Robben Island to Wall Street

7 ‘ Sontaha ya Mehlolo ’: A Sunday in March 1963

‘ Sontaha ya Mehlolo ¶ 6XQGD\ RI 6XUSULVHV It all started on that Sunday of 6XUSULVHV DV WKH GD\ ZDV GXEEHG LQ %HNNHUVGDO 7KDW LV ZKDW LW LV VWLOO FDOOHG WR WKLV GD\ DOO WKHVH PDQ\ \HDUV ODWHU IRU SHRSOH UHPHPEHU KRZ WKH ZKROH VPDOO ORFDWLRQ ZDV WKURZQ LQWR GLVDUUD\ WKDW 6XQGD\ PRUQLQJ 7KH XVXDO 6XQGD\ PRUQLQJ EXVLQHVV LQ %HNNHUVGDO KDG IHZ SUHVVLQJ PDWWHUV EHVLGHV DWWHQGLQJ VHUYLFHV DW RQH RI WKH ¿YH ORFDO FKXUFKHV ,QGHHG PRVW UHVLGHQWV ZHUH EXV\ JHWWLQJ UHDG\ IRU MXVW WKDW WKDW PRUQLQJ ZKHQ DOO KHOO EURNH ORRVH $OO XVXDO EXVLQHVV ZDV DEUXSWO\ VXVSHQGHG ZRPHQ KDVWLO\ UHWXUQHG WKHLU FRVWXPHV KLJK KHHOHG VKRHV DQG ZLGH EULPPHG KDWV WR WKH ZDUGUREHV 'HDFRQV SUHDFKHUV DQG ELVKRSV WKUHZ WKHLU 6XQGD\ MDFNHWV DQG FOHULFDO UREHV EDFN LQWR WKH ZDUGUREHV IURP ZKLFK WKH\¶G XQHDUWKHG WKRVH RQO\ PLQXWHV EHIRUH 7KH IDLWKIXO DV ZHOO DV HYHU\ERG\ HOVH LQ WKH ORFDWLRQ ZDLWHG IRU WKH XQIDPLOLDU GXVW WR VHWWOH :RUG RI PRXWK TXLFNO\ VSUHDG WKH QHZV IURP KRPH WR KRPH DQG VWUHHW WR VWUHHW )RU KRXUV %HNNHUVGDO ZDWFKHG WKH VKLQ\ FDUV ± DQ XQIDPLOLDU VLJKW ± FULVV FURVV WKH ORFDWLRQ UDLVLQJ WKH UHG GXVW IRU ZKLFK WKH WRZQVKLS ZDV QRWRULRXV ,W ZDV MXVW DIWHU VL[ LQ WKH PRUQLQJ 0\ VLVWHU 6HPDNDOHQJ ZDV DOUHDG\ DZDNH LURQLQJ P\ VWHSPRWKHU¶V XQLIRUP KHOSLQJ KHU JHW UHDG\ IRU FKXUFK 6HPDNDOHQJ RU 6PDNNLH DV HYHU\RQH FDOOHG KHU UHFDOOV KHDULQJ FDU GRRUV EDQJLQJ RXWVLGH ± DQRWKHU UDULW\ :KR RZQHG FDUV LQ RXU WRZQVKLS" &XULRXV DOWKRXJK VKH NQHZ , ZDV QRW LQ DQ\ WURXEOH ULJKW WKHQ VKH QHYHUWKHOHVV WKRXJKW WR FKHFN (YHQ DV VKH GLG WKDW VKH ZDV TXLWH VXUH ZKRHYHU KDG VWRSSHG LQ IURQW RI RXU JDWH KDG PDGH D PLVWDNH ± WKH\ KDG VWRSSHG DW WKH ZURQJ JDWH :HOO VKH ZRXOG MXVW GLUHFW WKHP WR WKH ULJKW SODFH WKHQ 6PDNNLH SHHNHG WKURXJK WKH ODFH FXUWDLQ WKDW FRYHUHG WKH ORQJ QDUURZ NLWFKHQ ZLQGRZ $QG JRW WKH VKRFN RI KHU OLIH :KLWH PHQ

69