadres have either passed on or are old and infirm (which, by the way, are his peers). Advocate Bizos chuckled and told me he was actually looking at a framed copy of the Freedom Charter in his office as we were speaking.
My search for the elusive document finally came to end when I came across a document that states that various documents BT (1-53) were confiscated from accused No 97, Ben Turok’s house in Rondebosch during a raid by police on December 5,1956. A document marked BT 25 – “A Freedom Charter in Afrikaans”, with a note “Translated by Uys Krige”, at the top was among them. My research had come full circle. In conclusion, it is a sad reality that Afrikaans media houses and organisations that proclaim to be ambassadors for the Afrikaans language seem to have distanced themselves from this historic find. Once again, denying their target readers access to information very similar to what occurred during the dark days of South Africa’s turbulent and painful history.