A life spent in pursuit of revolutionary change

Beyond Fear Ebrahim Ebrahim Loot.co.za (R205) Jacana

is the testimony of Ebrahim Ebrahim, a revolutionary among revolutionaries, whose poignant and inspirational account of his years spent dedicated to bringing down the apartheid state is told in ways we have not heard.

As one of the founding members of Umkhonto weSizwe, he played a central role in directing the sabotage campaign of the early 1960s. Convicted for this, Ebrahim arrived on Robben Island in 1964, where for over 15 years he played a leadership role in the creation of the “University of Robben Island”.

Soon after his release, Ebrahim became the head of the ANC’s political military committee in Swaziland. He was abducted in December 1986 by apartheid agents and taken to South Africa. He was charged with high treason and sentenced to a further 20 years, which would be his second stint on the Island. Ebrahim was, however, released in February 1991.

Beyond Fear also tells the story of his post-1994 life, where he travelled the world doing international conflict resolution work. He later served as South Africa’s deputy minister of foreign affairs. His great love story began at the age of 63 when he met his beloved Shannon Ebrahim, with whom he had two children. Ebrahim Ebrahim died on December 6, 2021.