Farewell, Tat’uMlangeni

While many will remember 95-year-old struggle stalwart Andrew Mlangeni as a strong, dedicated politician, those who had a chance to spend quality time with him knew another side — a  man who was kind, naughty, humorous and easy to love.  

Mlangeni —  the last surviving anti-apartheid activist convicted with Nelson Mandela at SA’s infamous Rivonia Trial — died in the early hours of Wednesday morning, just more than a week after being admitted to the 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria.

Mandla Mathebula, who authored Mlangeni’s biography Backroom Boy, reflected later on some of the lighter moments he had spent with him.

He said Mlangeni had been a humble man he could relate to.

“He was easy-going. You could relate with him on anything.

“In short, I can say he was naughty,” Mathebula said.

“He had a sense of humour and did not mince his words. He could say anything in front of anyone, including his children.

“He would joke in very naughty language that I would not want to repeat.

“I used to visit him with my wife sometimes. You know that since his wife passed away about 20 years ago or so, he did not marry again.

“He loved her and honoured her. He vowed to honour her.

“I visited him with my wife and he said to me ‘you are very brave, young man, you are bringing a beautiful wife here to a bachelor. Don’t be surprised when you leave this house without her’.”

Mlangeni joined the ANC Youth League in 1951 and the ANC in 1954, according to his foundation.

In 1961, he was among the first to be sent for military training outside the country, to China.

On his return in 1963, he was arrested, found guilty of sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Among those tried with Mlangeni were Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Denis Goldberg, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada, Lionel Bernstein, Raymond Mhlaba, James Kantor and Elias Motsoaledi.

Mlangeni was, however, released in 1989 when negotiations between the ANC and the apartheid government began.

He subsequently spent 20 years in parliament and led the ANC’s integrity commission.

In 2013, in an interview with the Sunday Times, Mlangeni denounced corruption within the government, saying the Rivonia trialists did not go to prison so that ANC members could reap the rewards of freedom through self-enrichment and greed.

“Tenderism [sic] has destroyed many of our honest people,” he said.

“People want to make money quickly. That is not what we stood for. I did not go to prison for that.”

One of Mlangeni’s granddaughters, Sibongile Ngwenya, said the family had hoped that he would come out of hospital stronger than ever.  

“We somehow expected it [his death], but not today. We were hopeful that the trooper was going to come back as usual,” she said.

Ngwenya, 50, said she chose to celebrate his life instead of focusing on the heartbreak of his death.

She was one of the mourners who visited the Mlangeni household in Dube, Soweto, on Wednesday.

She described her grandfather as a man who had lived life to the fullest.

Mlangeni’s neighbour, Phillip Nhlapo, 71, said Mlangeni was a quiet person who only spoke when spoken to.

He was, however, always willing to share knowledge about his time during the fight against apartheid.

“I learnt ubuntu and respect,” Nhlapo said.

“I always say that when one is respectful, God adds more years to life and that is why these men [struggle heroes] lived such a long life.

“He would tell us his history because we were so interested to know how this old man survived.

“He was always willing to sit down, especially if you wanted to know about his life.”

Mlangeni’s nephew, Buti Mlangeni, said the family had lost one of its pillars — someone who was always willing to lend a hand.

“His passing has really killed our spirits because we relied on him,” Buti said.

“When something came up in the family, he was the one who always helped with arrangements.

“Even here at Dube, he always lent a helping hand.

The gogos [grandmothers] here knew he would always buy them blankets when winter came.”

Buti said his uncle was a true anti-corruption activist and  “always spoke about how corruption hurt him so much”.

Former Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Ben Fihla recalled how Mlangeni would risk his life and travel from Gauteng to Port Elizabeth — disguised as a priest —  to deliver news and instructions to his comrades in the Eastern Cape.

“I knew him well, we were together on Robben Island and in parliament. He was committed and determined and focused on the struggle,” Fihla said.

“I interacted with him a lot during the underground years. He would come to PE and we would discuss many issues and help each other find solutions.

“He was disciplined and someone who knew wrong from right, and always wanted to do the right thing.”

He said  Mlangeni’s death was a great loss to the fight for the economic emancipation of black people, especially considering how the ANC government was plagued by corruption.

“The revolution can only be defended by the people who were in the struggle, in the trials and in the prisons, and yet those people who were in the trenches are the ones suffering the most.

“He [Mlangeni] takes with him his wealth of knowledge and experience, all  much needed in government today.”

Fihla said current ANC leaders had much to learn from Mlangeni, including maintaining unity within the ANC.

“There is no shop for experience,” he said.

“You cannot buy that and the ANC really needed people with Mlangeni’s experience to ensure that the values upon which the movement was founded are not lost.

“He was selfless as a leader and dedicated.”

- HeraldLIVE