Robben Island to Wall Street

6

Chapter 1

WKDW ZH FRXOGQ¶W VRRWKH :H IHOW EH\RQG WKH KXPLOLDWLRQ WKH FRQVWDQW FRXQWLQJ RI RXU KHDGV ± ZKHQ ZH ZRNH XS DW PHDOV ZKHQ ZH ZHQW WR span ZKHQ ZH UHWXUQHG ZKHQ ZH DWH ZKHQ ZH VOHSW %HLQJ FDOOHG E\ D QXPEHU WKH GHJUDGDWLRQ RI WKH GDLO\ VWULSSLQJ DQG DQDO VHDUFKHV WKH IRRG UDWLRQV ± ZH KDG WKH VDPH PHDO RI motoho for VL[ \HDUV ± WKH XQLIRUPV WKH EDFN EUHDNLQJ KDUG ODERXU WKH LFH FROG JDOHV UDYDJLQJ RXU VFDQWLO\ FORWKHG HPDFLDWHG ERGLHV ZLWK VLFNQHVV DQG GHDWK :H SDVVHG WKH IHQFHG LQ VHFOXGHG VPDOO FRWWDJH ZKHUH WKH EDQLVKHG $IULFDQLVW OHDGHU 5REHUW 6REXNZH ZDV KHOG LQ VROLWDU\ FRQ¿QHPHQW 'XULQJ KLV GHWHQWLRQ KH ZDV DOORZHG YLVLWV E\ 1DWLRQDO 3DUW\ R൶FLDOV WR SHUVXDGH KLP WR DSRORJLVH LQ H[FKDQJH IRU KLV UHOHDVH +H UHIXVHG WR WUDGH KLV LGHDOV IRU IUHHGRP 7KH ¿YH RI XV VWRRG XQGHU WKH EOLVWHULQJ VXQ DW WKH TXDUU\ UHPHPEHULQJ ZLWK ODXJKWHU RXU LGHRORJLFDO TXDUUHOV WKDW GLPLQLVKHG ZKHQ IDFHG ZLWK WKH GDPS ZLQG\ ZLQWU\ QLJKWV RI WKH :HVWHUQ &DSH &RDVW ZKHQ WKH JDOHV WKUHDWHQHG WR EORZ WKH URRIV R൵ RXU PDNHVKLIW EDUUDFNV LQWR SLHFHV :H UHPHPEHUHG WKH Ou Tronk SDUW RI ZKLFK ZDV DOVR DQ LVRODWLRQ KRVSLWDO IRU WKH WXEHUFXORVLV VWULFNHQ :H ODXJKHG DW KRZ WKH ZLQGRZV ZHUH UH LQIRUFHG ZLWK ZLUH PHVK VR WKDW ZH FRXOGQ¶W HYHQ VPXJJOH LQ ROG VWROHQ QHZVSDSHUV WR EUHDN RXU LVRODWLRQ IURP WKH ZRUOG EH\RQG :H VDQJ ZKHQ ZH UHPHPEHUHG GLJJLQJ WKH OLPHVWRQH TXDUU\ $XEUH\ OHG XV ‘ Unzima lo mthwalo’ 7KLV EXUGHQ LV KHDY\ RXU LPDJLQDU\ KDPPHUV DQG SLFNV SRLVHG LQ WKH DLU ZKLOH ZH WRLOHG OLNH RWKHU VODYHV PXVW KDYH GRQH EHIRUH XV 6LQJLQJ WKRVH VRQJV ZH UHPHPEHUHG KRZ WKH KXP RI RXU YRLFHV LQ XQLVRQ UDLVHG KDLUV WR JLYH XV WKH FRXUDJH WR SHUVHYHUH (YHQ WKH ZDUGHUV ZHUH QRW LPPXQH WR WKH K\SQRWLF UK\WKP RI RXU ZDU FULHV WKH\ ZRXOG VKLIW DQG VPLOH ZLGHO\ IRU WKH\ EHOLHYHG WKDW RXU H൵HUYHVFHQW HQHUJHWLF VRQJV LQFUHDVHG SURGXFWLYLW\ :H FRXOG FXUVH WKHP LQ LVL;KRVD ZLWKRXW WKHP NQRZLQJ IRU WKH\ GLGQ¶W XQGHUVWDQG DQ\ $IULFDQ ODQJXDJH µ5HPHPEHU" ¶ ZH VDLG VLPXOWDQHRXVO\ µ)DWLPD P\ ORYH¶ RQH RI WKH VRQJV ZH VDQJ LQ UHVSRQVH WR RXU \HDUQLQJ IRU IHPDOH FRPSDQ\ :H ODXJKHG DQG ORRNHG DW RXU KDQGV UHPHPEHULQJ WKH RR]LQJ EORRG\ EOLVWHUV ZH KDG RQ RXU SDOPV ZLWK QR PHDQV WR VRRWKH IRUJHW KHDO WKHP :H FRXJKHG IRU VXGGHQO\ RXU WKURDWV ZHUH GU\ $V ZH UHPLQLVFHG ZH SDWWHG VKRXOGHUV OHDQLQJ RQ RWKHUV ZKR NQHZ , NQRZ WKH\ UHPHPEHUHG :H ZLSHG WKH GXVW IURP RXU H\HV :H UHPRYHG RXU VSHFWDFOHV WR FOHDU WKH PLVW :H ZLSHG WKH VZHDW R൵ RXU EURZV ZLWK VXUUHSWLWLRXV KDQGNHUFKLHIV :H ORRNHG DQG OLVWHQHG WR 1HOVRQ 0DQGHOD :LWK QREOH GLJQLW\ KH WRZHUHG RYHU XV LQ VWDWXUH DQG LQ VSLULW +H VWRRG ZLWK KLV EDFN VWUDLJKW KLV VWURQJ H\HV FRQWHPSODWLYH +LV GLVFLSOLQHG IDFH GLG QRW EHWUD\ ZKDW KH PXVW KDYH EHHQ WKLQNLQJ RU IHHOLQJ :LWK D SOD\IXO VPLOH RQ KLV OLSV KH UHPHPEHUHG ZLWK XV KLV YHU\ ¿UVW GD\ RQ WKH LVODQG :H SXQFWXDWHG KLV PHPRULHV ZLWK ODXJKWHU µ Eh, he. Eh, he, he. Eh he he «¶7KH WHDUV LQ RXU H\HV ZHUH RI ODXJKWHU , H[SHULHQFHG RQO\ SDUW RI KLV SDLQ DQG LQ P\ KHDUW , NQRZ , ZDV IRUWXQDWH WR KDYH EHHQ VHQW WR WKDW SODFH 0\ OLIH ZRXOG