By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Beyond Fear – Reflections of a Freedom Fighter is the testimony of a revolutionary amongst revolutionaries, Ebrahim Ebrahim’s poignant and inspirational account of his years spent dedicated to bringing down the apartheid state.
As one of the founding members of Umkhonto we Sizwe, he played a central role in directing the sabotage campaign of the 1960s. Convicted for this, Ebrahim arrived on Robben Island in 1964, some months before Nelson Mandela, where for over 15 years he played a leadership role in the creation of the ‘University of Robben Island’, a university of revolutionary ideology.
After Ebrahim’s release in 1979 he operated in the ANC’s Natal underground structures. He disappeared into exile in 1980 on the instructions of Oliver Tambo as he was about to be arrested.
As the head of the ANC’s political military committee in Swaziland, Ebie’s life was under constant threat. He was infiltrated into South Africa in 1985, to report on the state of resistance in the country. Identified by an agent, one of the most extensive manhunts of the apartheid era ensued.
He escaped to Swaziland only to be abducted in December 1986 by apartheid agents and taken to South Africa to be tortured at John Vorster Square. He was charged with treason and was sentenced to 20 years, which would be his second stint on the island. Ebie was released in February 1991.
Beyond Fear tells the story of his post 1994 life, where he travelled the world on 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 to his beloved Shannon Ebrahim with whom he had two children who were, as he says, his “greatest teachers”. Ebrahim Ebrahim died on 6 December 2021.
“Beyond Fear is a great gift, not just to Ebi’s family, but to all humanity, with the magic of a fable and the hard brilliance of historical fact.”
Albie Sachs, acclaimed author and former Justice of the first Constitutional Court of South Africa, and author.
“Though the many years of torture and confinement on Robben Island […] could have crushed any human soul, his was a roaring blaze of the struggle that ignited the will in many comrades across the globe to fight for justice and the end of apartheid.”
This book should be compulsory reading for all South Africans, particularly young people at school and university.
*** Join Shannon Ebrahim, partner of the late Ebrahim Ebrahim, and other panelists at any of the launches below. There’ll be one close to you!
GAUTENG
* AB Moosa, CEO of Avalon Group, in discussion with Shannon Ebrahim, Ronnie Kasrils, Former Minister of Intelligence Services of South Africa and MK Veteran, and Yunis Shaik, former trade unionist, member of uMkhonto weSizwe, lawyer and currently CEO of eTV Holdings
Date: Thursday 5 May
Time: 18:30
Venue: CineCentre Killarney, Killarney Mall, Johannesburg
* Professor Tawana Kupe, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria in discussion with Shannon Ebrahim, Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Dr Naledi Pandor, Professor Vasu Reddy, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Pretoria and Dr Sithembile Mbete, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Sciences and Director of Programmes at Futurelect
Date: Monday 16 May
Time: 16:30
Venue: Future Africa Space, University of Pretoria, Pretoria
* Siphamandla Zondi, professor of politics and international relations at the University of Johannesburg, in discussion with Shannon Ebrahim and Yasmin Sooka, Human Rights Lawyer and former Executive Director of the Foundation for Human Rights in South Africa
Date: Monday 30 May
Time: 15:00
Venue: Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg
* Joanne Joseph, broadcaster and award-winning author, in discussion with Shannon Ebrahim and Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs of South Africa
Date: Thursday 9 June
Time: 18:00
Venue: Exclusive Books Hyde Park, Johannesburg
KWAZULU-NATAL
Gcina Mhlope, activist, actor, storyteller, poet, playwright, director and author, in discussion with Shannon Ebrahim and Sunny Singh, Treasurer of the Military Committee in Maputo, Robben Island prisoner, member of uMkhonto weSizwe and ANC Representative in Holland
Date: Saturday 14 May
Time: 14:00
Venue: South Africa in the Making, Shop 7, Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
WESTERN CAPE
Siraj Desai, Human Rights Lawyer and retired Western Cape High Court Judge, in discussion with Shannon Ebrahim, Albie Sachs, acclaimed author and former justice of the first constitutional court of South Africa, and Yunis Shaik, former trade unionist, member of uMkhonto weSizwe, lawyer and currently CEO of eTV Holdings
Date: Saturday 4 June
Time: 18:00
Venue: District Six Museum Homecoming Centre, Cape Town
To RSVP for one of the launches above, please contact rsvp@jacana.co.za. Please indicate the launch you are RSVPing for by including the venue in the subject line.