Yusuf Omar – Opinion | 29 March 2017

South Africa is deeply grieved by the passing away of former political prisoner, Ahmed kathrada. He was a man that witnessed what most only read about and experienced what most only think about. While the world looks into his past, which is no doubt important, I thought to myself that the best way to honour him would be to take lessons from his life and use it to create a better tomorrow for all of us. After going through his life and times, I came up with six contemporary lessons that will improve our personal lives, and our country. These lessons are not taken out from just one period of his life but as you read through it, you will realise that I looked at his entire life when making my selection. The added benefit of this is that no matter what age category you fall in, there is at least one lesson here that will call for immediate implementation. That is why i opted to describe these lessons as ‘contemporary’. I also added a memorable quote for us to ponder over at the end of each lesson. So, here goes..

Six contemporary lessons from the life of Ahmed Kathrada

1. He filled his youth with productivity.

When we hear the name Ahmed Kathrada, our minds bring forth the image of an elderly struggle veteran, however we need to keep in mind that the struggle of the stalwart begin long before his hair turned grey. From a very early age, Kathrada had his mind set on the bigger picture. He joined the Young Communist League of South Africa and became a political activist at the age of 12, an age where others his age, in 1941, spent their time playing marbles and throwing dice on street corners. He had a keen interest in actively opposing the injustices of the time. Spending time with influential personalities of the time such as Dr. Yusuf Dadoo, IC Meer, Moulvi Yusuf Cachalia  and JN Singh allowed his mind and thought pattern to develop in a manner that is befitting for a future leader. Even though, at this young age, he could not fill a seat in high-priority diplomatic gatherings, he understood the effect and importance of every branch on a tree. At the age of 12, he spent his time handing out leaflets and performing volunteer work in the individual passive resistance against the Pegging Act in 1941. During World War II, which ended around the time Kathrada was 16, he was involved in the anti-war campaign of the Non-European United Front.

The lesson

Let the leaders of tomorrow take lesson from the first few chapters of Uncle Kathy’s life. Today, the era has changed, but in many ways, the problems are the same. The mind-set of such stalwarts needs to be instilled within the minds of tomorrow’s leaders. He had the desire to make a change and he knew, every leaflet handed out is one step closer to change.

“Another growing threat is the ignorance of young people about the history of our struggle. They need to know that with freedom comes responsibility”. Article published in the World Policy Journal.

2. He strove for excellence.

As I read through the various pieces about Kathrada’s early life, I was amazed at the amount of accolades he achieved despite the struggles that he faced. When it came to educating himself, no doubt, he strove for excellence. During his time in prison, which spanned over 26 years, he obtained four university degrees: BA (in History and Criminology)‚ B Bibliography (in African Politics and Library Science)‚ BA Honours (History) and BA Honours (African Politics). Keep in mind this was achieved despite working eight hours a day in the prison yards.  Also, he was already 35. If I was in his shoes, I would have probably lost hope. I mean, the country is a massive playground for injustice and the best years of my life will be behind bars. So why should I study? It’s a question I asked myself. Why did he study so much? I think, once again, it was his ability see the bigger picture. He had hope that one day he and his fellow inmates will taste freedom. He knew that when freedom knocks on their door, they need to be prepared. Not physically prepared, but mentally and academically prepared. The many hours he spent in his cell analysing and studying various texts had an object and  vision behind it.

The lesson

Today, as far as education is concerned, we can learn a lot from Kathrada. One the one hand, you have students who constantly protest and damage university property and, on the other hand, you have a man who obtained four degrees behind bars.  Besides education, let us look at his energetic spirit, positivity and hope. No matter the circumstance, he always prepared himself for what is to come. He turned a blind eye to the current climate and looked forward towards the sun’s rays on the horizon.

No matter the current situation in our lives, we need to constantly remain hopeful and strive for excellence. It’s a lesson that can be clearly seen from his life, especially his years spent in prison.

“We can only be satisfied and happy when: every child wakes up in a warm house has a good nutritious breakfast is able to say a loving good bye to both working parents goes to school in safe and reliable transport is met at school by teachers who are there on time, ready and able to teach”. Speech delivered on 21 August 2012 in Kliptown, Soweto on the bestowing of the Freedom of the City Award.

3. He stood for truth.

Where do I even begin when it comes to writing about his stance against injustice. This was basically the quality that makes Ahmed Kathrada, ‘Comrade Ahmed Kathrada’. The fact that he was first arrested at the young age of 17 shows how much of his life was sacrificed in fighting the apartheid regime. He was, at one stage, a student at Wits but had to leave his studies due to political commitments. Remember, we speaking of a young unknown Ahmed here, a man who had the opportunity to obtain a degree at a young age and live a quiet, peaceful life. But the desire for truth to prevail pushed him forward towards political activism. It was that unselfishness inside that drove him towards ‘the battlefield’.  In the years prior to being imprisoned, he founded and joined many organisations in the fight against racial discrimination. I won’t go deep into the names and dates of these events but I would just like to highlight the lesson.

The lesson

Ahmed Kathrada was a Muslim of Indian origin. Despite this, he never stood for Indians and Muslims only. He stood for truth, no matter the race or religion. If we can learn just this one lesson from this stalwart, it will make our Rainbow Nation shine for decades to come.  26 years of his life was not spent in prison for a particular race or religion, it was sacrificed for truth. It was sacrificed so that justice can one day turn a moan into a smile. Always be on the side of truth, this is where true victors stand.

“It must be a critical understanding of history that corrects distorted versions of liberation in which only certain groupings are seen to have fought for freedom”. Article published in the World Policy Journal.

 4. He remained a humble giant.

Post 1992, Kathrada was a hero. Due to his past struggles, he had the authority to speak as a senior member of the ANC. However, despite the love and honour that people threw at him, he still came across as a very humble man. I cannot recall a time when he took the lead in the presence of fellow stalwarts. You would always find him standing in the background. It is almost as if he worked the hardest during the dark hours but pushed others forward when the lights came on. Till today, as many senior veterans remember him, most recall his humility and his ability to strike hard blows with soft words.  Towards the end of his life, he insisted on a simple funeral ceremony and refused a state funeral. That alone speaks volumes about the humility that flowed through his veins. If you read about his life, you’ll come across jaw-dropping sacrifices and struggles that he endured with the likes of Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu, but for the life of me, I cannot recall an interview in which he used the word ‘I’. It was ‘Us’ or ‘they’.

The lesson

Today, it is as if the winds of humility blows no more. The selfless struggle that he displayed has become a rare commodity. As citizens of South Africa, we are all aware that lots of change is still needed. This will come when we work together and forget about who takes the credit. Change will, no doubt, show itself when the word ‘we’ is used more often. Even in our day to day activities at work or at home, let’s work for the cause, not for applause.

“Hatred, revenge, bitterness – these are negative emotions. The person harbouring those emotions suffers more”.

5. He knew when to step down.

Kathrada officially left the political arena in 1999, aged 70. At 70, his health was still fine. So why did he leave? A man that has been through so much understood the need for change. He understood that the fight for truth will remain a successful fight when the right people are in control. He played his part and knew when to step down.  He seen many younger, fresher, individuals that were devoted to the cause and knew that they needed an opportunity. It would have been easy for him to stay on. He attracted loads of respect and he was one of Nelson Mandela’s closest friends. Despite the privileges that he enjoyed, he never pulled any strings in order to stay another term. It probably wasn’t the easiest decision in the world. I mean he spent his whole life working for freedom and now, less than ten years after realising it, he has to walk away. The thing is, the greed for power never overtook him. Once again, he saw the bigger picture. This is a lesson that needs to be learnt by many African leaders. But let’s focus on us right for now.

The lesson

Some of us are CEO’s, some are mangers, some are running a family business, some are principals and some are calling the shots in the house. To a certain extent, we all hold authority. In life, there will come a time when we have to step down. This is one of the most difficult things to do after years of working and sweating for a purpose, but like Kathrada, we need to view it from a different angle by putting the benefit of the organisation or institute before our own interests. History shows that those who refused to step down eventually became the public’s enemy. People like Mandela and Kathrada stepped down at the right time. Not only did it give them the opportunity to move their efforts from political spheres to social spheres but it earned them a lot of respect and honour in the eyes of the public.

“The hardest thing to open is a closed mind.”

6. He never dropped his shield.

Despite stepping down from the political arena as mentioned above, Kathrada never threw in the towel in the fight against injustice and discrimination. Towards the end of his life, his efforts were more social rather than political but the efforts were still there.  He stood strongly for the people of Palestine against the Israeli apartheid regime and spoke at many events that dealt with serious issues like education and healthcare. For him, the struggle never stopped. The dynamics changed, but the struggle never stopped. As he urged British parliamentarians to form a national campaign for the release of jailed Palestinian leader, Marwan Barghouthi, I got the idea that the memories of his hardships will not allow him to call it a day. It is also due to this reason that he authored so many books after taking leave from the political arena.  His body probably couldn’t keep up but his mind never stopped working.

The lesson

Even in our days of retirement, we should never stop fighting for what we believe in. We might age and our bones might turn weak, but our hearts will always tell our bodies to move forward and play a role. In whatever form possible, we should fight till our last for what our hearts hold dear.

“… but we say that if under very arduous conditions, if prisoners from different parties on Robben Island could unite against the common enemy, today why can’t we unite against this common enemy which is poverty, hunger, disease?” Speech delivered on 16 April 2010.

Yusuf Omar resides in South Africa and holds a BA in Islamic sciences. He is currently a writer/presenter at Radio Islam. He loves playing with words and has an interest in fine arts. He also believes in mermaids. Check out some of his other articles here. Interact with him on Twitter and Instagram.